How
to Speak Dog
Understanding and
Communicating with Man's Best Friend
by Dog Whisperer
Paul Owens
As
a dog trainer for over 30 years, I have
found that one of the major stumbling
blocks people have in communicating
with their dogs is what I'd call a bit
of a superiority complex. We tend to
think that, being human, we are the
masters of the universe. Many people
simply expect their dogs to understand
what they say without taking the time
to learn to speak dog. Instead of learning
the language and customs of dogs, people
tend to speak louder and louder and
say the same thing over and over, as
if volume and repetition magically bridge
the communication gap. In short, people
expect dogs to speak English. This ignorance
comes out in statements like “stupid
dog” or “He knows it, he's just being
stubborn.”
Dogs
communicate with one another through
tactile, tonal, and postural body language,
which range from the very subtle to
the very obvious. This body language
can include a look or stare, blinking
of the eyes, looking away, licking the
lips, yawning, various speeds and locations
of a wagging tail, sniffing the ground,
scratching, mouthing, pawing, or marking
the territory by urinating. Other body
language includes the position of the
body such as the play bow, turning the
back or side to another dog, rolling
over on the back, or blocking another
dog's movement. Each movement is measured
and exact—no more and no less than is
absolutely necessary for the particular
situation or moment of time. It's pure
economy of motion.
Dogs,
as well as most other animals, have
an amazing ability to notice the subtle
movements made by other dogs as well
as humans and associate these movements
with consequences. They learn associations
and connect events with a “what happens
when” perspective. That's why it's so
important to develop a “clean” precise
body language of your own.
When
misperceptions lead to insensitivity,
both animals and humans suffer. Education
is the key to bridging the communication
gap—and it also helps to open the heart
to our own sensitivity and empathy.
Sometimes
a dog's body language isn't very obvious.
Just because a tail is wagging, that
doesn't mean a dog is friendly. And,
conversely, just because the hackles
are up, that doesn't always mean a dog
is going to bite. All individual body
language expressions—the movement and
location of the ears, tail, eyes, head,
and the stance of the body—have to be
taken in the overall context. No one
feature can be translated into what's
going on in the dog's mind and emotions.
Dogs
can and do move from one expression
to another in microseconds. Depending
on what's going on in the environment,
one moment he might be fearful, the
next relaxed, and a second later he
might bite. It is well worth the effort
to attend a few classes and learn the
subtle language of canine communication
from an experienced trainer.
Dog
Etiquette—How to Greet a Dog
Here
are some ways to use canine body language
in everyday situations when greeting
dogs you are meeting for the first time
or dogs you don't know well.
1. Keep your breathing easy and relaxed.
2. Until the dog learns to relax or is
trained to enjoy “greetings,” don't
approach her straight on. Instead, imagine
a curve on the ground like the letter
“C” and approach along that curve. Once
you are close to her, turn to your side
rather than facing the dog head-on.
3. When you stop to greet people while
on a walk or at your front door, turn
to your side. By doing this, your dog
will look at the other person as less
threatening.
4. Instead of approaching a dog, let the
dog come to you. Avoid sudden movements.
5. When greeting a dog, keep your hand
down by your side.
6. Once you determine that the dog isn't
feeling threatened, approach to pet
him with your hand under the chin
where he can see where your hand is
going, not over his body. Then
pet him gently on the chest or on the
side of the face, away from the ears
and eyes. Don't ever reach over
the dog's body to pet him on the top
of the head or back until you know him
well and are sure he enjoys being petted
there.
7. Avoid eye contact.
8. Speak in a friendly and relaxed voice.
Children
should be supervised when interacting
with dogs, even when the dogs are members
of their own family. Seventy-five
percent of the dog bites sustained by
children are by dogs familiar to them.
In some cases, if a dog has food or
a toy, and a child comes into his personal
space, he may feel the need to protect
it and that protection could manifest
in biting. Dogs should be allowed to
eat in peace but for safety purposes
they should also be educated to allow
family members to reach into their bowl
at any time. It is also important that
we teach children to respect dogs and
not to tease them with food or toys.
If
your dog is aggressive or has moderate-to-severe
behavioral problems, a professional
trainer is needed. Always err on the
side of safety. You can learn a lot
about positive dog training from books
and DVDs. However, it can be fun to
join a group class. Because many dog
trainers still teach methods that include
physical force, I suggest interviewing
the trainer before hiring him or her.
You can find a trainer who uses positive
training methods through the Association
of Pet Dog Trainers ( www.APDT.com ) or The National Association of
Dog Obedience Instructors (www.NADOI.org ).
About the
Author:
Paul
Owens
Author: The Dog Whisperer DVD and the
book: The Dog Whisperer,
A Compassionate Nonviolent Approach
to Dog Training
Certified by The Association of Pet
Dog Trainers
Endorsed by the National Association
of Dog Obedience Instructors
Director: Raise with Praise, Inc. Dog
training
www.DogWhispererDVD.com
