Eurobichons

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Calming Signals - The Art of Survival[/font]
by Turid Rugaas For species who live in packs it´s important to be able to communicate with its own kind. Both in order to cooperate when they hunt, to bring up their offspring, and perhaps most importantly: to live in peace with each other. Conflicts are dangerous - they cause physical injuries and a weakened pack, which is something that no pack can afford - it will cause them to go extinct.
Dogs live in a world of sensory input: visual, olfactory, auditory perceptions. They easily perceive tiny details - a quick signal, a slight change in another´s behavior, the expression in our eyesÉ Pack animals are so perceptive to signals that a horse can be trained to follow the contraction in our pupils and a dog can be trained to answer your whispering voice. There´s no need to shout commands, to make the tone of our voice deep and angry - what Karen Pryor refers to as swatting flies with a shovel.
The dogs have about 30 calming signals, perhaps even more. Some of these signals are used by most dogs, while other dogs have an incredibly rich ´vocabulary´. It varies from dog to dog.
The problem Dogs use this communication system towards us humans, simply because it´s the language they know and think everyone understands.
By failing to see your dog using calming signals on you, and perhaps even punish the dog for using them, you risk causing serious harm to your dog. Some may simply give up using the calming signals, including with other dogs. Others may get so desperate and frustrated that they get aggressive, nervous or stressed out as a result. Puppies and young dogs may actually go into a state of shock.
Basic knowledge Dad calls Prince and has learned in class that he needs to sound strict and dominant so that Prince will understand who is in charge. Prince finds dad´s voice to be aggressive, and being a dog he instantly give dad a calming signal in order to make him stop being aggressive. Prince will perhaps lick his own nose, yawn, turn away - which will result in dad becoming angry for real, because dad perceieves Prince as being pig-headed, stubborn and disobedient. Prince is punished for using his calming signals to calm dad. This is a typical example of something that happens on an everyday basis with many dog owners.
We need to learn to understand the language of dogs so that we can understand what our dogs are telling us. That is the secret of having a good life together.
How the dog is using the calming signals Yawning The dog may yawn when someone bends over him, when you sound angry, when there´s yelling and quarreling in the family, when the dog is at the vet´s office, when someone is walking directly at the dog, when the dog is excited with happiness and anticipation - for instance by the door when you are about to go for a walk, when you ask the dog to do something he doesn´t feel like doing, when your training sessions are too long and the dog gets tired, when you have said NO for doing something you disapprove of, and in many other situations.
Threatening signals (to walk straight at, reach for the dog, bending over the dog, staring into the dog´s eyes, fast movements, and so on) will always cause the dog to use a calming signal. There are about 30 different calming signals, so even when many dogs will yawn, other dogs may use another calming signal.
All dog knows all the signals. When one dog yawns and turn his head to the side, the dog he is ´talking to´ may lick his nose and turn his back - or do something completely different.
The signals are international and universal. All dogs all over the worlds has the same language. A dog from Japan would be understood by an elkhound who lives in an isolated valley in Norway. They will have no communication problems!
Licking Licking is another signal that is used often. Especially by black dogs, dogs with a lot of hair around their faces, and others who´s facial expressions for some reasons are more difficult to see than those of dogs with lighter colors, visible eyes and long noses. But anyone can use licking, and all dogs understand it no matter how quick it is. The quick little lick on the nose is easier to see if you watch the dog from in front. It´s best seen if you can find somewhere you can sit in peace and quiet and observe. Once you have learned to see the lick, you will also be able to see it while walking the dog.
Sometimes it´s nothing more than a very quick lick, the tip of the tongue is barely visible outside the mouth, and only for a short second. But other dogs see it, understand it and respond to it. Any signal is always returned with a signal.
Turning away/turning of the head The dog can turn its head sligtly to one side, turn the head completely over to the side, or turn completely around so that the back and tail is facing whoever the dog is calming. This is one of the signals you may see most of the time in dogs.
When someone is approaching your dog from in front, he will turn away in one of these ways. When you seem angry, aggressive or threatening, you will also see one of these variations of the signal. When you bend over a dog to stroke him, he will turn his head away from you. When you make your training sessions too long or too difficult, he will turn his head away from you. When the dog is taken by surprise or take someone by surprise, he will turn away quickly. The same happens when someone is staring or acting in a threatening way.
In most cases, this signal will make the other dog calm down. It´s a fantastic way in which to solve conflicts, and it´s used a lot by all dogs, whether they are puppies or adults, high or low ranking, and so on. Allow your dog to use it! Dogs are experts at solving and avoiding conflicts - they know how to deal with conflicts.
Play bow Going down with front legs in a bowing position can be an invitation to play if the dog is moving legs from side to side in a playful manner. Just as often, the dog is standing still while bowing and is using the signal to calm someone down. These signals often have double meanings and may be used in many different ways - often the invitation to play is a calming signal by itself because the dog is making a potentially dangerous situation less tense and diverts with something safe.
