Dog behavior: miscommunication

Dogs signal other dogs with their eyes, faces, and tails, but these signals may be misinterpreted. Here are some examples. When the a dog’s eyes are wide and bulging, it indicates fear. However, for flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds such as Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Boxers, bulging eyes are the natural state. Thus, these dogs communicate the wrong message to other dogs who may become anxious in their presence.

Where dogs carry their weight sends as strong a signal as what their eyes, ears and tail say. For example, when a dog is afraid, it pulls its energy back and puts more weight on the back legs than on the front legs. On the other hand, when a dog is going to attack, it thrusts forward on its front legs and its chest and head appear aggressively large. The aggressive message is reinforced if the jaw is large. Thus, some breeds send an aggressive message when they don’t intend. Thus, the natural stance of the English Bull Dog, Pitt Bull, and Staffordshire Terrier appears aggressive when they stand normally. In addition to carrying their weight forward, these dogs have massive chests, large heads, and large jaws. That’s why English Bull Dogs, Pitt Bulls, and Staffordshire Terriers may appear about to attack when they are merely standing at attention. Other dogs may react to the potential attack by striking the first blow rather than waiting for the attack. Regardless of what was intended initially, the reputation of the involved dogs is ruined by their fighting and presumed aggression.

The sweet ole’ Basset Hound couldn’t possibly signal aggression, could it? Yes, it could. Aggressive dogs carry their tails high, almost straight up. Happy dogs that want to play, on the other hand, carry their tails wagging and about level with their backs. The Basset may want to play, but it carries its tail straight up because the tail is so heavy that if it were carried level, it would strain the muscles and would soon be dragging in the dirt. Thus, the Basset may appear aggressive to many dogs.

Misunderstanding what’s being communicated by tails, jaws, and eyes leads to dog fights. To prevent these fights, introduce your pets to other breeds when they’re young. When meeting unknown dogs, keep your pets on leash until they understand the other dogs are friendly. In addition, control the messages you unconsciously transmit to your pets so you’re not thinking another dog is aggressive and will be trouble until you know this to be the case.

If you’re in a situation where it’s necessary to retrain dogs so they don’t misinterpret signals and fight over nothing, use an atomizer that releases the calming Comfort Zone DAP pheromone to provide a sense of peace. Provide Omega 3 fatty acids to nourish the brain and improve the ability to learn and to behave appropriately. If your dog is sensitive, the flower essence Be Serene from www.spiritessence.com, can also help establish serenity during the period of retraining.