Canine Communication
Lecturing is the science of talking communication the art of listening. - Olly
This illustration by Lili Chin is modelled after her dog, Boogie. She has also illustrated the small but mighty book Doggie Language: A Dog Lover's Guide To Understanding Your Best Friend. This book is not only beautiful with its artwork but is packed head to tail with excellent canine communication information and is a must-have for canine owners, young and old. You can click the link in the name to get your copy. She has also created KITTY LANGUAGE, An Illustrated Guide To Understanding Your Cat for all of you who have cats.
CommunicationHumans’ primary mode of communication is verbal, while our dogs’ primary language is body language. We have evolved to understand complex words that can sometimes even mean different things, complex sentences, and double/hidden meanings. On the other hand, dogs evolved to understand each other using simple language that is the same worldwide.
While humans think and talk about abstract things in the past, present, and future tense, Canine communication reflects the present and how they feel.
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Communicating effectively,
Less is always more!
Dogs are hard-wired to read our emotions and intentions by observing our movements and even smelling our pheromones. We often think dogs act guilty when they do something wrong when, in reality, they are cowering, running away, or turning their heads to try to calm down an upset human.
This is also why some dogs may react poorly to injured or elderly people who walk/move unusually or with mobility aids. It's because they can't understand the movement, which scares them. Conditioning a Marker and learning how to read canine body language can dramatically improve how we communicate with our dogs.
Topography & Function
Communication is listening to what’s being said and understanding what isn’t being said, then responding to why it was said.
To completely understand our dogs, we need to look at their body as a whole and also their environment. The same dog's body language signals can have different meanings in different contexts.
This fantastic illustration by Lili Chin, available to download from www.doggiedrawings.net, explains how, rather than simply Labeling our dogs, looking at topography and behaviour function together helps us understand what our dogs are trying to communicate.
Videos on Canine Body language
Calming Signals
Calming signals is a term coined by Norwegian dog trainer, canine ethologist, and best-selling author Turid Rugaas,
I believe calling it a language is an oversimplification; instead, as Truid explains, it is "an art of survival" and a skill to avoid conflict. Dogs who master these signals can easily navigate complex situations with other dogs of different personalities. They can defuse stressful encounters and win over even the most reactive dogs. Click on the link in the title to learn more. I also highly recommend the book On Talking Terms with Dogs.
Tails
Wagging tail
It is a common misconception that a wagging tail means the dog is happy. When a dog wags its tail, it communicates it is emotionally aroused.
“Before we learn to speak “tail,” we must understand the neutral or natural position of our dog’s tail as this varies by breed. Most dogs have tails that hang down near their heels when relaxed. But some dogs, like Beagles, hold their tails more vertically. Others, like Greyhounds and Whippets, curl their tails under their bellies. Still others, like Pugs and Boston Terriers, have tails that coil tightly against the body and don’t wag at all.
Tail position may indicate
- Preparedness or agitation. When dogs are alert, they stand with their ears and tails raised. This posture indicates they are watching and ready to confront whatever caught their attention.
- Negotiation. When a dog suddenly stops wagging its tail and freezes, it may mean it wants to divert a threat without being aggressive. Many dogs do this when petted by strangers to communicate that they don’t want to interact with them.
- Aggression. When a tail moves from a neutral position to a vertical one or arches over the back, it indicates that the dog may be aggressive. The higher the tail, the greater the threat. This high tail position also releases more of the dog’s scent from the anal glands, announcing the aggressive dog’s arrival and marking his territory.
- Submission. When a tail moves from the neutral position to a lower one, the dog is submissive and is not a threat. The dog is scared if the tail is tucked tightly between the rear legs. They perceive a threat and are asking not to be harmed. This lower tail position reduces the amount of scent emitted from the anal glands and allows the dog to remain in the background or fly under the radar.
- Curiosity. When a dog is curious about something, it may hold its tail straight out horizontally.
- Happiness. When a dog is happy, it holds its tail in a neutral or slightly raised position and gives it a healthy wag.
The rate at which a tail moves adds further meaning to canine communication. Wagging speed may indicate
- Excitement. The faster the wag, the more excited the dog. A tail wag may range from very slow to rapid (flagging). Sometimes, the dog’s tail wags so fast that it appears to vibrate.
- Insecurity. A dog that is tentative about meeting a new person or another dog may wag his tail ever so slightly to indicate that they are insecure.
- Friendliness. An amiable dog may wag its tail more freely and even wiggle their hips simultaneously. Some dogs even shift their hips to the right to indicate friendliness.
- Aggression. When a dog wags his tail very fast while holding it vertically, he may be an active threat. Remember that a person can get bitten by a dog wagging its tail!
Left vs. right tail wagsCanine “tail talk” is so complex that even the direction of the wagging is significant. Studies show that dogs wag their tails to the right when they are happy or confident and to the left when they are frightened. Interestingly, there is a scientific reason for this. The left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body and vice versa. Therefore, the left brain is engaged when the tail wags to the right, and the right brain causes the tail to move to the left. Since the left side of the brain is associated with positive feelings like love and serenity, a happy dog wags his tail to the right. Conversely, the right half of the brain is associated with negative emotions like fear and depression, so a frightened dog wags his tail to the left.” (VCA Animal Hospital)
Barking
Barking is part of a dog's language. It is a natural behaviour for a dog.
Most people find barking annoying and get upset when a dog barks. Or you may have a dog that barks constantly for things you may not want them to bark at.
Rather than trying to prevent barking, teach your dog what you would like them to bark at and how to be quiet on cue.
Stopping the barking is like taking the batteries out of your smoke detector.
You may not have fixed the cause of the barking all you will have done is taken away the warning signals and this can result in the dog going straight to the next step which could be biting without a warning.