Recently, in a puppy class with a mix of puppies, one of them was afraid of the others in the beginning. The others left him alone and respected his fear. In the end he would dare to approach the others. When he did, he went into a play bow as soon as one of the other dogs looked at him. It was an obvious combination of slight fear of the others, as well as wanting to take part in the playing.
When two dogs approach each other too abruptly, you will often see that they go into a play bow. This is one of the signals that are easy to see, especially because they remain standing in the bow position for a few seconds so that you have plenty of time to observe it.
Sniffing the ground Sniffing the ground is a frequently used signal. In groups of puppies you will see it a lot, and also when you and your dog is out walking and someone is coming towards you, in places where there´s a lot going on, in noisy places or when seeing objects that the dog isn´t sure of what is and find intimidating.
Sniffing the ground may be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and back up again - to sticking the nose to the ground and sniff persistently for several minutes.
Is someone approaching you on the pavement? Take a look at your dog. Did he drop the nose down toward the ground, even slightly? Did he turn his side to the one approaching and sniff the side of the road?
Of course, dogs sniff a lot, also in order to ´read the paper´ and enjoy themselves. Dogs are pre-programmed to use their noses and it´s their favorite activity. However, sometimes it´s calming - it depends on the situation. So pay attention to when and in which situations the sniffing occur!
Walking slowly High speed will be seen as threatening to many dogs, and they might want to go in to try and stop the one who is running. This is partly a hunting behavior and is triggered by the sight of a running human or dog. If the one running is coming straight at the dog, it involves a threat and a defence mechanism sets in.
A dog who is insecure will move slowly. If you wish to make a dog feel safer, then you can move slower. When I see a dog react to me with a calming signal, I immediately respond by moving slower.
Is your dog coming very slowly when you call him? If so, check the tone of your voice - do you sound angry or strict? That may be enough for him to want to calm you down by walking slowly. Have you ever been angry with him when he came to you? Then this may be why he doesn´t trust you. Another reason to calm you may be if the dog is always put on a leash when coming when called. Take a look at your dog the next time you call him. Does he give you any calming signals when coming? If he moves slowly, you may need to do something different in the way you act.
Freezing "Freezing" - is what we call it when the dog is stopping while standing completely still, sitting or laying down and remain in that position. This behavior is believed to have something to do with hunting behavior - when the prey is running, the dog attacks. Once the prey stops, the dog will stop too. We can often see this when dogs are chasing cats. This behavior, however, is used in several different situations. When you get angry and aggressive and appear threatening, the dog will often freeze and not move in order to make you be good again. Other times the dog may walk slowly, freeze, and then move slowly again. Many owners believe that they have very obedient dogs who is sitting, lying down or standing completely still. Perhaps they are actually using calming signals? Very often a dog will stop and remain calm when someone is approaching. If your dog wants to stop or move slowly in a situation like that, then let him. Also, should your dog be in a conflict situation with a human or dog, and is unable to escape, freezing may be one way to calm the other dog or person.
Sitting down/lifting one paw I have only rarely seen dogs lift their paw as a calming signal, but on a few occasions it´s clearly been used to calm another dog.
To sit down, or an even stronger signal, to sit down with the back turned towards someone - for instance the owner - has a very calming effect. It´s often seen when one dog wants to calm another dog who is approaching too quickly. Dogs may sit down with their backs turned against the owner when he or she sounds too strict or angry.
Walking in curve This signal is frequently used as a calming signal, and it is the main reason why dogs may react so strongly towards meeting dogs when they are forced to walk straight at someone.. Their instincts tell them that it is wrong to approach someone like that - the owner says differently. The dog gets anxious and defensive. And we get a dog who is barking and lunging at other dogs, and eventually we have an aggressive dog.
Dogs, when given a chance, will walk in curves around each other. That´s what they do when they meet off leash and are free to do things their own way. Allow your dog to do the same when he´s with you.
Some dogs needs large curves, while others only need to walk slightly curved. Allow the dog decide what feels right and safe for him, then, in time and if you want to, he can learn to pass other dogs closer.
Let the dog walk in a curve around a meeting dog! Don´t make him walk in a heel position while you´re going straight forward - give him a chance to walk in a curve past the meeting dog. If you keep the leash loose and let the dog decide, you will often see that the dog chooses to walk away instead of getting hysterical.
For the same the reason, don´t walk directly toward a dog, but walk up to it in a curve. The more anxious or aggressive the dog is, the wider you make the curve.
Other calming signals By now you have learned about some of the more common calming signals. There are around 30 of them, and many have yet to be described. I will mention a few more briefly so that you can make further observations:

