‘Talking Dog' - understanding what your dog is saying
In June of this year Kayla, Eliza, Sandy and Rebekah attended the annual conference for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers of New Zealand.
The focus of the conference was on canine communication, body language, play and positive reinforcement training. We all learnt A LOT but here is just a wee snippet.
It's important to be able to understand what dogs are saying with their bodies, not only to get to know your own dog better but also to be able to better predict what other dogs are doing, or are going to do!
To really be able to read dog body language takes a lot of experience! We need to watch all the different body parts (tail, ears, eyes, lips, hair and overall posture) separately and then combine everything to be able to predict which body stances lead to which outcomes - it can be tricky!
CONFIDENCE vs. FEAR
A lot of people think they can easily recognise a normal, happy and relaxed dog, but can we all correctly identify a nervous, anxious, scared or stressed dog, and know what to do to help them?
Signs of fear or uncertainty may include:
- A lowered stance
- Tail down or tucked under
- Tail wagging in a quick or frantic motion
- Looking away or turning head away
- Dilated pupils with the whites of the eye showing
- Panting
- Pacing or hyper-vigilance
- Yawning
- Lip licking
- Vocalisation
The above signs of fear may also be referred to as "calming signals" or "appeasement behaviours". They are most often displayed in times of stress and uncertainty, where the dog is confused or unsure about the situation and what the outcome may be. They are signals that are used to calm themselves and others down; and may be seen during dog-dog interaction or dog-human interaction.
Dogs that are aroused will often have their "hackles up" - this is when the hair on the back of the neck, shoulders and spine stands on end. This doesn't necessarily mean aggression, just that they are on high alert. Some dogs get raised hackles more easily than others, just like some people get red-faced more easily than others.
It is important to be aware that punishment or negative reinforcement training techniques are not suitable if your dog is showing any of these appeasement behaviours. These behaviours are most likely related to an underlying stress or anxiety and punishment makes anxiety worse.
PLAY AND PLAY INVITATIONS
Since dog-on-dog play is very similar to important things like hunting, fighting and reproducing, dogs have very ritualistic ways in which they demonstrate play and the invitation to play - their intentions are peaceful and fun-loving and this needs to be clearly conveyed to the other dog/dogs involved.
The most common invitation to play comes in the form of the classic "play bow", and it seems to convey that "None of the biting, stalking, humping or growling I'm about to do is serious, it's just in fun OK?" The dog's tail and butt are up in the air and the front legs are lowered. In some cases the ears are up and the mouth is open showing a "grin", the eyes are happy and relaxed. The lips will cover the teeth and the pitch of the barking or growling will be higher.
There are many different "types of play", some of which include:
- Body slammers. They play at full speed, with full intensity. Playmates need to be chosen carefully as some dogs may take exception to their rough-house style. They are best matched with other body slammers.
- Wrestlers. These guys love full-on body contact. You want to try and make sure that they take turns being ‘on top' so that play is equal. Calls for ‘calm time' are good to practice in this group so that play stays relaxed and friendly.
- Chasers. This group has ‘chasers' and ‘chasees' and most dogs tend to be one or the other.
- Observers and watchers. This group loves to watch the body slammers, wrestlers and chasers. This group is where the herders come from so they are not necessarily an inactive group. They can often be the "fun police" and become vocal when things get too rough.
- Self-players. This group doesn't need anyone else to have a good time - human or dog! They love to throw toys for themselves, chase things themselves and roll around.
As well as dog-on-dog play, dog-owner play is equally important. Play is an essential part of building a trusting and loving relationship between owner and dog and it is very well known that most people don't play with their dogs anywhere near enough. Simply spending five minutes each day throwing a ball for your dog, taking them for a walk or doing some reward-based training is enough to build a happy and healthy relationship - regular human contact is vital for developing a content and relaxed pet.
MOUNTING OR "HUMPING"
Some dogs will attempt to mount each other during play. This is not a sexual demonstration but can be shown by a puppy in an attempt to find its place in the group. Many people view humping as a "dominant" behaviour but it has more recently been thought of as a behaviour that is displayed when a dog finds themselves in a situation of conflict and are wondering "what should I do now?" It may also be seen when a dog finds that they are far too over-excited and is then used as a "calming" behaviour.
After the conference we all came away inspired and have since carried out a couple of "social experiments" with our own dogs. We all have a wide variety of dogs with differing personality types and, now that we better know what to look for; their attempts at communicating with each other and with us were instantly obvious!
