Module 2 Canine Communication, Interpretation and Human Behaviour

1. Module 2Canine Communication, Interpretation and Human Behaviour Lesson 1, Dog Communication

2. Module 2 • Interpret a dogs emotional estate • Understand what they are trying to communicate • Allow us to respond appropriately • Become ‘Dr. Doolittle’!

3. What is Communication? • sending and receiving of a message which alters the behaviour, or changes the knowledge, of the receiver • Animals living in social groups need communication

4. Types of Communication • auditory (barking) • olfactory (releasing scent through the body and excretions) • tactile (touching with paws, muzzle or body) • pheromonal (releasing pheromones received through the Jacobson's organ or the vomero-nasal organ (VNO)) • visual (through body language).

5. Body Language • Body language is communication. • Dogs use a wide variety of voluntary body postures and facial expressions to communicate their intentions, or emotional state, with the intention to change the behaviour of others in their environments. • Dogs also have involuntary responses to emotional states which can be interpreted by other dogs, and clued in people, to allow further understanding and interpretation of their state.

6. Communication Takes Learning • Dogs are not born ‘speaking dog’ • Some signalling innate, majority are learned • Learning from mother and littermate • Learning from different dogs of all shapes and sizes

8. Interpreting Body Language Tips • Signals of discomfort same as signals of comfort • A still picture will make a liar of you • Look at the surroundings of what just happened, where is the dog, what has occurred in the past? • Look at the complete body • Watch for a while • Where is the dog moving? • BEHAVIOUR IS FLUID!

9. I AM RELAXED!

10. I AM RELAXED! • Absence of signalling gives great communication • Picture a relaxed teacher! • Eyes – no tension, no dilation, soft focus • Ears – natural, bi-orientated or slightly focused • Face – no facial tension, head carried normal height • Body posture – sitting or lying • Movement – minimal, slow, seeking resting place • Care emotional state

11. HAPPY HOUND! • Happy dog has slightly elevated arousal • Friends getting together for lunch • Comfortable, confident, and seeking interaction • Mannerly happy dogs • Rude happy dogs • Eyes and ears focused on target • No facial tension, mouth open, head carried at normal height • Tail wagging in soft manner, moderately fast speed • Body posture curved, movement soft toward target • A dog in a ‘happy’ state will play with objects • Play emotional state without panic

12. HAPPY SHY! • Appeasement behaviour is a form of social behaviour in which one party seeks to pacify the aggression of another by taking an inferior social stance. • Shy dogs often interpret threat in non-threatening situations, and approach such situations showing appeasement signals • dogs learn through puppyhood that appeasement signals toward other dogs resulted in a desirable outcome

13. HAPPY SHY! • A dog showing appeasement behaviours will be seen doing the following. • Eyes may include eye contact followed immediately by averted gaze, then repeat. • There may be slight furrow in the brow between the eyes. • Lip licking around the muzzle is seen, and if close enough, the dog will attempt to lick the muzzle of the other dog or the mouth of the person. • The ears will be orientated away from the person or other dog.

14. HAPPY SHY! • Body posture will be lowered, and if the dog is approaching they may do so in a lowered body motion similar to a crawl with the head looking upward. • A paw lift is often seen. • Paw lift possibly followed by a tap-out where the dog crawls into a ball and rolls over to expose it’s stomach. Unlike a belly rub, in a tap-out the tail remains tucked up to cover genital area.

15. HAPPY SHY! • Tail will be tucked (though usually not pinned) to undercarriage, and will be slightly vibrating. • A submissive grin is seen in happy shy dogs occasionally. Often mistaken for a lip curl meaning aggression, the submissive grin sees the dog bring it’s lips back exposing it’s teeth. • Submissive Urination is sometimes seen, especially in younger dogs with less control of their bladder, or in dogs that may have experienced fear or punishment, meaning their appeasement signals are in response to a past ‘real’ threat, resulting in the dog to panic slightly more.

