Why Paying Attention To Your Dog's Mental State Matters

I may actually spend more time on this blog talking about why paying attention to dog body language and other signals are important than what they are. There are a couple of reasons for that. I think observation of the dogs in your life is an important teacher. I (and other sources) can tell you what this or that behavior means in general, but I cannot tell you what it means in your dog.
I also think that paying attention to the messages our dogs are giving us is crucial. In order to live with us, dogs have to give up choices about so many things. They make our lives better. The least we can do is try to make their lives the best they can be. The way to do that is to pay attention to their needs. In particular, I think it is important to be able to tell that they aren't doing well; whether from illness, stress, or other factors; and help make things better for them.