K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication

Understand Canine Communication & Enjoy an Even BETTER Relationship With Your

Written by Johan Malasasia

Featuring....

Dog on – Understanding body language – Translate dog talk – Recognising aggressive posturing – Unlocking canine code

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A Guide to Canine Communication

Learn to Speak Dog & Enjoy an Even More Rewarding Relationship with your Canine Friend!

Understanding how dogs communicate is just about the most important ingredient in maintaining and establishing a happy, healthy relationship with your canine. An inability to recognise what makes dogs tick, what makes them respond to certain situations and environments is one of the central reasons that some dog owners struggle to ever really get the best out of their pet. Our guide touches on a number of important issues relating to canine communication, all designed to help you better understand why dogs do some of the things they do and give you an insight in to what's going on in their heads from time to time.

When Dogs Meet Other Dogs: What Are They Saying To Each Other? How can you tell if your 's encounter with an unfamiliar dog will be a delight or a disaster? That depends on how the other dog acts and how your puppy responds. Pet dogs, though domesticated, interact with each other according to protocol. The pack (the basic canine social unit) is structured around a hierarchy of dominance and subordinance (submission). Every pack member is dominant to some and subordinate to others, with the exception of the alpha male (who is dominant to all) and the lowest-ranking pack member (who is subordinate to all). Social rank is communicated and enforced through body language – a complex combination of movements, posture and other physical signals.

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When two dogs meet for the first time, the outcome depends on several factors:

1) Age: Most adult dogs tolerate , but this isn't always the case. If your puppy is approaching maturity and tries to out some dominant behaviours, an older dog may feel obligated to put your youngster in its place. However, puppies of similar ages usually get along well with each other, because puppies usually don't attempt to dominate each other.

2) Sex: Adult dogs often have friendlier interactions with dogs of the opposite sex than those of the same sex. Because this characteristic is related to maturity, it doesn't affect interactions involving young puppies

3) Location: Dogs naturally try to protect their own (their house and yard), so they often get along better when they meet on neutral ground, such as a park. This tactic doesn't work, however, if either dog decides that a frequently visited public location is part of its territory. Most puppies, especially young ones, aren't really territorial, but an adult dog may still regard your youngster as an intruder.

4) Owner Presence: And finally, some dogs are more amiable with one another when their owners aren't around. This may be due to decreased feelings of jealousy or protectiveness. It may also be that socialization proceeds more smoothly without human interference.

A friendly dog will approach your puppy with a slightly crouched posture, low wagging tail, laid-back ears and a soft, indirect gaze. A not-so-friendly dog will approach standing tall, with its tail and ears

4 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication erect. It's gaze will be direct and staring; it may snarl or growl as it approaches.

Your puppy will probably respond to either of these dogs with submissive behaviour, which is similar to that of the friendly dog, but more pronounced. Your puppy may even roll over on its back or urinate a bit -signs of complete submission. Even the most aggressive dog won't attack another dog in this position.

Dog Communication: Are You Listening? You've just gotten home after a brutal day at work. The headache from your busy schedule would love nothing more than to be relieved by a warm welcome from your family.

As soon as you open the door you hear the high-pitched voice of your wife as she is scolding your ten-year-old son, while his little sister is sobbing because he broke one of her new dolls. The television is loud and your Mother-in-law is chatting on the phone...

So who is the loving one that meets you at the door? “Sammy” does, your three-year-old dog.

He's wagging and wiggling from his head to the tip of his tail. He dances and jumps into your waiting arms, and, if you allow him, he licks you on the face. He's glad to see you. Your dog has expressed himself in the language that he knows you understand.

Your dog, like pet dogs all over the world, use body language and a variety of vocal sounds to communicate with his owner. The dog

5 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication possesses an incredible ability to communicate with his owner: a universal language, telling man of danger, desire, loyalty and love.

Your dog talks to tell you how sad he is when he's scolded. He shouts loud and clear his distress when a stranger or something unusual approaches, and he talks to you about how happy he is to be near you and share your companionship.

Your dog talks best with his tail. When you accidentally step on your pet or upbraid him, he will tuck his tail between his legs and cower down, showing his submission. By tucking the tail, the dog is hiding his scent and thus hiding himself. This language seems to go back to the ancient wild dog when submissiveness and dominance existed in the pack.

Your pet's ancestors signaled his subservience to the dominant dog by dropping that tail. Today, the domesticated dog is saying, “I feel terrible about what happened.”