• "Smiling", either by pulling the corners of the mouth up and back, or by showing the teeth as in a grin.
• Smacking the lips
• Wagging the tail - should a dog show signs of anxiety, calming or anything that clearly has little to do with happiness, the wagging of the tail isn´t an expression of happiness, but rather that the dog wants to calm you.
• Urinating on himself - A dog who is cowering and crawling toward his owner while wetting himself and waving his tail, is showing three clear signs of calming - and of fear. · Wanting to get up into your face and lick the corners of your mouth.
• Making the face round and smooth with the ears close to the head in order to act like a puppy. (No one will harm a puppy, is what the dog believes)
• Laying down with the belly against the ground. This has nothing to do with submission - submission is when the dog lays down with the belly up. Laying down with the belly towards the ground is a calming signal.
• ...an there are even more calming signals that are used in combination with others. For instance, a dog may urinate at the same time as he is turning his back to something. This is a clear sign of calming by for instance an annoying adolescent dog.

Some dogs act like puppies, jumping around and act silly, throwing sticks around, etc. if they discover a fearful dog nearby. It´s supposed to have, and does have, a calming effect.
Meeting situations A meeting situation between two strange dogs will almost never show signs of strong submission or what people refer to as dominant behavior. A meeting situation between two dogs will usually be something like this:
King and Prince sees each other at 150 meters range and are headed toward each other. They start sending each other message the moment they see each other. Prince stops and stands still (´freezes´), and King is walking slowly while he keeps glancing at the other dog through the corner of his eye.
As King gets closer, Prince starts licking his nose intensly, and he turns his side to King and starts sniffing the ground too. Now King is so close that he needs to be even more calming, so he starts walking in a curve and away from Prince - still slowly and now he is licking his nose too. Prince sits down, and looks away by turning his head far to one side.
By now the two dogs have ´read´ each other so well that they know whether they wish to go over and greet each other, or if this could get so intense that it is best to stay away from each other.
Never force dogs into meeting others Allow the dogs to use their language in meeting situations so that they feel safe. Sometimes they will walk up to each other and get along, other times they feel that it´s safer to stay at a distance - after all, they have already read each other´s signals, they do so even at a several hundred meters distance - there´s no need to meet face to face.
In Canada, dog trainers who attended my lecture, came up with a new name of these calming signals: ´The Language of Peace". That´s exactly what it is. It´s a language which is there to make sure that dogs have a way to avoid and solve conflicts and live together in a peaceful manner. And the dogs are experts at it.
Start observing and you will see for yourself. Most likely, you will get a much better relationship with your dog and other dogs, too, once you are beginning to realize what the dog is really telling you. It´s likely that you will understand things you earlier were unable to figure out. It is incredibly exciting, as well as educational.
Welcome to the world of the dog, and to knowledge of a whole new language!


IN Kaths riginal post she did not reference it, so the post now reads as it should do.

Not sure if this is a calming signal.

When we meet up with other dogs Abby will roll over onto her back.

Yesterday we met up with two bichon friends in the dog excercise area near us(It is a large fenced field ). Mitzy ran up to Bailey who is the same age and they where soon running around chasing each other. Abby did her usual turn over onto her back and wave paws in the air in front of Max (a 2 year old). Abby chased the other two girls but as they came back to us, she constantly rolled over in front of all of them. So much so that she ended up soaked through.

