As a pet owner, your dog鈥檚 safety starts with you. Although canines are extremely smart animals, they take their cues from their owners and rely on them to meet most of their needs, including keeping them calm during times of crisis.
鈥淒ogs are deeply sensitive to human emotions, especially in their particular guardians,鈥� says Sally Morgan, a for pets and people, as well as the author of 鈥淒ances of the Heart 鈥� Connecting with Animals.鈥�
If you鈥檝e ever wondered how your dog knows when you鈥檙e feeling sick, sad, or scared, it鈥檚 because he has the uncanny ability to . 鈥淵our dog is a master at reading body language,鈥� says Mike Ritland, a K9 expert, author, and founder of . 鈥淵our body language reflects your state of emotions.鈥� While your dog may not actually be a mind reader, he鈥檚 watching you very closely and can pick up on your various moods.
According to Conrad Ross, an animal behaviorist and founder of , dogs are very attuned to our behavior but have fewer preconceptions than humans. 鈥淭hey live in the now, they don鈥檛 reflect on the past or plan for the future,鈥� he explains.
Studies have also shown that dogs can between a person鈥檚 facial expressions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for a person to remain calm, that way they encourage their dog to stay calm as well,鈥� says Morgan. 鈥淩esearch at the has shown that pets are drawn to us when our heart rates, breathing, and other body rhythms are in synch with our pets.鈥�
In an emergency, if your dog picks up on your fear, his excitement 鈥� in response to your reaction 鈥� can cause a change in behavior. His sense of , a psychological response聽when feeling threatened, might kick in and result in his biting or being reactive with another person or dog. Alternatively, he may run away out of fear.
鈥淲e can safely assume that dogs know when something in their environment isn鈥檛 quite right,鈥� says Ross.
The best way to avoid a potential problem is to have a disaster plan in place. By doing so, you ensure that both your needs and your dog鈥檚 needs are met and that you鈥檒l stay together, healthy, and safe. People that are unprepared during times of emergency put both themselves and their pets at risk of injury.
, a dog trainer and co-founder of School for the Dogs training facility in downtown Manhattan, suggests including specific safety skills in聽your regular training routine to be prepared for an emergency situation.
鈥淥ur job in training is to make our dogs comfortable in the world we live in,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f we turn certain things into a game, they鈥檒l be less likely to freak out since they鈥檝e already run through it many times before.鈥�
When an electrical fire started in the wall of her apartment, Grossman experienced firsthand just how crucial it is to remain calm and prepared during a crisis. 鈥淥nce the smoke started billowing in, I knew I had to get out,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 got my cat into a backpack, scooped up my dog, grabbed my things, and got out.鈥�
Ever since the incident, she encourages clients to get into the habit of teaching their dog to go into a bag or carrier. 鈥淚f you have to evacuate quickly, you might need to get them into something you can carry,鈥� she says.
As your dog鈥檚 guardian,聽you must lead by example. 鈥淚t鈥檚 imperative to remain in the same emotional state that you want your dog to be in, as his will mirror yours,鈥� says Ritland. By staying calm, you鈥檙e sending a message to your dog that everything is all right.