Both humans and dogs can communicate what is happening around them. The difference is that while humans primarily use verbal communication. Dogs mainly communicate non-verbally through the use of body language and through their own unique words. Knowledge of canine body language, and the ability to accurately identify it, will help decipher what a dog is trying to communicate. When observing a dog’s body language to determine what is being communicated, it is crucial to observe the entire dog as well as the situation/context in order to accurately determine what is being conveyed.
Just like their human owners, dogs like to talk. However,
unlike body signals, barking can represent different things to different dogs.
The pitch or volume of the bark will increase with the dog’s level of emotion.
And it could be that artificial intelligence is better at distinguishing dog
barks than humans are. Hungarian researches recently tested 6,000 different
barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs using special software. Their study showed that
the computer program correctly identified what the dog was trying to
communicate 43 percent of the time, compared with 40 percent for humans.
There are five common groups of canine communication signals. As you review the groups, please keep in mind that in a given situation a dog can demonstrate more than one of these groupings in response to the situation. For example, a dog may begin by displaying excitement signals in response to a stimulus, decide that stimulus is a threat, and switch to aggressive signals, fear signals, or even both. Also keep in mind that stress can drastically influence a dog’s response to a given situation. You must look at the whole dog and his body language, as well as the situation/environment in order to get the entire picture of what the dog is communicating, what may happen next, and what the appropriate responses from us should be.
Have you ever wished your dog could talk could talk to you?
Well, he does; just not with words. Research shows that dogs have their own way
of communicating with their owners, as well as with other dogs. Any dog owner
will tell you that their four-legged family members speak volumes with their
bodies. Here are some typical signals a dog uses:
·
Ears: If a dog’s ears are raised, he is
relaxed or listening. If they are back, he might be signaling submission.
·
Eyes: A dog’s eyes brighten when he looks
at a creature he considers friendly. When he is afraid, his pupils dilate and
he shows the whites of his eyes.
·
Face: Dogs will wrinkle or straighten
their foreheads to show confusion or determination.
·
Lips,
teeth and tongue:
If your dog is happy or wants to play, he may pull his lips back and show his
teeth in what appears to be a smile. This is a gesture that is reserved only
for human/dog communication; a dog will not do this with other dogs.
·
Tail: The way a dog wags its tail
indicates how he feels. If the tail wags more to the right, it is a sign of
positive feelings; left-side wagging indicates negative feelings.
Dogs are social animals, and there is a universal language
they share when communicating with other dogs.
·
Play
bow: This means let’s play. However, it
can also be a sign of apology; it’s a dog’s way of saying, “Oops. I didn’t mean
to play so rough. Let’s keep playing.”
·
Paw
slap: This
is like a human coming up and slapping you on the back. This gesture puts the
dog at an awkward angle, so it’s also a sign that the dog trusts the dog it is
playing with.
·
Rearing
hind legs: When dogs rear up on their hind legs, it’s a sign of
affection. It often looks like dancing when dogs do this together when they’re
playing.
·
Biting: Again, it’s a sign of play. Dogs
are careful to avoid sensitive areas on the other animal.
“Did you know that when a dog
sees their human. Their brain secretes the same substances as ours do when we
are in love?” (Single Organic Life)[i]
Happy Labor Day 2019
[i] Sources used:
·
“Dog Communication and Body Language” by Center for
Shelter Dogs
·
“Secret
Language of Dogs” by PetHealthZone
No comments:
Post a Comment