In contrast to the submissive tail movement, there is that happy, excited tail-wagging that states how much your dog wants to please you. The following story is such an example of this need to please:

Max, a Collie, did his doggiest best to please his young owner while she was preparing for her wedding. Max had watched Angelica opening her wedding gifts the week before the ceremony. One afternoon, the Collie proceeded to provide a gift for Angelica... He yanked a brocade pillow from a neighbour's clothesline and brought it home. After placing the pillow at Angelica's feet, he wagged his tail in sheer joy that he was pleasing his owner and

6 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication sharing her prenuptial pleasures.

As you can see from this wonderfully heartwarming example of this Collie's desire to communicate pleasure, dogs are also much more intelligent than we give them credit for, especially in the communication department.

When you verbally ask someone a question you expect an answer, right? A well-mannered, thought-out response is always appreciated and humans talk with their mouths and voice boxes to respond. This is how we interact, mostly with words to let others know how we feel.

Dogs, on the other hand, communicate in a very different way. Yes they and use their vocal cords to cry about something, but the number one way to read how a dog is feeling or what he wants you to know is by looking at his tail.

As your dog wags his tail in happiness, he may also exercise the rest of his body to tell you that you are a welcome sight. He may greet you by jumping, dancing around, and attempting to lick your face.

As one dog trainer, Chris, tells of his German short-haired pointer, named Tiger, your dog can let you know when he is approaching a place which associates with comfort and happiness.

When Chris, who spent many hours out of the house to play golf and hunt, would come home from his long day and driving hours to get home, his wife would comment on how Tiger's ears would perk

7 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication up and the dog would show ripples of excitement up and down his back in awaiting Chris's return.

What is amazing is that these signs of excitement to greet his owner at the door, Tiger would start to become anxious and happy when Chris was still more than an hour away driving home.

In addition to their expression of elation, dogs many times warns their owners of danger. You have probably heard many emotional stories of dogs scratching at the bedroom door to warn the family that the house was on fire. It happens all of the time.

One woman was suffering a heart attack while her dog literally broke through the backyard screen door to get to the husband, barking fiercely in the attempt to get the husband's attention of what was happening inside the house. It worked – the woman survived.

Dogs also communicate with people by using their head and nose as part of the body actions. My three-year-old Dachshund nosed a message to me one afternoon. Sandy had learned that the covered candy dish on the coffee table was a good place to satisfy her sweet tooth.

This particular day, I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper, and I wasn't paying attention to Sandy. She jumped up on the couch and nudged me with her nose. When I looked at her, she gave her head a jerk, pointing her nose straight at the candy dish.

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After sensing that I knew what she wanted, she began to jump up and down as if to say, “Please, please, please! Just one little piece!” I had understood very well what my dog was saying with her nonverbal head and nose language.

Do you have the ability to understand what it is your dog is saying? Learning how these animals communicate is not only beneficial to proper training, it also helps tighten the bond between man's best friend and his owner.

In addition to using his barking, tail wagging, and body movements, dogs can also relay messages by the language of ear positions. The frightened dog tells of his submissive attitude to man by flattening his ears as well as lowering himself on haunches.

Also, in the last step in the sequence of aggression just before attack, the dog folds his ears close to his head and bares his teeth. But in the first step of aggressive movement, the dog picks up his ears to a vertical position.

Even the dog with hanging ears will pull the base of his ears forward, which makes the rest of his ears stand forward and outward. This upright position tells his human handler that there is every reason to be alert or on guard.

During World War II, the marines of M Company of the Second Raider Battalion laid their lives on the line in their dependence on the ability of their dogs to communicate to them what was ahead. While he was in the thick of battle, a Doberman named Andy had advanced from the shore to the jungle on Bougainville Island.

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Andy liked to work off his leash. The dog was about ten yards ahead of the men when he froze and alerted his ears. The soldiers knew that those stiffened ears meant that there was a Japanese sniper just ahead. The scout leader sent two riflemen ahead, and they sprayed a mangrove tree with bullets. The sniper fell out. That same day Andy silently alerted his handler to snipers on two other occasions.

Now you might not have your own dog trained to such an elite degree, but you don't have to in order to know how well your dog supplements his silent body language with his vocal communication. The vocal vocabulary has numerous and varied forms – your dog whimpers, whines, signs, grunts, hums, coons, howls, squeals, growls, and barks.

Your dog can vary his barking enough to communicate with you. Almost subconsciously, you have no doubt learned to understand the nuances of your pet's barking. These minute differences may be in the tone, the frequency, the rhythm and the level of loudness. Your pet may bark to show his excitement, his pleasure, his sense of fear, and the need for your attention.

