Without a doubt, there have been countless times that you have told / asked your dog to be calm and to relax. However, there have been countless times when your dog has asked the same of you. Have you listened to your dog? Perhaps you have missed the message. It was very subtle but nevertheless very clear, if you were watching for it.

Dogs are pack animals. As such, there are intra-pack communications to maintain harmony. These messages are not elaborate. In fact, the messages are exquisitely subtle but meaningful for the pack members. Your dog speaks this language. Unfortunately, many dog owners miss the messages and it must be very frustrating for your dog.

The dog communicates with body language - the angle of the body, the set of the ears, the arch of the back, the carriage of the tail (if there is a tail) and so forth. The next time that you are upset, and it does not have to be upset at the dog, look to see if the dog is telling you ‘to be calm and to relax’. You will see a slight turn of the dog’s head. The dog will not be looking at you, in a face to face manner. The head will be slightly to the side. There also can be an eye movement. The dog will shift its gaze from you. It is almost as if the dog, in its politeness, is giving you a private moment to gather yourself. There is also a behaviour that is so quick that it is often missed. That behaviour is a quick lick of the dog’s own nose. It has been debated whether the dog does this to calm itself or does this as a signal to other pack members to relax. Regardless, it is a message that the dog is communicating. It is like a shout that says “everyone relax!”. “Take a moment and be calm”.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster:  http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]dogs, body language, calmness, communication, licking[/tag]