Dog Talk: Understand What Your Dog Is Saying
Part 3
Most dog owners forget that the easiest way to bond with their pet, not to mention when also training the dog, is to understand basic dog language – body language, that is.
Let’s talk about a dog’s tongue. He uses it primarily for getting food and water, and for cooling himself. When “speaking body language,” he licks you with it to show his friendliness and to ask for attention. A dog that licks walls and eats dirt or dust, however, and does so without the need of a supplement in his diet, is desperate for attention or company.
His tongue can also tell you when he has swallowed his pill after being given a vitamin or medication. When it has gone down, his tongue will pop out like a frog’s two times in quick succession.
Watching His Eyes
Now let’s discuss how a dog uses his eyes to “talk”. How a dog moves his eyes can tell you much about his mood. A dog who is being submissive avoids eye contact with a dominant dog. One that is trying to make up with his master looks away from him in an exaggerated way. A contented dog curled up in a corner has a sleepy-eyed look.
On the other hand, a direct stare from a dog says he feels aggressive and means to have you keep your distance. When veterinarians are working with dogs in their medical rooms, they should be watching the eyes more than anything else to determine which dog might snap at him.
A good rule to follow for safety is this: A dog that watches every move you make is probably about to bite you!
Perking Up Those Ears
Dogs speak with their ears as well as listen with them. A dog holding his ears straight up, forward, and erect, is alert. He may be checking on something he heard. He may be considering the possibility of a serious scuffle with an enemy or some friendly romping with his master.
A dog with lowered, relaxed ears is calm and sociable. If he is showing submissiveness or is frightened, he’ll keep them very low. A dog making a threat (and on the verge of attacking) twists his ears outward and downward, laying them flat against his head.
The Voice Of Reason
A dog’s vocal repertoire of whines, howls, growls, and barks are part of his body language. Noises are what he resorts to when he considers it imperative that someone get his message.
A dog that goes “Yip. Yip. Yip… yip, yip… yip!” for hours on end is usually bored. Likely he has been confined and left alone.
Sometimes he will vary his “yips” with a frustrated-sounding “Arrrrr, rarr, arrarrrr.”
A wailing puppy begging for attention delivers a high-pitched “Mmm, mmm, mmmmm,” usually in the dead of night.
Dog Talk: Understand What Your Dog Is Saying
Part 4
Ever notice that your dog does funny stuff with his ears, tail, and other forms of body movement? This is his way of saying, “Hey you, yeah you! I’m talking to ya. Are you listening?”
For example, a dog often uses his forepaw to show that he wants to keep the peace. He gives a paw to his master when he wants to ask his forgiveness after digging up the flower bed.
Raising one forepaw forward to another dog is a sign of submission. He is indicating that he will roll over, if necessary, to demonstrate his total compliance.
When he raises both forepaws alternately, he is telling you he wants to play. A persistent paw patting and pulling on your arm is an insistent request for some undivided attention.
In a confrontation, a dog attempts to establish his position in the dominant-submissive hierarchy by the posture and position of his body. When two dogs meet and set out to decide who is dominant, they will stand side to side, as if to say, “By gosh, I’m the biggest dog. I’m the boss.”
A dramatic dog will arch his neck, raise his shoulder and rump hackles, extend all four legs stiffly, and look like he’s standing on tiptoe. One of them may push against the other one. The dog who is giving in will remain completely still if he is touched.
If the submissive dog is really frightened, he will roll over, as if to say, “I’m all yours. Do what you want.”
The dominant dog will then think, “I’ve got a chicken here. He won’t do anything… he’s a non-threat, lying there.” The confrontation is then over.
Sometimes a dog feels proud and he prances. He might be thinking, “I’ve got me a shoe. That’s the one I got whipped for last week, but I got it again!”
When a dog lowers his front end, leaves his tail end up, makes a nose-stab, then leaps backward and runs off, he is inviting you to play. When you see him race in circles, he is overjoyed about something – probably your arrival.
An ambivalent dog who is growling and wagging his tail widely at the same time is difficult to read. He may feel friendly or inquisitive about you; he may also feel that he must defend his territory.
On the other hand, he may feel aggressive and unfriendly, but afraid he can’t defend himself. And unless you can figure out where he stands, you may do something to get yourself bitten so be careful and pay attention.
Dog Talk: Understand What Your Dog Is “Saying
Part 5
Reading your dog like a book in order to understand his “dog language” is reasonably uncomplicated most of the time. His body language is straightforward generally, but he can sometimes fool you.
If he is frightened, for example, rather than friendly or curious, he is likely to bite you. A good indicator of his level of courage is the angle of his tail. If, as you come closer, he keeps his tail high and appears even more aggressive, he probably isn’t bluffing.
If his tail drops and he becomes quiet, he probably would just as soon be friends. However, if is his hackles stay up, even though his tail goes down, he is still dangerous and you should keep your distance.
Because we sometimes think of our pets as having almost human personalities, we are likely to interpret their body language in terms of our own likes and dislikes. We can do that up to a point because they’ve learned some of their preferences. Nevertheless, we have our differences.
Some Things You May Not Know
Your dog very likely has a few predilections you would never have suspected and probably will never approve. When he is rolling around in some stinky, odorous material, for example, the expression he has on his face could hardly be interpreted as anything but outright rebellion. His lips are pulled back a little in a slight grin (a smirk perhaps), his ears are lowered (because he must feel guilty), and his eyelids are half-closed in an expression of pure defiance.
There’s another way to make a mistake in reading your dog’s body language. Some smart dogs can play-act. An outdoor dog who has once been let in the house because he seems to be shivering on a cold night (in reality, dogs shiver from fear, not from the cold) will attempt to shake violently at the door whenever he feels he has a chance at a cozy evening by the fire.
A dog may play-act when he has accidentally barked at his own master. Nothing is more embarrassing; he will writhe on the ground when he realizes his error. To save face, a quick-witted dog will rush past his master and pretend he was barking at something else. He charges across the yard, furiously barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.
Most dogs are adept at one kind of body language that is plainly unambiguous. He speaks it when he lays his nose on your knee and looks up inquiringly with soft brown eyes, or when he muzzles the back of your neck while you are driving.
He is speaking his own language of love that has made him “man’s best friend” for thousands of years, and no dog owner has ever needed instructions in dog body language to get this message!
Technorati Tags: dog talk, dog, what is a dog saying, pet, dog language, body language, eyes, ears, tail, a dog’s vocal sounds, body movement, Teri Champigny
