Special event dedicated to dogs at Kino Sõprus on December 3

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Alexandra Lau / Unsplash

During the last year, dogs have tragically attacked people on several occasions. In almost all cases, it has been said that the situation could have been avoided if the owner had understood their animal better. An animal cannot tell us what it thinks and feels, so it is important for owners to be able to read and interpret their pet’s body language. That is why the Estonian Society for the Protection of Animals has organised a special event at Kino Sõprus cinema on December 3, where experienced professionals will teach attendees how to better understand their dog’s body language.

Britt Purdelo, the founder of Koerakeele Kool (Dog language School in English), will give a lecture on how to recognise the signs of anxiety and stress in dog behaviour and body language. Purdelo, who studied animal behaviour at Aberystwyth University in Great Britain, specialises in dog behaviour, dealing with – among other things – animal shyness and aggression. 

“Free-range dogs don’t have the same behavioural problems as family pets. My job is to think together with the owner about how to ensure a species-specific environment for the dog, because the goal is to really improve the dog’s emotional state, not to hide it behind obedience,” explains Purdelo.

Since in many cases the dog’s behaviour is changed unexpectedly by the pain resulting from trauma or illness, Tiina Toomet, a well-known veterinarian and member of the Estonian Society of Pet Veterinarians, has also been invited to speak at the event.

People tend to think that animals signal when they are in pain by vocalising, but animals are very good at hiding pain from their owners. In order for the animal to receive timely help, the owner must be able to notice the manifestations of pain before they become critical and can cause the dog to behave unexpectedly. Ideally, a dog owner should attend a puppy school with their dog, where they can get to know their new friend better and the puppy can learn valuable social skills. However, when adopting an adult dog, it must be taken into account that the animal’s character has already developed, and the person must do everything possible to understand their friend as well as possible.

The movie “Strays”, which will be shown at the end of the special event, is dedicated to understanding the interactions between dogs. The main characters of the film are stray dogs Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal; take viewers on an exploration of street life in Istanbul. “Strays” uses an unusual dog’s perspective to take a critical look at human society and show what life is like for those who lack a sense of security and shelter.

Tickets for the event (held in Estonian), which cost 3 euros for adults and 1 euro for students, are available on the Kino Sõprus website or at the cinema on the day of the event. All proceeds from ticket sales will go to help homeless, abandoned and abused animals, as well as promote good animal husbandry practices and animal rights causes.

To learn more about this and similar topics
animal Britt Purdelo Dog Dog Behaviour Koerakeele Kool Shelter Strays Vet