Is this her being a flirt (take me I am all yours lol) or deciding she is bottom of the pack ? Should I try to stop her doing it all the time or make her wear a coat so she doesnt end up catching her death.

If she just dropped onto her belly without rolling that would be a calming signal, rolling over is her way of saying I'm friendly, come play, you need not fear me, but could mean that she is slightly nervous about meeting the other dog. Try and observe if she is showing any of the other calming signals.

Generally when two strange dogs meet they will rarely show signs of strong submission they will typically behave like this; at some distance away they start sending each other 'signals' one may stop and freeze and the other will keep walking glancing from the corner of it's eye. As the dog approaches the one that 'froze' (dog A) dog A will start licking his nose and turns to the side from dog B and will start sniffing the ground. As dog B gets even closer more calming signals are needed and dog A will now start walking in a curve away from dog B. By now dog B will also be licking his nose now. Dog A will sit down and turn his head away from dog B

Now the two dogs have 'read' each others signals and will decide whether it's safe to greet each other or walk away. Try to observe these signals when you see dogs 'meet' each other for the first time, it's really very interesting and helps us better understand them.

Thanks Kath I've really enjoyed reading your posts (actually learnt something as well! lol) Seems as if I don't really "listen" to Chloe. Will have to pay more attention in future. X

Effing hell! Glow in the dark dogs! I thought I had seen and heard most things but this just beggars belief! And the point of this research is?? Humanity gone mad I do believe! X

Flipping heck Sue - I dread to think what sign those poor dogs would be giving out to other dogs were they allowed their freedom.:T:

Sorry I was trying to put that article into a new post but the internet went haywire. Kept flashing onto different screens(gremlin in the works).

Thanks for the information Kath, I will check tomorrow to see how they react to other dogs.

interesting post thanks Kath

Found this article - which will explain the concept much better than I can do;

Calming Signals in Dogs Title: On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals
Author: Turid Rugaas
Price: $9.95
NOTE: This book is also available in video form.

Taken from; http://www.neholistic.com/articles/0099.htm

Hope that helps and if you get any chance do watch Turid Rugass in action - the lady really does know what she is talking about :y:

