Dog Language and Calm Signs

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 4 August 2021
Update Date: 1 November 2024
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Content

Learning to communicate with our dog is essential to promote a balanced and positive relationship with him. Furthermore, it allows us to know what our furry friend feels at each moment and improves our relationship with him. often a bad communication between the dog and the human being it can lead to the appearance of unwanted behaviors, mainly due to ignorance regarding non-verbal communication, that is, bodily communication.

In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will help you to understand in a general way what the dog language and calm signs that he transmits to us. Keep reading to learn how to better communicate with your dog and understand what he is telling you.


How do dogs communicate with each other?

O beginning of learning of the dog's communication begins from birth and lasts approximately up to three months of life. During this period, the dog learns a language that will accompany him throughout his life. It starts with your mother and brothers, which teach him to orient himself correctly.

The most important period for learning is the puppy's socialization, which usually lasts between the first three weeks and three months of life. THE early separation of the litter dog can have serious consequences, such as the lack of social behavior patterns. In addition, there can be many other consequences, such as bites, fear, stress, among others.

Thus, not all dogs are able to recognize and interpret the signals we are going to show. More specific cases, such as the case of abandoned puppies and early separated from the litter, are typical examples that may not understand the dog language.


How to talk to your dog?

Before we start talking about the body language of dogs, it is essential to know how our communication with them should be:

  • Always use a high tone and low volume so that the dog doesn't confuse your words with a punishment. They don't need you to raise your voice to hear you, as dogs have very sensitive ears.
  • Always try to relate words with concrete physical signs. This way, your dog will better understand what you want and it will be easier to communicate with him in noisier environments.
  • Use positive reinforcement to communicate with the dog. There are countless studies showing that dogs understand much better when we avoid scolding them.
  • Whenever communicating with your dog, make sure you maintain clear eye contact.
  • Always respect the dog. If you notice that he is annoyed or upset, change the situation or use a higher reinforcement to motivate him.
  • Don't use punishment to communicate with your dog. If he doesn't understand, change your position and repeat. This way, it will be easier to interact with the dogs' language.

signs of calm in dogs

1. Yawn

Yawning, as a sign of calm, is usually accompanied by other signs, such as back ears, turning the head or looking sideways. This sign usually indicates that the dog is bothered or who doesn't understand what you're asking. It's a very common dog language.


Heads up: We must not confuse this sign with a wake-up yawn, for example.

2. lick yourself

Except when they finish drinking water, licking their muzzle is another of the more usual signs of calm. It usually indicates that the dog "doesn't look for problems" and may be accompanied by a head bow or tilt of the head to the side. The dog is asking for space or a break from training.

3. Lick a person

We usually associate licking with the dog's affection and affection for us humans and, on some occasions, it can mean just that, especially if we reinforce this behavior in a positive way. Despite this, an excited lick can indicate that the dog is stressed and try to relieve the tension by licking the tutor, something he knows we like.

So it's a dog language you should pay attention to. When he licks someone out of nervousness, not affection, he usually accompanies it with other signs of calm, such as backwards ears, turns his head and performs nervous movements.

4. Turns with the head

It is common that when you approach your dog to give him a kiss or to put something next to him, the dog turns its head. This attitude means he is bothered and he's telling us to respect his personal space. In this case, he may use other types of canine body language, such as sighing, tucking his ears back, or licking himself. The puppy can also use this sign with other puppies to imply that is calm and not looking for problems.

5. Push with the snout

This is a very positive sign that our dog is seeking our attention or affection. This language of dogs originated in the stage when he was still a puppy and sought his mother's breasts, pushing with his muzzle.

6. eyes closed

This calm sign usually indicates dog welfare and safety. Its origin also comes from the stage when he was a puppy, when he was with his mother and felt very comfortable. It's a great sign and one of the types of dog language we like the most because it shows he's happy!

7. Smell the ground

if your dog sniffs the ground before introducing himself to another dog, must be very happy, as this is a sign of calm and a polite dog. He's trying to communicate that he's not looking for trouble or invading the other dog's personal space.

8. Go in circles

When the dogs walk and subsequently sniff each other as they walk in circles, it is a sign of very positive calm between them. This language of the dogs means that they are greeting in a friendly and positive way.

