Max introduces sticky feet, the weighted, cautious foot movement dogs show when tense or wary. Compare it to springy feet, which are light and bouncy, signaling playfulness. Watch your dog at home first to learn their baseline, then spot these patterns during new interactions.
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What do sticky feet have to do with your dog? Hello, my name is Max. It's taken me 8 years and 1,000 dogs to learn this, but I'm attempting to teach you in just 6 weeks. Welcome to day 1 of reading dog body language until we run out of dog to look at. Today's video is the feet. Here's what you need to know about your dog's sticky and springy feet. Firstly, I highly recommend just looking at your dog walking around the house so you can see what they're like in quite a neutral state. This is a dog with springy feet, which are light and bouncy. And this is a dog with sticky feet that seem quite weighted, like the floor is sticky. Now, why and when would a dog do this? Well, springy show excitement and playfulness. And when would you see this? In a social situation or when a dog is approaching something and they're very comfortable and quite upbeat. Quite simple. and it's one of my favorite things to look for. Sticky feet, on the other hand, show tension and caution. You'll see this when a dog is approaching something that is unfamiliar or a threat. They are two different things. Just because it's unfamiliar doesn't mean they find it threatening, but they are being cautious. Just like this dog here, you will also see sticky feet when a dog is just being cautious. They're in an unfamiliar environment, they're looking around, and you'll see how sticky those feet seem to the floor. Throughout this series, we are going to build on this, so don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow morning when we're learning about the raised paw. That was terrible.