Very interesting. xx

The idea of a dog being relatively NORMAL or relatively ABNORMAL in its social signals and social responses to other dogs is an extremely important one.
Lets look at this a little more in depth. There is the totally normal naturally high ranking dog, who is very self-assured and therefore rarely needs to assert rank in a dramatic manner.They are not usually the biggest or the strongest dog in the pack, they are however very clever at watching the signals of the pack below them. Sometimes such a dog can hardly ever be seen to give more than a subtle warning look to other dogs, and that assertion can be so subtle that most people completely miss noticing it. Self assured high ranked dogs can be very tolerant and benign to other dogs, especially in a domestic situation in which an intelligent dog can realize that all the resources that might be desirable are available in ample supply, thus not requiring dispute. For example ,in my house I have a pack leader Caesar who will nibble the ends of every chicken wing I place out before them. He will assemble the pile from all over the garden bowls and remove them to his own area of choice then one by one he takes the exact amount from every wing, just 1 inch from the tip. He then walks away and allows the pack to finish them off, he isn’t stupid enough not to save himself one though, and will run at any dog who tries to take his favoured one. All my dogs have their own space in which to eat in peace, there is no cause to assert rank over access to food bowls. Yet he does. If there are so many comfortable resting places that every dog has some choice and none of these places is so much superior as to be worth the effort to claim, rank will not need to be asserted. ( In my own home, the only resource that my dogs seem to find "scarce" and thus worth making faces at each other about is , at times, to be the centre of my attention. ) The normal subordinate dog is likely to respond very appropriately , thus deferentially, to the slight assertions of the higher ranked dog. If the high ranked dog is generally calm and benign, the lower ranked dog responds with trust as well as respect, so the required show of deference has no fear or anxiety in it . Again, if resources are plentiful, an intelligent and non-anxious subordinate dog doesn't have much motive to contend for first access , no motive to fail to defer to the higher ranked dog's assertion.
If you have experienced the calm and intelligent and self-assured high ranked dog, then you will be primed to sense something wrong or "off' with the "wannabe" dog who wants to hold high rank and have respect from other dogs, but who really is underqualified for the job. This can be a right pain in the ass if you misread the signs. Calming signals are great but as with any method of observation an awful lot of what is in the consciousness of the dog has an effect. I have had dogs in from rescues that have shown the calming signals then promptly bitten due to insecurity, so please be careful and look deep into the soul of the dog.
I also think that just as De Waal so rightly points out in much of what they say that to understand human conflict and hierarchy it is as important to study "peacemaking" , ie conflict prevention and conflict reconciliation, as an innate part of primate behaviour as it is to study aggression and assertive aspects of dominance, so too we might do well in studying canine conflict and hierarchy to pay some attention to "peacemaking in pooches", ie to how dogs reassure each other, whether and how they prevent conflict (besides the warning dominant dirty look and the submissive response to it) , and whether and how they reconcile after a dispute. We do know for sure that dogs who live together can be very close and loving friends, though they can also be bitter enemies. Dogs who live in human households don't really get to choose who they live with. Wolves probably do have more choice, at least the choice to leave the pack. We do see dogs who seem to be especially talented at getting along with other dogs and perhaps even who help other dogs to improve social skills. Turid Rugaas, author of "On Talking Terms with Dogs : Calming Signals" , seems to be the canine observer most focused on this area of peacemaking among pooches as a primary area of interest.
Of course the role of the human as the ultimate pack leader, out-ranking all the dogs and in control of all valued resources and so able to make rules about how dogs have to behave to obtain such resource, has a critical influence on peace between dogs. If that human is calm, benign , and always self-assured, ie a natural Alpha (or as I often say " having natural Alphatude"), no doubt that helps all the dogs feel more self-confident and in Dr Neilson's terms feel more "normal." If such a calm , benevolent, self-confident Alpha deliberately teaches the dogs that only patient and good-mannered behaviour will win them the desired resources (including that of the person's attention and caresses), that would tend to minimize agitation and conflict between dogs. This is the plan advocated by behaviorists Karen London and Patricia McConnell in their booklet "Feeling Outnumbered ? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-dog Household." Contrarywise, if the human leader is "dominating" or "domineering" rather than simply benignly dominent, if the human tends to act as a "bully" or a "tyrant", then such aberrant attempts at leadership will produce anxiety in the dogs and result in attitudes and behaviors that would be in the "abnormal" range.

