Communication is part of any relationship, whether between humans or with our pets, who are always willing to communicate with other dogs or with us. Now, because we are different species, it is easy to make a mistake and misunderstand what a dog is expressing.
In this article on our site we want to explain how dogs communicate, because despite the fact that we may apparently believe that canine communication It's simple, in reality these animals have a complex language and different ways of expressing their needs and intentions to other individuals.
Dog language
We commonly refer to communication as an action in which a sender transmits information to a receiver, with the intention that, subsequently, said receiver gives a response or, to understand it better, make a change according to the sender's intention, despite the fact that the receiver does not always direct his action in the way desired.
This process is not carried out by people, rather the vast majority of species communicate between individuals of the same species (intraspecific interaction) or of different species (interspecific). Well, although dogs don't use words like us, they transmit information between them through sight, hearing and smell
Do dogs understand each other?
Many times there is an erroneous belief that dogs understand each other perfectly because they are dogs, because dog language is instinctive, a fact that can cause conflicts and bad experiences. And it is that, although it is true that this aspect has an innate component, the language of dogs is also strongly influenced by learning, since it shapes and develops over time from birth.
It is not strange then that the majority of dogs that show conflicting behaviors with others of the same species are often due to the fact that they have not had adequate socializationor because they lack enough he althy relationships with other dogs.
What do we want to express with this statement? The reality is that much of the canine language expressed by an adult is learned as a puppy, especially during the socialization stage. Since, despite the fact that puppies instinctively know how to communicate their needs (they cry to obtain food, protection, express when they want to play…), it is the interaction with other dogs during this stage that will allow them to carry out a learning that will determine their adult language. This means that a dog that has been poorly socialized (for example, with only one dog), will not understand or communicate as effectively with other dogs, leading to insecurities or misunderstandingsthat can cause conflicts.
In the same way, if the puppy has known dogs as a child which also had deficiencies in this aspect, these may not learn very wellwhat proper communication with other dogs should look like. For example, it could be that a puppy lives with another dog which always interacts aggressively with others of its kind (without adapting to the context), and the puppy, therefore, adopts this aggressive attitude with other dogs and shows afraid of the partner with whom he lives.
In this other article we talk about the Coexistence between a new puppy and an adult dog.
Visual communication in dogs - Body language
We refer to visual communication as all those gestures, postures or body movements made by the dog and express the state of mind or an intention of it. We mainly distinguish:
- Relax: If the dog is calm, it will hold its ears up (but not forward), hold its mouth slightly open and the tail lowers without movement.
- Alert or attentive: when the dog tries to focus on something in particular, it directs its body towards that element, its ears directed forward, keeps its eyes wide open, can wag its tail slightly, and keeps its body leaning slightly forward.
- Game: when a dog wants to invite another to play, it is common to observe how this one makes a "bow", keeps its tail upright in movement, it raises its ears, dilates its pupils and keeps its mouth open showing its tongue in many cases. This position can be accompanied by barking, non-threatening attacks, and repeated escapes in which he starts running in any direction for you to chase.
- Offensive aggressiveness: This type of aggressiveness is intended to be threatening or to prepare for attack. The main characteristics that we can detect are the bristly hair, the tail up, like the ears, the dilated pupils, the wrinkled nose, the raised lips clearly showing the teeth, the mouth closed or slightly open and the body rigid and inclined towards ahead.
- Defensive aggressiveness:Conversely, this type of aggressiveness is shown by the dog when he feels insecure in the presence of something and, therefore, he tries to defend himself. We distinguish this kind of aggressiveness since the fur will be bristly, the legs slightly backwards with the tail between them, the ears backwards, the pupils dilated, the nose will be wrinkled with the lips raised, and the mouth will remain completely open. Finally, unlike the previous one, the body will be tilted slightly downwards and backwards.
- Fear: this emotion is easily distinguishable in dogs, since it is characterized by the dog placing its tail between its legs, the ears back close to the skull, the head lowered and, in general, the whole body inclined downwards and with a rigid muscle tone. In addition, in case of extreme fear, the dog may urinate involuntarily.
- Calming signals: this class of signals encompasses a wide range of gestures and actions that the dog uses mainly to declare good intentions in the interaction and appease in case you feel uncomfortable, upset or in a conflictive situation. For example, when hugging a dog it is possible that it yawns, averts its eyes, licks its nose… Also, when a dog adopts an aggressive posture towards another dog, if it wants to abolish the conflict, it will surely adopt what is popularly known as as a submissive posture and will emit these kinds of signals, showing him that he is completely harmless and asking him to calm down. These actions are carried out because he is communicating to you that although he tolerates that you hug him, he would prefer that you did not. Approximately 30 types of calming signals have been identified, which are carried out constantly and the most common in the repertoire are licking the nose, yawning, looking away, sniffing the ground, sitting down, moving slowly, turning your back, etc.