And your dog, by his tail-wagging, his licking, nosing, barking, howling and his many clever individual expressions, talks to you. Your pet tells you how much he wants to be your protector, your companion and your best friend. Like dogs throughout the ages, your dog has become your friend by his uncanny ability to communicate.

Dog Behaviour (Growling): Is Your Dog Angry, Or Just Trying To Tell You Something?

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When a dog growls, it is an indication that he is uncomfortable in a specific situation, whatever reasons that may be. As a dog owner, you can observe this behavior and discover what types of things tend to bother your dog or puppy. This makes a great opportunity for you to condition him to better relax during these situations.

Many times it is the advancement of another animal or human being that will make your dog growl. And if this growl is heeded and the person does move away from it, the dog will drop the desire to continue its dramatic behaviour because he appeared to have gotten his point across. It really is just another form of communication that canines use.

But this communication must be understood by people, especially children. If a child is approaching this same dog and the barking is ignored, the dog may then escalate its behavior and snap, or even bite the child.

What Would You Do?

Suppose for a minute that your child approaches your dog while it is laying down and it turns his head slowly away while growling at a low tone. Do you know this means? What should you do?

Of course not all growling is considered bad, and in such a situation it would appear that your dog is simply trying to communicate that it is uncomfortable with you approaching and would like to be left alone.

Don't Take It Personal

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Many dog owners take this behaviour personally. They tend to punish their dog or puppy whenever it growls at them. This is a big mistake and could lead to potentially greater behaviour problems down the road.

All you are doing in this situation is blocking the dog's most important way of communication. If you continue this practice then sometime in the near future, the dog may not be courteous enough to give such a warning growl and may result in immediate snapping or biting.

Children should always be taught this form of communication. They must know that whenever these warning growls are given, it is always best to respect your dog and to move away from it.

Teach your kids to stop doing whatever it is they are doing when a dog growls at them. Running away is not advised. They should calmly retreat to a distance that is safe, but do it SLOWLY. And advise your kids to let you know exactly what happened so that you can use this information to continue training your dog the obedience skills it needs.

Why You Should Never Shout At Your Dog If you have a new puppy in the house and are unclear about whether or not you should use yelling as a way to get him to stop doing something wrong or barking too much, then this article should clear up your confusion. If anything, you should learn the simple fact that yelling at your dog it does nothing to fix a problem, stop what he's doing, or induce any type of positive reinforcement. Yes your dog may stop doing a certain activity temporarily after yelling at him, but he will only return to whatever behaviour he was

12 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication displaying which made you angry in the first place. Why? Because when you shout at your dog it does nothing to fix the issue, yelling only works as a temporary solution.

Most puppies think of their owners as other dogs. And when you start yelling at your pet, it only increases how excited he is about the situation. You also cause your dog to create a negative association between yelling and how he feels around you. He will soon start to connect yelling with the idea that he is disliked or unwanted, and will not have the ability to know that he is actually breaking a rule that you are trying to establish.

Not All Loud Voice Commands Are Bad

Even though yelling at your dog is considered to be of poor communication skills, there are definitely times when you need to firm up the tone of your voice and change the way you come across to him. There are three general forms of communication in terms of the way you speak to your dog that you can apply:

1. The soothing tone of voice. A soothing and delightful tone of voice should be used whenever you want to give praise to your dog. When you communicate this way, you should be able to relax and soothe him as opposed to creating excitability. Speaking to your puppy in a soothing tone of voice makes him feel secure and proud knowing that you are happy with him. 2. The second tone of voice used when communicating with your dog is more of a direct tone. A direct tone would be the same way you give commands to your puppy when you want to get his attention. It should be short, firm, and authoritative. 3. The third general tone of voice you can use with your dog is

13 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication more of a disciplinary tone. However, you must learn to draw a fine line between a disciplinary tone and a yelling tone. Remember, you do not want to yell your dog but there are certainly times when you need to get across to him to back away from something quickly or to stop doing something immediately, all without actually scaring him off with shouting. Personally, I like to use two syllables such as "DOWN BOY" or "SPARKY NO".

How to Use Body Language Your Dog Understands

Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and many pet owners do not give them enough credit when it comes to the way they can read and understand our body language. Some people have no idea that the body language that we display has a major impact on how well a dog will listen to us and obey our commands. Using the correct form of body language can also quickly stop your dog from displaying an improper behaviour.

