Aggressive dog?…or is there a language barrier. Even though they might not be able to speak English, dogs are able to speak to us through their body language! By decoding your own dog, you will be able to communicate with them better and keep them out of sticky situations!
Lots of people can recognise a growl or bite by a dog towards another dog or human, but did you know that our canine companions often show us a variety of signs before the growl? These signs are called “calming signals”, but are also known as “displacement behaviours” or “stress signs”. They are very similar to humans biting their nails, sucking their thumb, or twirling their hair.
How are calming signals used?
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- To communicate to humans or other dogs that they feel uncomfortable
- To let the worries go and have a bit of a timeout
- Reduce their own level of anxiety
- To decrease aggression in another dog by showing them that they are not a threat
The most common calming signals seen in dogs
- Lip licking (when no food is around)
- Shaking off (when they are not wet)
- Yawning (when they are not tired) – see the picture of Dr. Anna’s dog when there are two new and annoying little puppies hanging around him
- Showing the whites of their eyes
- Scratching themselves in the middle of play
- Play bowing and stretching
As you can see, many of the behaviours can also be normal
See how many calming signals you can catch your dog doing today! Remember to always tell your dog that they are very good when they show you one, because you always want to ensure that they are communicating clearly with you! If you see them showing a lot of them in a particular scenario, you should try to move them out of it and back into a comfortable zone.