Dog Language – Learn to Interpret and Communicate in “Dog”
Our dogs constantly communicate with us and each other. They bark, throw themselves down in play bows or stand demonstratively at the door as if to say "Time for a walkie!". There is a special group of signals that are particularly good to recognize and understand. Let's take a look...
Signals that mean the dog wants distance
Does your dog look away when the cat hisses? Maybe sniff the ground, smack his/her mouth or turn completely around when another dog is barking or staring? Your dog is trying to communicate that he/she wants distance. But not all dogs speak pure dog language, not to mention humans and other animals. So if your dog doesn't get a desired response, step in and help your dog out. In this way you show your four-legged friend that you are in control of the situation and trust will grow.
The dog's way of defusing situations
A dog encountering a rough dog or an intrusive visitor may try to calm the situation down by, for example, lying down, curling up or showing its belly. Make sure to inform the visitor what your dog means when showing these signals. Intervene and move the agitated dog or visitor away from your dog if needed, this strengthens your dog's message and wish for respect and distance. The mature and confident older dog who is about to pass a wild adolescent dog on the walk is also likely to use calming signals. Perhaps the elder dog passes the youngster in a wide arc instead of walking straight. Walking in a curve is polite.
The dog's signs of insecurity
Keep an eye out if your dog smacks or licks its mouth. This may happen if you sound frustrated or angry, or when the nail clipper is taken out. The signals show insecurity or stress. Be responsive to what your dog communicates and adjust your body language and tone accordingly. A dog that feels insecure can also show it by tilting his/her head down and looking up at you from below. The dog glances up at you with a lowered head and gaze. To better understand your dog's behavior and stress outlets, you may find it helpful to read Stress in Dogs: Considerations and Solutions.
The dog's stress signals
A dog that excitedly greets its owner who has come home and yawns at the same time has probably experienced stress during loneliness (if he/she didn’t just wake up of course). You can also see dogs shake off after a dog encounter, a loud noise or suddenly start to scratch when the neighbors' kids visit, this also indicates stress. When dogs display these signals, it conveys that something isn't right. Our task is to listen and help if the signals are not answered. The same applies when another dog exhibits stress or signals a desire for distance from your dog. If the signals are not heeded, it's important to intervene and take control of the situation so that your dog doesn't feel the need to escalate the situation by growling or biting.
Blinking and breathing reveal emotions
The way our dogs breathe and blink is also revealing of their mood. A calm and relaxed dog blinks slowly and takes deep, calm breaths. Staring with few blinks indicates vigilance and quick blinks indicate stress. If your dog shifts from slow to faster blinks, there has been a change in the dog's emotion. A dog that has just run breathes long, jerky breaths. The same applies to excitement or stress. Keep an eye on whether your dog's breaths become jerky and short. Fear, pain or acute stress is a likely cause.
The dog's tail carriage and its meaning
Does a wagging tail mean that the dog is happy? Yes and no. It depends on how the tail wagging looks. A happy and relaxed dog wags with long, sweeping movements with the tail held at back height or slightly above or below. If it is wagged short and fast with a low-hanging tail, the dog is probably afraid and insecure. A dog that is alert, focused, or angry and threatening wags its tail like a rattlesnake, stiff and short. The tail is held high above the back and straight up. Research has also shown that there is a difference between "right wagging" and "left wagging". Dogs tend to wag to the right in a meeting with pleasant things, things they want to approach. On the other hand, when facing something they want to stay away from, their tail wags more to the left.
Communication in the language of the dog
You too can use some of these signals. If you are met by a dog with an intense gaze and a tense body posture, turn your gaze away and blink slowly. Radiate calmness with a relaxed facial expression and turn your side/shoulder to skip the duel feeling. You don't need to stick your nose in the grass, but you can play with your foot and show interest in something on the ground. Keep your own body posture relaxed. Breathe calmly. If your dog is extra excited, you can sit down and take deep breaths, lower your physical level and thereby the activity level. Are you walking towards a dog chewing on a tasty bone? Be polite, take a detour in a curve and avoid staring the dog in the eyes or leaning over. Instead, turn your side to the dog as you approach. We should use dog language when communicating with our dogs. Signals that indicate that increased distance is desired and those that are intended to alleviate someone else's uncertainty or stress. On the other hand, if we use signals that show that we are stressed, such as yawning or licking our lips with the purpose of calming a dog, it becomes contradictory. What we say is that we ourselves are stressed and uncertain. Dogs appreciate it when we humans interpret their signals and understand them. And they absolutely love it when we respond to them in dog language. Communication is an important part of all relationships. So try speaking dog-lingo with your dog. For more information on how to deal with different greeting behaviors in dogs, read Dog greeting behaviors and how to deal with them and how to deal with shy dogs in social situations to improve your communication even more!
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
Written by: Amanda Hestner
Amanda Hestner is a dog trainer and trained behaviorist and dog psychologist.
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