The
signals are used by both wolf and domesticated
dog alike, except in wolves the signals come
over in capital letters due to them being in a
life situation, in domesticated dogs they come
over in smaller letters if you like. They are
used to prevent things from happening such as
avoiding threats from people and dogs, calming
down nervousness, fear, noise and unpleasant
things. They are used for calming themselves
when they feel stressed or to make others around
them (both dog and human) feel safer and
understand the goodwill the signals tell about.
As Turid
rightly says, "Wolves and dogs try to avoid
conflict, they are conflicting-solving animals.
It is usually US, the human species, who make
conflicts between our dogs and us. Lets look at
that communication within a scenario: Your dog
comes up to you and fusses around you, you
command him to SIT. The commanding tone makes
your dog yawn before he sits down. You go out
the door, he pulls a little and you jerk him
back, he then turns his back on you and puts his
nose to the ground.
You let
him off leash at the park and when its time to
go home you call your dog. Was your voice a
little stressed? Your dog starts moving towards
you slowly and in a curve. You think he does it
to annoy you and you yell at him. He sniffs the
ground, curves even more and looks away from
you. He finally comes to you and you scold him
or, even worse, you shake him up. He turns his
face from you, licking his nose or yawning.
Dogs use
these signals as soon as there is anything to
calm down. Often signals come in quick movements
and you have to really look to see them. By
experience you will learn to see them, just as
other dogs see them, even other animals, like
cats. All it takes is a little patience and
practice. Just imagine being able to travel the
world and everywhere you go you speak the same
language! No matter what
size/sex/breed/color/shape all dogs inherited
this language. Dogs and Wolves have strong
instincts for conflict solving, communication
and cooperation. Listed below are examples of
calming signals:
1.
Turning of the head
- This can be swift, turning the head to the
side and back, or held to the side. This is a
sign the dog is not comfortable. Examples of
this are often seen: His head may turn if you
stoop over him, or if another dog approaches him
too fast, or if she finds a camera being pointed
in her direction scary. You can use the turning
of your head to communicate to a dog that seems
scared and starts to growl or bark at you.
Sometimes it’s not the head, but the eyes only
from side to side and look away to avert a
direct stare. Your dog may use it if you stare
at him or approach front to front.
2.
Turning away -
Turning the side or back to someone is very
calming. When dog’s play and that game gets Wild
dogs will start turning their side or back, just
to calm the game down a little. Your dog may use
it if another dog acts threateningly, or growls
at him. You can use it when a dog shows signs of
nervousness or aggressiveness to you. If he
jumps at you, turn away and most times he will
stop. If your approaching a strange dog and you
see the dog getting nervous, turn your back and
more often than not the dog will come to you.
3.
Licking Noses - A
quick movement of the tongue, so quick it is
often missed. Your dog may use it, along with
other signals when approaching another dog, if
you the owner bends over the dog, holds him
tight, grabs him or talks to him angrily. It is
one signal we as humans cannot use, we are not
quick enough!
4.
Yawning - The most
intriguing of the signals, at least people seem
to enjoy using it. Your dog may yawn when you
visit the Vets, when you fight or quarrel in the
family, when you hold your dog too tight, when a
child comes up to hug him, and many other
situations. You can use it when your dog feels
uncertain, a little scared, stressed, worried or
when you want him to calm down a bit.
5.
Shaking off - Not
to be confused with shaking off water after a
rainstorm or bath, this calming signal is used
quite often with dogs. Here’s an excellent
example: an adult dog that is not normally
aggressive is playing with a young puppy that
becomes a bit too rambunctious. As a result, the
adult dog ends up getting accidentally bitten in
the ear by the puppy. The adult dog, in turn,
puts a big paw on the puppy, ‘pins’ him to the
ground, ‘makes eye contact’ with him and ‘stares
him down.’ The puppy sees these signals and
stops the behavior. The adult dog then releases
the puppy, backs up just a bit and ‘shakes off.’
By exhibiting this physical behavior, the adult
dog is ‘diffusing’ or ‘shaking off’ the nervous
energy around him as if to say ‘I’m sorry I did
that to you, but don’t bite me again!’
Hopefully, the puppy will get the message and
will be more respectful of the adult in the
future.
If you
would like to purchase Turid Rugaas’ book on
Calming Signals, here is additional
information (this book can be purchased through
DogWise.com):
ENJOY!
