Dog Body Language - Part III

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Full body language:

• Stiffness, bristling and shifting forward signifies dominance and/or aggression
  

• Hair bristling only on shoulders indicates nervousness
  

• Muzzle nudging- a request from beta to alpha, often with licking
  

• Dog sits and allows other dog to sniff- a calming signal. A request for peaceful behavior
  

• Exposing throat and belly- fear and/or submission.
  

• Standing over another dog, putting paw or head on other dog’s back- assertion of dominance
  

• Shoulder bumping- dominance
  

• Turning side to other dog- admission of beta status
  

• Circling indicates a conflict.
  

• Freezing signifies a conflict, fear, concern or worry.
  

• Raising one paw- anxiety and insecurity
  

• ting- dominance. Mounting is nonsexual unless between an unaltered male and female.
  

• Rolling on back and rubbing with nose or shoulders- I’m enjoying myself!
  

• Crouching with front legs out and rear and tail up- let’s play!

Calming Signals:

Calming signals are a dog’s way of saying “I’m sensing some disarray here, but I don’t want any trouble. Let’s just be peaceful.” Calming signals include yawning, turning away, blinking, sniffing the ground, grooming, sitting, urinating, licking, sniffing air, lifting a paw, scratching, Play bow, stretching, sneezing or other casual behaviors. If your dog exhibits calming signals while you’re training her, she’s saying she’s had enough and wants you to relent.

Play Behavior:

Barking, growling, nipping, chasing, stalking, grabbing around the neck, jaw wrestling, body slamming, grabbing ears and tails, falling and rolling, somersaults, “keep away” are all normal play/mock-fighting behaviors for dogs. While play occurs, dogs temporarily become equals and even dominant dogs will sometimes lie belly up over and allow submissive dogs to shoulder them, nibble them, wrestle them and behave in a way that wouldn’t typically be tolerated in an alpha/beta relationship.. Sometimes the dominant dog will get fed up a disagreement may ensue. If playing stops and dogs becomes stiff and circle each other, freeze or “face off”, play may have stopped and there may be conflict until the breech of etiquette is resolved. Dog play is mock-fighting and hunting. Keep that in mind and do not assume dogs are fighting when they are only playing.

Rules:

• Dogs making themselves look taller, larger and pointing at the target are dominance signals

• Dogs making themselves look smaller and turning away are exhibiting submission signals

• A play bow always means play!

• Frightened dogs are more prone to inflicting serious bites than confident dogs

• Do not console a frightened dog, this reinforces fear. Issue a command and praise the dog for executing it correctly

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Lex Fredericks is a Registered Veterinary Assistant/OTJ Veterinary Nurse and dog trainer who lives in Toronto. She has worked with and trained wolves, big cats, bears and primates for film and originally began learning training dogs and learning about the language of animals at the age of 7 with Hungarian grandfather and horse/dog devotee George Egon Fallus. She currently lives with a Bullmastiff rescued from gang violence, a Presa Canario, a mastiff cross rescued from British Columbia, a rescued wolf hybrid, a rehabilitated feral cat, and cat she and her husband rescued with the Vancouver police. She can be reached at her website, http://www.TorontoDogTraining.com



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