By Tamsin Durston RVN CAB MSc. Tamsin is an RVN, clinical animal behaviourist and accredited dog training instructor. She has 25 years of experience, predominantly working with the Blue Cross and Dogs Trust charities. In her current role as Dogs Trust’s Veterinary Intervention Development Manager,
Tamsin leads a team that develops welfare-driven initiatives such as the Dog Friendly Clinic membership scheme. The initiatives are aimed at embedding canine behavioural principles into veterinary practice and improving the veterinary care experience for dogs, owners and veterinary teams alike.

ABSTRACT This article is a follow up from a BVNA webinar presented September 2023. Communication among dogs can be both subtle and overt. Dogs communicate in many ways, including the use of body language to appease would-be aggressors and barking during short-range interactions, in contexts such as greeting, warning, frustration and attention-seeking. By observing, understanding and responding to the different types of canine communication, veterinary professionals can improve the wellbeing of dogs in the practice environment. As veterinary nurses, we can help to reduce stress and promote positive emotional experiences and interactions for canine patients, their owners and veterinary professionals.
Keywords canine, dogs, communication, behaviour, senses, stress, reduction

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56496/NLDY7813

To cite this article: Durston, T. (2024) Listen to the whispers: canine communication for veterinary nurses. Part 2. Veterinary Nursing Journal 39 (5) pp 15-20

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