Understanding Your Dog’s Communication

By Jane Dinunzio

Learning to read your dog’s body language is pretty simple. They have limited actions and verbal noises, that once you can interpret, will make both your lives easier. You will then know when your pet is happy and when they are distressed.

Most devoted dog owners can immediately tell what their dogs are feeling by different body language signals. Most dogs have similar and repetitious signals that are generally easy for someone who understands their dog, will then help understand a friendly dog on the street, or in a dog park, from a potential enemy. Read more

Canine Communication and Body Language

By Stan Rawlinson

A couple of years ago a Japanese electronics company came up with a Gizmo which they claimed could convert dogs barks, yips and whines into human language, thereby allowing us to understand “Doggie” speak for the first time. I was on a radio program recently, discussing the merits and usefulness of a new dog collar that was also a mobile phone. You could ring up and converse with your dog at any time and enjoy a nice cosy chat. You might as well text your pet for all the good phoning it would do; the mostly likely outcome of this idea would be to startle and frighten your pet. Read more

Understanding What Your Dog Is Trying To Tell You

How do you understand your dog, when your dog can’t speak?Learning to read your dog’s body language can certainly help with this. Below is a list of different signs to help you read your dog’s body language:

Mood	Signs
Confident	- Stands straight - Head is held high - Ears are perked up - Eyes are brightly  opened - Tail gently sways,   slightly curled, or  relaxed
Happy	- Tail is wagging - Mouth may be open   and panting lightly
Playful	- Ears are perked up - Eyes are brightly    opened - Tail is wagging fast - May be jumping or  running around - In a playful position   called “play bow”,  where your dog is  crouched down with  front legs stretched  forward, head up, butt  in the air with tail  wagging with   excitement!
Submissive	- Head is down - Ears are down - Eyes are averted - Tail is positioned low  or swaying slowly (not  tucked) - Shows his/her belly by  rolling onto their back - Behaves in a gentle  manner
Anxious	- Can show signs of  submissiveness - Ears are partially back - Neck is stretched out - Has tense posture - Can whimper/moan - Tail is low, maybe  even tucked - Acts fearful or  aggressive if  approached
Fearful	- Mannerism is a  combination of being  anxious and  submissive - Ears are back - Tail is between legs - May show teeth  because they’re on  guard
Dominant	- Acts assertive and  confident - Eyes are opened  widely - Ears are up - May growl
Aggressive	- Takes dominant  behavior to the next  level - Acts territorial - Shows teeth, growls,  barks - Tail is straight down

 

Source: “Reading Your Dog’s Body Language”, About.com. Retrieved on November 7, 2008 from http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/tp/dogbodylanguage.htm.

Teaching Eye Contact

As primates, we humans are big on eye contact. We can’t help but gaze into a cute dog’s eyes (especially those of our own beloved pooches!), but eye contact is actually an unnatural behavior for canines. In fact, some dogs find eye contact downright intimidating! So in addition to its use as a communication tool, teaching your dog to make eye contact with people is a handy way to ensure that he’ll feel comfortable when other human admirers look into his eyes.

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Sending Your Dog the Wrong Message?

“Objectionable pet behavior is the No. 1 reason people have unsatisfactory relationships with their dog,” says Dr. Rolan Tripp, veterinarian and behaviorist who spoke on animal behavior to veterinary students at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. More dogs die as a result of behavior problems than all preventable medical problems combined. Frustrated owners simply give up, and their untrained dogs often end up in animal shelters with uncertain fates.

Part of the problem lies in miscommunication. It’s easier than you think to teach your dog the wrong thing. Well-meaning owners do it all the time. We’ve all seen owners yell and yell for a dog to come as the dog blissfully ignores the command, madly chasing squirrels instead. When finally the dog comes, the frustrated owner may pop the dog on the nose and yell some more. The message? Would you go to somebody who might hit and yell at you? Consistent training and positive reinforcement with treats and praise work a lot better to enforce the right message.

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