Forget the old wives tale that one year of a human equates to seven in a dog. A far more accurate measurement is fifteen for the first year, ten for the second and five for every year thereafter (though it depends on the breed and size) If you therefore calculate 16 weeks, it comes out as 5 years in human years. This coincides with Scott and Fullers 20-year observations on the critical periods of puppy’s psychological growth.
Socialisation
I cannot emphasise enough the need to socialise you puppy during this vitally important period. There is a vaccination now available where the full course can be administered by ten weeks rather than the normal twelve, therefore allowing two extra weeks of socialisation. The vaccine is by Intervet and is called Nobivac D.H.P.P.I/L.
Get your pups to socialisation classes, it is not enough to allow them just to mix with adult dogs they learn the all-important body language much quicker by being in the company of younger as well as older dogs. Nearly all the cases I deal with that involves interdog fear or aggression, relates to lack of early socialisation during the critical 0 to 16 weeks.
The good news is that unlike humans, dogs can learn to communicate after this vital period though they will never be fluent; they can learn to cope given time and lots of patience.
Stress
All animals including humans suffer stress at some time in their life, to some extent it is part of the survival instinct, it floods the body with adrenalin pumping the muscles up allowing us to decide whether to fight, freeze or flight.
Dogs have a powerful set of body postures that alleviate stress and diffuse potentially threatening situations, the shake, as if shedding water is one way of alleviating stress. We do not always see the signs such as dilated pupils, restless pacing, scratching, panting, loss of appetite, sudden dandruff and sweating. Most people think dogs sweat through their tongues by panting; this is a cooling system but has nothing to do with sweating. Dogs only sweat through their paws, damp footprints can be a sign of panic and fear.
Aggression
When we approach a dog that is either fearful or control complex aggressive aka dominant, we can often tell by body language if they are likely to attack. Look for balance, if the weight and balance is on the front foot and it is leaning forward at the shoulders and is making hard eye contact then it normally means business. If the balance however is on the back feet and the eyes are darting away and it is yawning or licking, then unless cornered or challenged it is unlikely to just attack out of the blue.
If we also put our weight on our back foot, we can often diffuse a potentially dangerous situation. Weight and balance are magnified in a dog’s mind, they are always looking for the subtle nuances in our body language, and this is especially true of a nervous dog. I was at a clients recently, when I leaned slightly back putting the weight on my back foot the dog approached, when I transferred the weight to my front the dog moved away.
Many people believe that if the hackles are up this is a sign of aggression. This is not always the case, a dog that is excited can raise its hackles, its actual intentions will be apparent depending on the approach, if it curves round coming in from the side and sniffs the ground as it approaches than its intentions are normally peaceful. If it comes in face on stiff legged and circling then it could be a prequel to aggression.
Appeasement Gestures
Lets look at meeting and greeting, as one dog approaches another you will see a wide range of reactions. Some dogs will lie down almost flat to the ground we often see this in Border Collies. Some will lie and slightly roll over averting there eyes this is a submissive but friendly gesture The ones that lay down but in a Sphinx position head erect and body and tail upright are signalling to the other dog that they are confident and high ranking but are friendly and its ok to approach.
Others will yawn, circle slowly but not stiff legged, sniff the ground and allow eyes to constantly dart these look then look away again this is also a non-threatening approach. Others will stand off and await the other dog to approach so they can observe the approaching dogs intentions before deciding whether to greet. Just standing still can appease nervous dogs, lifting a paw up and down is another gesture I often see this signal to both dogs and humans, blinking eyes is a also diffuser of aggression that we can also use. Couple this with yawning averting our head and licking our lips and you can often calm a nervous or aggressive dog.
Clients often tell me that their aggressive dog dislikes black or dark dogs, and they cannot understand why? It is simple really; they cannot read the intent on a very black background therefore they are unable to react to the calming signals. I am occasionally told that some dogs are racist to coloured people; Dogs cannot be racist unlike humans they have no moral or racial preconceptions, this form of aggression is simply because they cannot distinguish features and intent on a darker background and may become fearful or aggressive because of that.
Rank
I am not of the school of thought that thinks there are no such things as dominant dogs. It appears that it now politically incorrect to use this word to describe a dog’s position or state of mind. If we agree the fact that dogs have submissive tendencies then the antonym (exact opposite) of submission is dominance. If we accept that like many other creatures’ dogs do have levels of status, then status brings in rank and therefore control and dominance. I am well aware that the word dominance is vastly overused and in many cases is blamed for almost all canine problems, but to suggest that there are no dominant tendencies in some dogs psyche is to my mind mistaken and an exercise in semantics.
Having said that I am constantly told that this or that dog is displaying dominant aggression. In fact quite the opposite is mainly the case. The confident and high-ranking dog has no need for aggression. Its body language and controlled air shows all who can read the signs that this is not a dog to mess with. The wolf pack rarely has a need for actual aggression it is mainly stylised posturing that allows the hierarchy to exist peacefully. Generally, fear and lack of controlled early socialisation, causes most aggression based behavioural problems, that and our inability to read the clear signals that our pets are constantly beaming to us.
In conclusion, we need to watch and learn dog speak, write down the signals your pet gives and in what context it was used.With practice and given time, you should find yourself able to communicate and signal back, this will benefit both you and your dog and will result in a stronger bond and understanding of each other’s needs resulting in a relaxed and pleasant relationship.
Stan Rawlinson


© Stan Rawlinson
Telephone: 0208 979 2019
Mobile Number: 07976 153161
E-mail:enquiries@doglistener.co.uk

:y:I have spent ages reading these really informative posts. There is so much here that I hadn't even considered. Thanks Karen and Kath very very interesting reading. X

Kath, you know as well as me that its all about scoring points with each and every trainer that puts themselves up as the one and only.Each will backbite and kick each other, however from all of them , those not accustommed to any for of doggy training experience will at least manage to pick up a tidbit of good. None are all bad , vice versa none are all good, its a hotchpotch of information. I have not read anything he has done so I cannot comment on him as a person or indeed a dog trainer, but the internet is heaving with this type of information , one just hopes that people gather as much as possible and then decide for themselves on which methods suit them .

WHat much comes down too is learning from your dogs, that is what good canine communication is all about. Listening to your dog will also indicate its needs and that covers a variety of issues from feeding, grooming, training, and simply caring.

