Learn How to Speak Dog!

Dogs communicate with their body language and behaviors instead of using words like us humans. We'll focus on the main signals that dogs utilize to communicate and how we can use these to understand what our dogs are feeling. 

Let's start by dispelling some myths!

1. Dominance theory is no longer a valid basis for training or behavior in dogs. The author originally studied captive wolves in zoos and realized there are extreme differences in captive and free-roaming pack relationships, and the more natural packs rely on a cooperative system of hierarchy. In addition, our dogs are not wolves! 
2. There is no inter-species dominance that has been proven. Dogs are not trying to dominate you. 
3. Pack hierarchy does exist, but it does not often result in outright frank aggression. Social hierarchy is defined by who has access to resources first.
4. Piloerection (hackles up) does not mean aggression- it only means that a dog is in a high state of arousal. 

What motivates behavior?

The first question I ask myself when evaluating a dog is always, "why are they using this behavior- what do they want?" At a foundational level, most species are motivated by two things: accessing a resource or avoiding something. 
Examples of resources: food, water, people, affection, toys, locations/spaces, other dogs
Examples of things dogs might avoid: bridges, loud sounds, people, other dogs, cats, large objects, guns

Fearful/anxious/uncomfortable dog behaviors

When dogs are feeling afraid or anxious, they'll likely attempt a couple behaviors to stay safe: either run away/escape or be really scary and make the other thing run away! Fear is one of the most common driving emotions for what humans perceive as aggressive behavior. 
Let's look at some images of fearful, anxious or uncertain dogs. What recurring patterns of behavior do you notice? Let's break them down into dogs attempting to avoid and dogs attempting to be scary:
Avoidant dogs
These dogs are going to use their body language to signal to another animal that they're not threatening and they want to retreat. This looks like:

• angling their body away
• averting their eyes > this will create "whale eye" where we can clearly see the whites of their eyes for a whale-tail like shape 
• making their body small by laying their ears down, lowering their head and shrinking towards the ground
• moving away from what is scary 
• utilizing appeasement behaviors to be non-threatening > yawning, lip-licking, muzzle licking, sneezing, shaking off, itching, etc.

"Scary" dogs
Dogs trying to scare something off will attempt to look ferocious and frightening, but these signals look slightly different than true aggression/threats. This body language is essentially a combination of fearful + threatening behaviors. Some things to look for:

• angling their body away from the threat- if they can't scare it off, they want to be ready to run 
• barking, growling, snapping
• showing ALL of their teeth
• "whale eye" and gaze aversion 
• lots of facial tension > wrinkles in their forehead and taught skin around the eyes or muzzle 
• tails tucked underneath, possibly wagging
• rolling over to expose their belly
• urinating 
• closed mouth
• panting

Confrontational/possibly aggression dog behaviors

Dogs that are not comfortable in a situation, but don't want to back down, are likely to perform a variety of aggressive-looking behaviors to succeed. I don't say truly aggressive here because the reality is that most dogs performing these behaviors don't actually want to fight- reference the section on ritualized aggression for more information- but it is possible that some do. These behaviors are often seen during dog greets that don't go well or when trying to access/protect a resource. Some things to look for: 

• lips pulled back, baring the front incisor and canine teeth 
• growling or barking 
• moving into the offending stimulus' space 
• lots of facial tension in the forehead and muzzle 
• ears straight up or turned slightly away
• tall, straight stature- dog attempting to look big 
• tails straight up and wagging stiffly 
• piloerection (hackles)
• stiff body 

Happy/comfortable/at-ease dog behaviors

When our dogs are truly happy and comfortable, their entire body language relaxes. There isn't much tension to be seen in a relaxed dog's body- they're very wiggly and loose. Some things to look for:

• minimal-to-no facial tension
• loose, open mouths 
• soft, relaxed eyes
• wiggly bodies 
• tails wagging at approximately horizontal to the ground or slightly above/below 
• lolling tongues 
• no teeth baring 

Play signals and behavior 

Two well-matched, happy dogs playing can be very rewarding to watch! Play in dogs is nature's way of letting them practice ritualized aggression, switch dominant-subordinate roles and engage in hunting behaviors. Breeds influence a dogs play style too. For example, herding dogs like Border Collies like to nip at the back of the legs while playing- just like they would with sheep. Healthy play and unhealthy play can sometimes be difficult to identify. Here are some things to look for to identify healthy play:

• both dogs actively engaging and not trying to escape
• switching roles 
• taking breaks 
• easy to disengage slightly from play 
• play bows, lumbering gaits, loose and relaxed bodies 
• listening to corrections 

Ritualized aggression: nature's way of saving lives

Ritualized aggression is an evolutionary mechanism to avoid severe injury in the wild. If wolves and other wild canids constantly got into fights, they're more likely to get injured, develop an infection or complication and die. Instead, they have ritualized aggression: an innate and learned way to communicate. Sometimes ritualized aggression can look just like real aggression- but the key is that no-to-minimal damage is done. They inhibit their actions to communicate instead of maim. Think of this like a dance- some animals choose to show their predatory capabilities as a warning sign and some choose to show their desire to have no conflict, but both parties have to participate to have a conversation. Some examples of ritualized aggression: 

• staring- this is really rude! 
• sneering- baring the front incisors and canines to express discomfort and warning 
• growling- this is a warning sign that precedes further escalation and eventually bites
• barking
• inhibited bites- these are bites that don't cause any physical damage. Often they can look and sound like a real bite/fight, but when the dogs come away from each other neither is injured 
• turning head away/averting gaze- this is a signal of compliance and a lack of desire for conflict 
• Exposing belly/urinating/rolling over- a sign of submission that means they do not pose any threat 
• lip licking- another sign that they do not wish to have conflict 
• yawning, scratching, itching, drinking water- any normal behavior occurring frequently and in an abnormal context 

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Call or text: 503-583-5776