Dog owners often have a hard time understanding what their pup wants or needs, but animals have many ways of communicating with their owners. It's time we learn their language!
Originally this article would feature both cats and dogs, but to avoid confusion and keep things separate, this article is only about dogs. Stay tuned soon for the cats version!
Update 11/03/2016: How To Speak Cat Language is up!
Dogs are easier to read than cats, because they are generally louder and more extroverted. But even then, some behaviors may be misinterpreted. Take a look at these tips, but remember, if you have any doubts, talk to a vet or a professional trainer!
I’m hungry!
Whining can be a sign of hunger, but you can usually tell that’s the problem by making any noise with the ration bag - if your dog wants it, it will almost certainly react positively in anticipation.
Using food as a reward for good actions is a great way to train your pup, but be sure to keep the rewards consistent, otherwise it will only confuse them. Same goes for when you’re scolding: always use the same words and tone and never vary punishment, otherwise it will not understand what you’re trying to say.
Does your dog make a mess on every meal? Here are some tips to help you both.
If your dog drops a lot of food from their mouths while eating, get a larger bowl. Alternatively, you can put a small bowl inside a bigger bowl - that way whatever food is dropped will be inside the bigger bowl, not on the floor.
- Opt for a heavier bowl, as light plastic ones tend to get turned over frequently.
- Never let your dog feel too hungry, always give them small meals throughout the day - that way they won’t attack the bowl every time you feed them.
I want to play!
If your dog gets into a position where his front paws are splayed out close to the ground while sticking his rump in the air, this is one of the most common ways a dog will tell you it wants to play. This is famously known as the “play bow.” Wagging the tails is also a normal sign of happiness.
Wanting to play will lead your dog to destroy stuff. Any dog owner can tell your their own horror stories of dogs destroying stuff when left alone - my dog actually carved a hole on my exterior wall one night.
This can be easily fixed in two ways: first, give your dog more toys to play with - you don’t need to buy anything too fancy, an old ball or a stick to throw should already help. The pup will usually prefer playing with the stuff he knows he owns.
And second, play more with your dog! They usually destroy stuff out of anxiety because they just want to play, to burn some fuel. Making sure your dog gets enough exercise - both physical and mental - will help prevent destructive behavior. So chase your dog around, throw a ball, or make him run. This alone should prevent them from destroying your whole house while you’re out. However, if destruction persists, you should talk to a pro!
I’m not feeling well!
If your dog suddenly doesn’t seem to be acting normally, it’s the first sign something is wrong. If it’s feeling pain or discomfort, it will likely walk slowly (or lay down most of the time), keep the tail between the legs and the head down.
The Pet Health Network made a useful list of 10 signs your pup might be sick:
- Bad breath or drooling
- Excessive drinking or urination
- Appetite change associated with weight loss or gain
- Change in activity level (e.g., lack of interest in doing things they once did)
- Stiffness or difficulty in rising or climbing stairs
- Sleeping more than normal, or other behavior or attitude changes
- Coughing, sneezing, excessive panting, or labored breathing
- Dry or itchy skin, sores, lumps, or shaking of the head
- Frequent digestive upsets or change in bowel movements
- Dry, red, or cloudy eyes
In any case, it’s always better to contact a vet to have the best possible treatment!
Don’t hit me!
If you punish a dog physically right after he does something, your dog probably won’t do that anymore - but it will also start fearing you every time you get near.
And if you get home to a mess and punish the pup because of it, it will not understand at all why it’s being punished - in the dog’s head, it’s just getting a beating for no reason, because it can’t relate the beating his actions. And once again, it will fear you, but not know why. Hitting a dog is never necessary. Generally a sharp “No!” will suffice. Paired with positive reinforcement when your dog does something you like, you’ll have a well-trained dog in no time!
The best way of educating your dog is by being patient and, most importantly, understanding what your dog is saying and responding accordingly. Most dogs will learn to respect their owner - that’s why they will show signs of guilt when you show signs of anger when they misbehave, without any need of physical aggression.
If your dog often does things you don’t want, it’s always best to make some research on how to educate them or talk to a professional trainer, as using of physical aggression will only lead to your pup being afraid of you, and it won’t necessarily prevent it from misbehaving.
Talk to me!
Some dogs are smarter than others, the same way some dogs are more playful than others, but all of them can understand your dialogue and body language to an extent. You can experiment by talking to your pup in different tones, using different words, to see how it reacts.
The most impressive dog I ever met was a black labrador called “Gaúcho”. He would react to his owner is ways I never saw any other animal do before or after him - and mind you that this dog never had any professional training. The owner would tell me, while the dog was just laying down close to us: “I think I’m gonna go to the market with my car, but I won’t take Gaúcho.” The dog would get up quickly, run to the kitchen, get the car keys, and bring it to him, whining to join the ride. After that, the owner laid down on the couch and said “I’m not feeling very well”, and moaned for a few seconds. The dog became frantic, and threw his paws over him (as if trying to wake him up), before running to the upstairs bedroom to call the owner’s mother. Gaúcho died two years ago and his only offspring was a black puppy, who looks everyday a little more like his old man.
Taking care of a puppy is a serious commitment, so it’s very important to know what they are trying to say, and how to talk back in a way they can understand. We hope you learned something useful!
And as a goodbye gift, here’s a picture of my dog. His name is Trojan - because he invaded our home for food, and we just let him stay. When I asked him for a picture, this was his response:
You have to love dogs.
Do you own one or more dogs? What can you tell us about them? How do you talk to them? Let us know in the comments and be sure to follow Datahand on Facebook for more awesome articles every week!
