Field Guide · Glossary
Consent test
Body languagePausing while petting a dog and watching whether they ask for more, as a way of checking whether the contact is wanted.
How it works
The person pets for a few seconds, then stops and takes their hand away. A dog who wants more contact usually shows it by moving closer, leaning in, nudging the hand or pawing. A dog who was tolerating the contact tends to stay still, turn their head away, move off, lick their lips or shake off once released. The pause matters because many dogs will hold still under a hand without enjoying it, and stillness on its own is easy to misread as pleasure. Repeating the pause every few seconds lets the dog keep choosing, and an answer can change partway through.
What it looks like
A visitor scratches a dog behind the ears, then stops. The dog shifts their weight closer and pushes their head into the visitor's hand, so the scratching continues. A few rounds later the dog stands up, shakes and walks to their bed, and the visitor leaves them alone.
Commonly confused with
- Cooperative care
- Cooperative care uses a trained start button so a dog can opt into handling such as nail trims or vet exams. The consent test needs no training at all and is used for ordinary social petting.
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