16. HAPPY SHY! • Curved Bodies are seen, where the animal attempts to remain non-threatening. • Happy, shy dogs may engage in tactile communication where they use a paw to touch, or a muzzle nudge to make physical contact. • They often curl close to the person or dog that they are focusing their attention on. • Often shown during greeting until they determine that the other dog is not a threat then play can pursue. • misinterpreted with a dog that is ‘guilty’ or ‘sorry’

17. EXCITED DOG! • Arousal increases • Adrenaline increases • Body becomes alert • Similar to playing in a big match • Eustress can become distress easily

18. EXCITED DOG! • The dog has loose facial expressions • Facial tension will be minimal • Eyes open, bright, and focused on seeking interaction • Body movement fluid • Tail hanging normally, fluid, full tail swing • Movement toward stimulus to interact with

19. EXCESSIVE EXCITEMENT! • May no longer take food • Piloerection may be seen along with other signs of increased arousal • May no longer read other dogs signalling • Unable to focus • Movement becomes more static • Play and activity becomes more frantic

20. ZOOMIES • Frantic lapping • Yapping often seen • ‘Silly’ behaviours follow • Pupil dilation • Whites of eyes visible

21. I NEED MORE INFORMATION • Needs time to ‘figure it out’ • Can lead to many behavioural outcomes • Communicates ‘give me space’ • Eyes and eyes focused on what is taking their inattention • Tail stiff, usually high • Body weight forward, body rigid

22. I AM UNSURE! • Needs information but ‘glass half empty’ • Displays appeasement behaviours to reduce threat • “Appeasement behaviour is a form of social behaviour in which one party seeks to pacify the aggression of another by taking an inferior social stance. This occurs amongst both animals and humans.” • Misinterpreted as ‘submissive’

23. I AM UNSURE • Paw lift • Crouched body • Lip licking • Hesitant to approach, but will if convinced • Head lowered • Ears back • Whites of eyes visible • Submissive grin

24. I AM UNSURE • Excessive blinking • Squinting • Tail tucked • Tap out • Muzzle licking (of other dog or person)

25. DISPLACEMENT BEHVIOURS • Behaviours displayed when an animal has a conflict between two drives, such as the desire to approach an object, while at the same time being fearful of that object. • If the dog is motivated to approach, but also afraid, they are likely to show displacement behaviours. • It can be seen in an unsure dog, or an uncomfortable dog, and the outcome is always the same, give the dog more space and allow them to gather more information.

26. Scratching

27. Lip Licking

28. Yawning

29. Floor Sniffing

30. Urogenital Checkin

31. I AM UNCOMFORTABLE • Often misinterpreted as guilty or sorry • Shows strong avoidance and seeks escape • Excessive blinking and squinting • Ears back • Facial tension • Body crouched or tap out • Movement slow or frozen

32. I AM AFRAID • Show potential threat that this dog will not cause trouble’ • Many signals aren’t fully intended as communication, bus should be ‘read’ by trainer • Fearful behaviours misinterpreted as submissive, or desirable as a risk free dog

33. I AM AFRAID • Eyes avoid contact, or are vigilant on threat while head turned away • Moon crested eyes due to head turn or facial tension • Ears pinned back • Body posture crouched • Tail pinned • Slow movement or frozen

34. AROUSED AND ‘IN CONTROL’ • Often seen in new greeting • Dog attempts to control environment • Misinterpreted as a dominant dog, though actually insecure and needs work on confidence • High tail, still body, chest forward, head high • Movement is jerky and staggered • Dog attempts to control other dogs behaviour

35. AROUSED AND IN CONTROL • Slow movement • Piloerection • Paw over • Chin over • Mounting

36. I AM WARNING YOU • Sees potential threat, warns of using force to remove threat • Dog is uncomfortable and unhappy • Misinterpreted as dominance, dismissing dogs discomfort • The offensive dog is saying ‘I’m a gonna bite ya’ whereas the defensive dog is saying ‘Please back off, I really don’t want to have to bite’. • Can vary from offensive to defensive

37. I AM WARNING YOU • Eyes focus directly on individual being warned • Hard stare if offensive, head turn with eye contact for defensive dog • Facial tension • Weight either forward or back • Head lowered, looking upward for defensive, straight ahead for offensive • Movement slow or absent, offensive may creep forward

38. I AM WARNING YOU • Lip curl • Growl to bark • Freeze then frenzy • Lunge • Air snap • Muzzle punch

39. Signs of Stress • Fight • Fight • Freeze • Frenzy • Flirt

40. Physiological Changes from Stress • Pupil dilation • Piloerection • Sweaty paws • Increased respiration • Hypervigilance • Uncontrolled elimination • Drooling • Rapid shedding • Unconscious whining • Shake off / Half shake

41. In Closing • review this module many times to continue to ensure all dog communication is forefront in your thoughts. • continue to interpret their communication to ensure that you are responding appropriately to keep the dog content. • Step in when you see inappropriate interactions occurring • Dogs do not have a voice, and many people are deaf to dog communication, so it is your job to step in and be their voice.