Reading canine body language accurately is important for patient health and comfort, veterinary team safety and proper client education and consultation. Clues such as proximity preference, food acceptance, postures and expressions improve understanding of patient emotions.
Source: Veterinary Team Brief, September 2017.
The more relaxed a patient is, the more likely an interaction will be safe and successful. Increased levels of anxiety, fear, and stress are associated with increased handling challenges and decreased team safety. Use the quiz photos and images to review a variety of expressions, postures, and positions associated with different canine emotional states.
INSIGHTS: Consider making this a team exercise over a lunch meeting. See how your team interprets the photos. Younger team members will benefit from the discussion of the photos and the likely stories of pets that have been served in the practice.