Let's use a very common example, such as the overexcited dog who likes to jump on every guest that comes to your door. We all go through this with our puppy or adult dog at some point in time. As soon as the guests arrive your dog is overwhelmed with happiness and excitement about who is at the door and whether or not they are going to play with him.

Do they have dog treats? What do they smell like? Do they want to play? How about I just jump all over them and see? This is exactly what your dog is thinking if we were to decipher his emotional behaviour.

And meanwhile, you are giving every command possible to get your

14 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication dog to stop being so excited and jumping on everyone. You try shouting but it only makes him more excited. You try giving harsh and loud "Off" commands but it's not working. Eventually, you are so stressed with yelling and trying to pull your dog off that it turns into one big chaotic party.

And yes, the term "party" is a great way to explain it because to your dog you are just joining in on the fun and excitement that he is feeling. Can you see now how your body language and the way you are communicating with her voice comes across to your dog? You are only adding to the situation as opposed to changing our dog's behavior.

Communicate better with your dog by using the following body language tips

In the above example of the overexcited dog who can't seem to stop jumping all over the house guests, you understand now that your body language and excitability only made your dog feel more enthused about what it is he was doing. Therefore, you must take a different approach to the situation, regardless of what action you are trying to communicate with your dog. Below are a few basic body language tips that you can use:

1. When you're angry at your puppy or adult dog, do not chase him around the house. You may be upset with them, but to your puppy, he thinks you're playing a game and he will run around forever. 2. When you give your dog a command, display a very bold and upright body position. Stand up, chest forward, and head back. Your dog will have more respect and a slight bit of intimidation, which can help with training him.

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3. If your dog is extremely excited then do not add to the problem by getting feisty. Instead, move slowly and talk in a soothing tone of voice. Display the same behaviour you wish him to use. Doing so will calm him down and it will be much easier to change his behaviour.

How To Talk “Doggish”

Human words, feelings, and complex reasoning just don't make sense to dogs. Dogs are focused in the here and now and communicate through eye contact, body language, and tones, what I call "Doggish."

Don't forget about eye contact. If your dog looks to you with eyes that are trusting and eager, you're on your way. If you can't get a blink from your dog, you'll have to do some preliminary "respect" work. The more you look at your dog, the less they'll look to you. Dwell on it.

And of course there is body language. Training calls for a relaxed and patient body posture. Stand upright and proud. If you hunch over or get frustrated, your dog will think something is distressing in the environment, not in their behaviour. Because dogs can't reason that way, an angry reaction by you will only cause hesitation in your dog.

Why Hand Signals Are So Important In A hand signal is a silent code that communicates with your dog. Initially when you teach it, you will couple the hand signal with the verbal command. For example, when teaching your puppy to Sit, give the verbal command while your right hand gives the hand signal and holds the motivator. Then use the motivator to place

16 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication your puppy in a sit if needed. Eventually, you will drop the verbal command and the need of a motivator and just use a hand signal. Hand signals should be done in clear and concise movements. It may be helpful to practice in front of a mirror to get the hand signal down. Once you are comfortable with giving hand signals, you can add your own finesse to it in order to personalize it more.

Hand signals force your puppy to pay much more attention to you, which is crucial in the city with its many distractions. In the future, when you are in the park and your dog is twenty feet away, you won't have to raise your voice to compete with other noises. A mere hand signal will make her do what you wish.

Dog Behaviour: Test Results Help Explain Just How Dogs “Think”

People generally find it difficult to think like a dog. Most dog owners assume their pets think like people, ascribing to them mental abilities far beyond what they actually possess.

Because dogs do not use words to communicate, we can assume that they do not use words to think about their daily activities or to remember experiences, people, objects or their environment. For example, a chewing dog who was severely whipped by its owner at homecoming yesterday does not think today, "My owner is due home in a few minutes. I wonder if I will get a whipping today!" More likely, the dog may recall "images" of yesterday's experience. Despite this difference, the anatomy and other functional aspects of human and canine brains are remarkably similar.

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Dogs have been used in comparative behavioural studies to better understand human neurophysiologic processes, mostly in Russia and Poland. Western scientists have tended to favour primates, cats and rodents. Studies published by Pavlov, and later by Konorski, have provided valuable insight into many functions of the human brain. Because dogs were their research models, a great deal was also revealed about how dogs perceive the world, learn from their experiences and "think." The following observations are of great interest.

In many of his dogs, Konorski noted events he described as "hallucinations." These involved the visual, tactile, auditory and gustatory/olfaction senses.

Visual: A dog was conditioned to salivate upon exposure to a flickering light while food was simultaneously offered. Thereafter, during pauses between presentations of the light, the dog would spontaneously react with salivation and turn its head, as if actually seeing the food.