Thanks Kath for starting this, with so much going on about dogs presently I really would like all of our members to have an intelligent insight into their dogs..:h))

With specific regard to the posts already here please go to end and lets have some good debate please.

It is important to note that whilst many gestures and actions have common,steroetypical meanings, researchers regularly seem to find that animal communication is often more complex and subtle than previously believed, and that the same gesture may have multiple distinct meanings depending on context and other behaviors. So generalizations such as "X means Y" are often, but not always accurate. For example, even a simple domestic dogs tail wag may be used in subtly different ways to convey many meanings including:

• Excitement
• Anticipation
• Playfulness
• Contentment/enjoyment
• Relaxation or anxiety
• Questioning another animal or a human as to intentions
• Tentative role assessment on meeting another animal
• Reassurance ("I'm hoping to be friendly, are you?")
• Brief acknowledgement ("I hear you", or "I'm aware and responsive if you want my attention")
• Statement of interest ("I want that food , toy, activity), if you're willing")
• Uncertainty/apprehension
• Submissive placation (if worried by a more dominant animal)

Combined with other body language, in a specific context, many gestures such as yawns, direction of vision, and so on all convey meaning. Thus statements that a particular action "means" something should always be interpreted to mean "often means" something. As with human beings, who may smile or hug or stand a particular way for multiple reasons, many animals reuse gestures too.













Now here is something that I would like us all to think about.

If dogs communicate through posture, tail movement, belly rolls and voice, what kind of effect would tail docking have for the communication of dog to dog or dog to human , and whilst I am on, what about the cutting of a dogs vocal chords which is common place in some parts of Europe?

Your welcome Hun - I thought it would be good to start at the beginning as it were, with learning our dogs language, then people can go on and decide for themselves which training method/trainer they wish to use.

I know what you mean only too well with trainers trying to score points with each other. I was just making the point that that particular one is know for making false credential statements. The info in the article (as I already said) is good enough, I just doubt it's he who's written it!

Are we moving on then to other debate, or do the good peeps want to learn some more about calming signals first?

Now as for tail docking, it's an interesting debate with differing schools of thought on this one (as regards signals) think most agree if docked not too short and correctly it doesn't really interfere with the dog's 'signals'. Not saying I'm for docking per say though, but i do understand 9have to really coming from a shooting family, with working dogs background) the reasons why docking is sometimes necessary.

Cutting vocal chords - don't even get me started on this one...:tt::T::oI:oI:oI:oI:oI

Cheers Im not gonna post on this one as I would likely scream lol xxx so get ya teeth into it lass and lets get our members thinking xx

Now I sincerely hope you won't be screaming too loud at me but here goes. Working springers are docked at 3 days old and must be done soin line with current legal requirements.Working spaniels tails are docked by a quarter leaving the majority intact.I do not think that this small amount does detract from the communication signals sent out from the dog in any way. I have seen the damage caused by an undocked tail for myself and believe you me it is not a pleasant sight.The suffering of the dog in question was dreadful to witness and needless to say the vet had to amputate the whole tail for fear of infection. An undocked tail thrashing through heavy bramble and briar is open to all manner of injury. This was not one of our dogs thankfully but I would not wish anyone to have witnessed that. I am sure though that the new legislation regarding the docking of tails was indeed correct and gave full consideration to the fit for function, fit for lifetheory. Having said this, if the dog isbeing homedas a pet then I see absolutely no logical reason for tail docking. I am of the opinion that more and more prospective spaniel owners are now requesting undocked dogs and although I cannot prove this - as we have not bred a litter for quite a few years now- some spaniel breeders are reporting a rise in requests of this nature. I am not anti-docking nor am I for docking. It just depends on the circumstances.

However the thought of vocal chords being cut makes me recoil in horror.

:-O Surely the dogs only means of audible communication is it's voice and the logic behind this abhorent practice is???

Sorry just going somewhere quiet to scream it off!!

:y:Excellent common sense reply Liz IMO. I come from a family who has a shoot and also train working dogs, so you'll get no arguments from me there. I would disagree on docking just for cosmetic reasons alone though.

Cutting the vocal chords is done as a quick fix way of getting dogs to be quiet - that's it, and in my opinion it's cruel, unnecessary and only performed by ignorant, arrogant twits.:T:^-^ Does that my my position clear?