The Behaviorist, The Language of Dogs, and How to Improve Communication

Low Levels of Stress in Dogs Beg for their Human's Attention

Cooper before - I don't trust this dog.

A rescue dog joined the family bringing with him a collection of emotional and insecurity issues, they always do, and knowing what to expect and watch for requires careful observation but also a different way of interpreting their signals. If only they could tell us about their specific fears. What is your new dog saying? Are you listening and responding to its concerns? 

Possibly not and you may be surprised to know how much they’re telling you.

Even though I’ve had three Labrador retrievers, two joining us as young puppies and one as an adult rescue, the recent rescue lab mix quickly lost confidence in my ability to understand his messages. We weren’t gaining ground but instead retreating and he was shutting down. It wasn’t until after working with a dog behaviorist that I began to more correctly interpret his body language. The therapist urged me to watch, as if studying it for an exam, Sarah Kalnajs’ video, The Language of Dogs. Then we practiced walking, watching and re-learning communication strategies. 

How to Identify Dog Stress Before It Escalates

Signals of stress combine sequences of body language that lead up to aggression beginning with lower level signals. They cluster and need to be interpreted in context of the environment, the breed, and the situation. Higher levels of stress don’t occur isolated but in combination of multiple signals and if ignored they escalate. What I wasn’t observing:

Yawning Lip licking Penis crowning (while walking) – also called lipsticking and only performed by males Teeth chattering Dilated pupils Vocalizations (whining, singing, chuffing, cheek puffing, dry raspy barking)

I wasn’t noticing these while walking him. Instead, I was watching the tail, however, the tail is a poor indicator of stress.  When walking him, before beginning the work of addressing his behavior and my unfamiliarity with his messages, he would seemingly suddenly break out in a full aggression response to anything disturbing. What I hadn’t noticed was the collection of subtle signals he provided and expected me to observe.  He became disappointed I was ignoring him and his posture changes – he was losing faith in my ability to protect him. 

Low level stress signals need to be noted in your dogs. Yawning is a natural behavior triggered by being sleepy or from watching other dogs or humans yawning. It's contagious but it is also a low level stress indicator when the dog is anxious. Is anything else also happening simultaneously? 

Comfort Zone?

Yawning, combined with lip licking or dilated pupils, is your dog’s way of saying I’m nervous. It’s an attempt to let you know something doesn’t seem right. The trainer pointed out these behaviors in little Cooper and worked to train me (more than Cooper) to observe these and other signals while walking and interacting. He also taught me how to respond correctly. Rather than walking around the block we worked to first identify Cooper’s comfort zone and his triggers.  His comfort zone appeared to be the edge of our property. Going beyond it immediately made him nervous. 

How to Extend the Zone

We bought a Melissa and Doug Basset Hound (stuffed toy dog) that looked very realistic and, without him watching, I placed it at varying distances from the house. Neighbors walking by were often surprised to see the loose dog until they realized it was a toy. Using carefully-timed treats and positive reinforcement with tongue clicks (mine) and verbal praise we gradually extended his comfort zone. He now walks a half mile around the neighborhood and past children on noisy toys without obvious worries. He’s not perfect but several months later he has gained confidence in my skills as well as his abilities. Our communication has improved.

Distancing Signals

From the video I’ve learned to watch for lower levels of stress indicators as well as calming signals and how to use these while continuing the training process.  I will imitate his calming signals so he knows I understand. When stress signals begin to cluster it’s time to retreat to a more comfortable space. When certain distancing signals appear I recognize he’s extremely uncomfortable and it’s my responsibility as the human-member of his pack to watch for them – these are the final forms of communication before becoming dangerously aggressive. The acts of violence in dogs are often what they perceive to be their last efforts at protecting themselves from harm.

A few distancing signals include: 

• Freezes
• Rigid muscles around mouth
• Whale eyes (whites showing around eyes with dilated pupils)
• Ears pinned back
• Refusing food

There are more and I find myself returning to The Language of Dogs for refreshers. In lieu of having a professional dog behaviorist to work with I very much recommend The Language of Dogs to anyone working with rescue dogs, adopting a rescue, or generally bringing any dogs into the house. My happily adjusted blond lab occasionally displays combinations of some low level stress signals, behaviors I had not considered as stress until after working through this video. I had no idea.

Happy Cooper

The Bottomline

The bottomline needs to be considered. The tail is not a trustworthy assessment tool. Everything needs to be placed in context with a cluster of signals, the breed and the environment.  Dogs have a lot to tell us about themselves and what’s going on – Sarah Kalnajs, a certified dog behavior consultant and certified pet dog trainer will help open the channels for two-way communications and a happier relationship with a well adjusted dog in his forever home. Our training continues, it has become a lifestyle, that rewards all of us.