Be Dog Literate

What do we need to make our dog(s) and us happy?

Learn to read their body language and use effective, calm, clear, and consistent communication. We are verbal creatures, and that is how we communicate. On the other hand, our dog(s) don’t use words; they rely primarily on their whole body to let us know how they feel and what they want. They use their ears, forehead, mouth, tongue, teeth, grimaces, paws, tail, posture, belly, and vocalization. While they can hear us and don’t understand, our body language, facial expression, tone of voice, and demeanor give them clues to how we feel and what we want from them. Dogs are amazing. While we communicate differently, it is two-way communication. They leave us clues about what they want and feel, and they read us to get clues about what we want and how we feel.

This communication, though, can be confusing at times. When we give them unclear messages with our words, they focus on our body language for information. It is up to us to communicate calmly, clearly, and consistently.

Dogs don’t understand “No”

We use “No” to communicate our disapproval of our dog’s behavior. The dogs know we are not happy from our body language because the word “No” does not give them the information they need to change their behavior, as they don’t even know what they did wrong. Effective communication is to let the dogs know what we want them to do instead. Ask for a Sit when the dogs jump and Leave it when they counter surf instead of “No.” Communicate what you want them to do instead. Effective communication does not require a loud, tough-sounding authoritative voice. Le’s teach and not intimidate our dogs.

Dogs emote anxiety with their body. Dogs use their body language to communicate different emotions. To understand them, we need to learn to read them just as they so intently and constantly try to read us. When they feel fear and anxiety, they lick their lips, keep their mouth tightly closed, and yawn incessantly. Their ears might glue to the side of their head with their tucked tails. Extreme fear may lead to a complete “shutdown” and they either freeze or try to run away. Beware that a fearful dog can quickly switch to confrontational if he feels cornered or trapped. It is the Flight or Fight response.

Dogs need space. Help them!

When their efforts to ask for help fail, dogs may resort to normal, natural, but confrontational behavior to request people to stay away or give them space. The posturing (a stiff body, eyes wide with white showing, showing teeth, air snapping with tense mouth and wrinkled nose) and vocalizations (growling and barking) are often communicated as warning signs for a perceived threat and rarely escalate into a bite. Reading a dog warning signal is essential to prevent an escalation to harmful behavior.

Dogs can be excited or stressed.

Dogs can communicate excitement. They can get excited when seeing something they like or dislike, and their body language differs depending on their feelings. The behaviors can range from a play bow, jump, and tail wagging to lunging or barking to trembling. Since dogs have a limited repertoire of body language, they may use the same body language to exhibit fearful and exciting signals when anxious or stressed. They may pant, make themselves smaller and invisible by lowering their body stance, drool and shed heavily, pace, bark, whine, lunge, jump, and bound off walls.

Dogs can be calm and happy.

While we don’t always recognize their stressed body language, most of us can detect and love to see our dogs relaxed. Their mouth is open; their body is loose; their ears are neutral, their eyes are soft, and their tail wags from side to side with a butt wiggle. They don’t have a care in the world, and everything is fine.

Learning to build effective communication can help us enjoy a harmonious and fulfilling relationship with our dogs, and they deserve nothing less.

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/12/how-to-make-world-better-for-dogs.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201712/how-give-dogs-the-best-lives-possible-in-human-world

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201811/are-you-really-sure-you-want-share-your-life-dog

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201703/ispeakdog-website-devoted-becoming-dog-literate

https://www.sciencealert.com/your-dog-is-a-precious-angel-and-you-should-never-yell-at-her