- Submissive posture: as we have mentioned, when a dog wants to show that it is harmless, because it feels threatened by another individual, this he could adopt two postures, or the body language associated with fear, or a posture of submission. The latter is characterized by the fact that the animal lies on its back exposing its stomach and throat (being, therefore, defenseless), puts its ears back and close to the skull, avoids eye contact, hides its tail between its legs and can, even manage to pass a few drops of urine.
You may also be interested in this other article on Communication between animals - Examples.
Auditory communication in dogs
Dogs have the ability to emit a large repertoire of vocalizations and all of them inform us of their physiological and emotional state. Now, the same sound can appear in different contexts, therefore, to understand its meaning, we must at the same time interpret its body language. Let's see what the most common vocalizations are:
- Bark: this vocalization is the best known and the one that is applied in more contexts, since a dog can bark because it is excited, due to the game, as an alarm if you approach its territory, as a welcome and even to attract the attention of its owner. Therefore, if you want to know why your dog is barking, you must contextualize the action, understand what state of mind it is in and what it is specifically barking at.
- Growl: The growl is used as a form of threat in case of aggressiveness or as a warning, if something happens that you are really worried about. bothering you and therefore wants you to stop.
- Whine: The most common reason a dog whines is that he is asking for help. That is, in the same way that puppies do, the fact of crying implies that he wants you to take care of him or protect him, like feeding him or if he feels insecure and wants you to be by his side.
- Scream: Dogs scream when they are in severe pain or suddenly frightened. For example, if you accidentally step on its tail, it's natural for it to yell and run away quickly.
- Howl: this vocalization does not occur in all dogs, because with domestication not all breeds have completely preserved it. It is therefore an instinctive behavior, which in wolves serves to locate the members of the group, individual recognition and coordination in hunting, and in dogs, it could also occur in these circumstances, if for example it has been lost, or you have moved too far away from him, he can howl for you to locate him. Also, in some dogs, this sound is often an automatic response when they hear a high-pitched sound, such as a vehicle siren.
- Sigh: After a situation in which a dog has been under a lot of tension or stress, he may sigh to relax. Similarly, the dog may also sigh in disappointment when he looks forward to something and doesn't get it. He could, for example, be very excited with the expectation that you are going to give him a prize, and when you don't give it to him, sigh resignedly.
- Panting: When a dog is very tired or very hot, it is normal for him to open his mouth and begin to pant, as this It is a mechanism that allows you to regulate your body temperature. But in addition, you can also do it at times when you are stressed.
You may also be interested Why does my dog howl when he hears the ambulance?
Olfactory communication in dogs
Possibly, olfactory communication is one of the most difficult for us to identify, since we do not have this sense as developed as dogs. However, we must bear in mind that this form of communication is highly relevant for our furry friends, as they can transmit all kinds of information, such as:
- The sex.
- Age.
- Social status.
- Illness.
- The reproductive status (whether or not the female is in heat, for example).
This form of communication is possible thanks to pheromones, which are volatile chemical substances produced in glands that are located in different areas of the body, such as facial, perianal, urogenital, foot and mammary.
These pheromones are captured by the receptor once they are inhaled through the nose thanks to the Jacobson's organ, located in the nasal cavity, and that transmits this information to the brain.
In addition, there are different means by which dogs carry out this communication, directly or indirectly. That is, when a dog approaches to smell another (for example when they smell their anus or cheeks), this process of direct olfactory communication is taking place. Similarly, one of the advantages of this form of information transmission is that it can remain in the environment for a long time. For this reason, indirect communication can also occur when the dog urinates, giving other dogs the possibility of smelling it and receiving all kinds of information, as well as through other secretions such as saliva
How do dogs communicate with people?
If you have one or more dogs as members of your family, it will surely come as no surprise to you to learn that these animals communicate conscientiously with us. And it is that, these affectionate animals are from puppies true sponges that absorb all kinds of information on how to communicate with us.
That is to say, from an early age dogs learn to associate their actions with consequences, and it is through these relationships that they learn how they can express their intentions and ask us for things For example, if as a puppy your dog has associated that every time he licks your hand you feed him, it would not be strange that every time he is hungry he will lick your hand to let you know.
For this reason, every dog has a unique way to communicate with its human guardian, and it's no wonder you understand your dog perfectly every time he wants to go for a walk or you fill his water bowl.