Tactile: A dog was trained to lift a foreleg and place it on a feeder tray in response to a tactile stimulus on that leg. During pauses, the dog would often spontaneously place its foreleg on the box, though no stimulus had been given.

Auditory: A dog trained to lift its foreleg at the sound of a buzzer would spontaneously turn toward the buzzer's location during pauses, and lift its leg, as if the buzzer had actually sounded.

Gustatory/Olfactory: Dogs trained to respond to various types of stimuli that signalled introduction of a mild acid into their mouth

18 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication reacted to the conditioned stimulus with the same vigorous mouthing and salivation elicited by the acid itself. In this case, no reactions were noted between trials.

Never Forget: The Dog is a Dog, Not a Human

Several thousand years ago dogs were initially domesticated for their functional value; hunting helpers, village and stock guards, even body-warmers in bitter cold climates. These basic functions are no longer required by modem civilization and, the dog's capacity to cooperate within a group for the mutual benefit of its members is stifled - frustrated. Without some meaningful functional nurturing, dogs grow older, mature physically, but behave like puppies emotionally - seeking attention and care, totally frustrated, denied any competent guidance toward filling an acceptable role in the family.

On the human side of the equation, as we become increasingly dependent on verbal skills and electronic communications, a pet animal is sometimes our only meaningful daily contact with the animate, natural world. However, without an opportunity to develop nonverbal communications with animals, dog owners tend to use human verbal and physical abilities (vocal commands, scolding, manipulation, force, punishment) to communicate with their pets. Most people mistakenly think dogs must simply be "trained" if they are to learn how to behave properly. When training fails, both owner and dog become frustrated, and problems develop. While formal (deliberate) training is an important element in a satisfying relationship, informal training is at the root of most problem behaviour.

Dogs learn from, and react to, the way people behave. Movement,

19 of 22 K9 Magazine Master Class Series Understanding Canine Communication stance and sound communicate with dogs. On the other hand, as dogs struggle to communicate with people through their own movements, postures and sounds, they are too often misinterpreted; or ignored. This only widens the frustrating communications gap for both parties.

It may seem far-fetched to propose that behaviour consultants should help dog owners learn how to interpret their pet's behaviour, then use movement, stance and special sounds, in order to communicate effectively, and hence, live together harmoniously. However, it is not unrealistic at all. Once the basics of effective human/canine communications are learned and applied, they play a crucial role in correcting behaviour problems humanely and effectively.

It doesn't occur to most dog owners that shouting at a barking dog is, in fact, joining in the racket - responding with the human version of the same behaviour. When their dogs do become silent, it is because they associate the owner's tone of voice with disapproval and/or fear of impending pain from punishment. Excitable types, or those with some prior traumatic experience, usually become worse.

In the non-verbal world of dogs, silence means quiet, inaction begets stillness, and movement stimulates action. The fact that this patently obvious facet of non-verbal communication must be written or talked about to gain attention among dog owners further points up the extreme verbal orientation of humans. Spoken language is just noise to dogs. It is a tribute to their adaptability that they actually learn the meaning of certain key sounds, which usually comes about through a combination of the dog's intelligence and the owner's almost accidental consistency when referring to certain events or objects.

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3 Tips For Better Communication With Your Dog

All praise is good, but praise specially tailored to connect with the dog's way of reacting is ten times as effective. Here are some tips to follow:

1. Use the right tone of voice. Dogs communicate with one another through sounds easily duplicated by humans. If you're angry with your dog, for example, dropping your voice to a low rumble closely approximates the growling of a dog. For praise, use a sweet, high- pitched crooning voice: "Goooooooood, doooogggg!" 2. Tailor your petting style to your dog. Some dogs go crazy when petted; others hardly notice. Use a little chest pat or scratch for those who tend to be overly enthusiastic, and be a little more boisterous for the ones who really warm to being jollied. Don't let the dog use petting as an excuse to go crazy - lighten up on the pats, but don't correct him - and let your voice do most of the praising. 3. Smile. Dogs understand many of our facial expressions because they use similar ones to communicate with each other. A smiling face is understood in both species, but if you really want to get through, make the smile as wide open as you can. You're trying to approximate that big panting grin a happy dog has.

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VALUABLE RESOURCES:

So, now you've read what you need to do to have a happy, obedient, well behaved companion. Here are some of our most highly recommended suppliers who can enhance and make the experience even easier for you:

Dog communication further reading from Amazon

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