ON TALKING TERMS WITH DOGS

• Closeness, touching, massage, lying close together without keeping your dog there by force: all of these provide stress release for puppies as well as adult dogs.

Aggression, or defense, is a symptom. Very often a high stress level, because of environment, is the cause.

Many dogs have a high stress level because of demands resulting from a young age, anger and aggression from the owner’s side, or being constantly commanded to obey, with the owner often using a harsh voice. A dog such as this is stressed by these things every day. As a result, stress levels remain high, and consequently the dog never calms down. This dog will also have a very high degree of self-defense. He is the one to behave aggressively towards other male dogs or people.

A paw lift is another well-used signal.

Physically putting one’s body between dogs or people is a signal

Curving or walking in a curve or at a little distance from another dog or a person is a signal

Sniffing can be a swift movement down towards the ground and up again. Alternatively a dog may persistently stand with his nose down to the floor for some time until the problem situation is over

For a dog, lying down on his back, belly up, is submission. Lying down with his belly to the ground is an act of calming.

Sitting down

A dog that either turns its back to you while sitting down, or simply sits down when another dog is approaching, is signalling.

You can use a similar signal yourself by stretching your arms, rather like when you yawn, but stretching down towards the ground.