How o Understand Dog Behavior
In this article, you will learn a little about some of the ways to interpret and communicate various communication strategies with your beloved dog.
Watch your dog. Learning about their habits, behavior and movements through observation can help you understand your dog's communication process so that it feels natural. There are many things that you will understand later without explanation. Just as every human is unique, so is your dog. Remember, this requires learning from each other. Dogs also need to learn code of conduct and you should be careful about expressing yourself through gestures and body language.
Dogs also do not understand human language. You need to teach your dog that when you say "no" or "sit" you want it. If you repeatedly say "sit", the dog will not understand your instructions and will think that you are just speaking empty words. However, having your dog sit and giving him a treat can make him sit up more. If you do this by saying the word "sit," he will associate the word with the act of placing his buttocks on the floor.
Train your dog to make eye contact. Imagine how you would feel when someone looked at you instead of making casual contact. If you think this person is angry, the dog will feel the same way when looking directly at him. Your dog will feel confused and threatened because he will perceive direct confrontation as a threat. A dog who averts your eyes in this situation is trying to be polite and avoid further confrontation. Alternatively, it can be helpful to train your dog to make eye contact during interactions so he pays attention to you.
Learn to interpret your dog's condition. The way a dog is positioned can say a lot about the mood and emotions they are feeling. Most of these signals are subtle and it will take you time to learn all of the expressions. But, know that the results will be worth the effort.
Recognize when your dog is happy and affectionate. Dogs show confidence and a desire to play through posture and body language cues. Hip swing is another element of this game. The dog swings its hips around the other dog and knocks the dog to the ground on its back (dogs with blunt teeth/usually no teeth in this type of play). When a dog's back is stretched towards you, it means he trusts you. Depending on your dog, this may mean he wants you to scratch him. Wagging is a sign that the dog is feeling friendly and happy.
Understand the position of the dog's ears. While we can't do much with our ears, a dog's ears can tell us a lot. A dog's ears that are pointed back but not resting on the head can indicate feelings of unhappiness, fear or insecurity. A dog's ears that sit flat against the surface of his head indicate that he is afraid or threatened. Ears that are tilted forward close to the head can also indicate aggression.
Those are some ways to learn dog behavior, so is it useful?