9. Stretch

Do you know the meaning of the dog positions? When he's like that, like he's stretching, we can interpret this dog body language in two ways:

  1. It is usual to observe a dog in this position when is asking another dog to play. In this case, it will act in a happy and positive way, making smooth movements with the tail. In other words, it is a very friendly dog.
  2. On the other hand, if we look at our dog in this position while using other calm signals, such as licking his nose, moving his tail energetically and turning his head, we are facing a dog that politely asks us to give him space and to leave him alone.

10. be quiet

It usually happens when we take our dog to a new park and he doesn't know the dogs that frequent it. adopts one immobile posture and allows others to smell it without a problem. It is a sign and calm that indicates that the newcomer is polite and let others know you.

Remember that when a dog is totally quiet because we are yelling or punishing, he is not being submissive. It is a very clear dog language that indicates that he is helpless, as he does not know what to do or where to hide so that the punishment ends. Don't forget that this attitude is very negative and that we must not scold our dogs, much less violently or aggressively.

11. shake yourself

This dog's body language indicates that he is very stressed and is seeking release the tension shaking himself completely. Usually, after this action, the dog leaves.

12. Belly up

In this case, the dog that is lying show submission in relation to the other dog, whether out of fear or any other reason. Is cordial posture, the dog is not looking for trouble.

On the other hand, when the dog is on its back, it is not a sign of submission, but a sign of calm and relaxation. In this case, the dog tries to convey to us that he feels full confidence in us and asks us to pat his belly. It's a dog language we love, isn't it?

13. Urinate

Another dog language that we all know well is the act of urinating. This is, of course, a sign of marking territory, but puppies can also use this act with other puppies to know each other better. When a dog urinates, you want other dogs to know your identity and urinate so they can smell you later.

Other signs of calm

It is important to emphasize that there are multiple signs of calm in the language of dogs that sometimes go completely unnoticed. Some of them are:

  • lift the front paw
  • raise the back paw
  • look aside
  • To lay
  • Shrink
  • "To smile"
  • look at the ground
  • move away
  • Turn the back
  • relaxed mouth
  • mouth slightly open
  • relaxed tail
  • tail between legs
  • smooth tail movements

You might be interested in this other article where we also talk about the dogs body language and the meanings of the positions of the dogs:

  • Positions that indicate the dog is happy
  • Sleeping Dog Positions - What Do They Mean?

Position of fear and aggressiveness for fear

Now we will talk in more detail and with examples about the meanings of the dog positions. It is very important to know how to identify a fearful behavior on our dog. This will help us interpret his emotions so we can act correctly. These are some of the positions that demonstrate that the dog is afraid:

  1. In the first picture (below) we can see a dog very afraid. It hides its tail between its legs, licks its muzzle, tucks its ears back and maintains a stooped posture.
  2. In the second figure we can see a dog, also scared, but with a defensive attitude: Shows teeth, stiff edges and ruffled fur. We must be very careful because a dog with defensive aggression can react disproportionately, causing a lot of damage. This can happen in situations where the dog feels trapped. Can perform several barks in a row and without pausing as an alert. It can also growl, moan and cry.

Security positions and offensive aggressiveness

Still talking about the meanings of dog positions, now we are going to show you the body positions of a dog confident in himself, very different from the ones we mentioned earlier:

  1. In the first figure, we can see a dog confident and stable. Its tail is relaxed, its ears are in a normal position, and its body posture is unafraid.
  2. In the second figure, we see a dog with offensive aggressiveness. Through these warning signs, try to move away the dog, person or object causing this reaction. We can see the bristly fur, the wrinkled muzzle, the teeth and the extremities very rigid and tense. The tail is normally turned up. They usually let out a short bark in a loud tone that reveals that they are upset about the situation.

Stereotyping or compulsive behavior

This body language of dogs can be defined as a repetitive motion for no apparent reason that the dog performs without a concrete stimulus, usually to relieve stress. It's like a ritual, repetitive and over time.

If not corrected, this type of behavior tends to become chronic and it is very difficult to treat. It could be due to an illness, a behavior problem, or both. We usually observe dogs that compulsively chase their tails, but there are many other stereotypes in dogs.

If you want to read more articles similar to Dog Language and Calm Signs, we recommend that you enter our Basic Education section.

Advices
  • In the event of any abnormal behavior, you should turn to an ethologist (veterinarian specializing in animal behavior), dog educator or trainer. Never attempt therapy without the help of a professional.