Let's Talk Dog, Part I
Aug 2006
By Don Hanson
In this technological era, much of our communication with others occurs through mediums such as the telephone, the Internet and text messaging, none of which allow for the expression of visual cues. While body language is a part of our message, it occurs on an unconscious level and the cues are “received” only in our face-to-face interactions. Visual cues seem to have become secondary to what we try to verbalize. We often carry this secondary cue over to our communications with our dogs and assume that the best way to communicate with them is by speaking to them. This is where miscommunication begins, and frustration sets in.
Most dogs are masters at communicating with one another. Unlike humans, dogs accomplish the vast majority of their interactions through body language. Since their bodies are the vehicle by which they convey messages to each other, it is also how they try to communicate with us, their owners. When our dogs try to understand what we are attempting to communicate to them they instinctively look at what we are expressing with our bodies before they listen to what we are saying. Since most people are not very conscious of what they are communicating through their body, much less what their body is saying in “dogese,” it is no wonder we often have a failure to communicate with our dogs.
How important is visual communication to dogs? Dr. Patricia McConnell, an animal behaviorist and professor at the University of Wisconsin, conducted a simple experiment. She selected 24 puppies, 6-1/2 weeks old, four each from litters of Australian Shepherds, Beagles, Border Collies, Dalmatians, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Miniature Schnauzers. Over four days the puppies were trained to “sit” upon presentation of both an audible and a visual signal. The trainer presented a beep tone sound at the same instant they scooped their hand up over the puppy’s head.
On the fifth day, the trainers presented the puppies with one signal at a time so they could determine whether the audible or visual signal resulted in more correct responses. Of the 24 puppies, 23 responded better to the visual signal than to the sound. The remaining puppy responded equally well to both. Eight of the puppies did not respond to the audible signal at all. The following table indicates correct responses to audible and visual signals by breed.
| BREED | VISUAL | AUDIBLE |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Shepherd | 92.5% | 15% |
| Beagle | 80% | 0% |
| Border Collie | 92.5% | 15% |
| Cavalier King Charles | 90% | 50% |
| Dalmatian | 80% | 20% |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 80% | 0% |
Because visual cues are more effective with dogs than audible or verbal signals, we teach hand signals in our training classes at Green Acres Kennel Shop well before we ever start to use words.
McConnell’s research also revealed that a dog’s body language can be subtle, involving very little movement, and occurring quickly. In her book “The Other End of the Leash,” she writes, “Important signals may last only a tenth of a second and be no bigger than a quarter of an inch.” Something I have observed with several dogs is that leaning slightly forward can slow a dog’s recall or even stop a dog from coming at all. On the other hand, leaning back slightly encourages the dog to come to the caller and will frequently cause them to run faster in the caller’s direction.
So how can we understand what our dog is trying to tell us with its body? To “read” a dog, one must be able to interpret the animal’s entire body: eyes, ears, lips, teeth, hair, stance and posture and tail. A common misconception is that a dog that is wagging its tail is friendly. The truth is that there are many ways a dog can wag its tail, some not friendly at all. The tail conveys only a small part of what a dog is trying to communicate.
To “read” a dog successfully requires years of experience with many different breeds of dogs. To begin, read “The Other End of the Leash” and spend less time talking at your dogs and more time observing them. For more information on canine communication, go online to greenacreskennel.com and click on “Articles.”
Dogs communicate stress and anxiety through some very specific ways; calming signals will be covered in the next issue of Downeast Dog News.
Don Hanson and his wife, Paula, own and operate the Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, where he is the director of behavior services and training. He is a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner animal specialist, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Certified Pet Dog Trainer. He also hosts the “Woof-Meow Show,” which airs at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, on WVOM, 103.9FM.
