Decide whether each of the following statements is true or false:
- When a dog wags his tail, it means he’s friendly.
- Dogs can only see in black and white.
- Dogs have a natural desire to please.
- Growling means a dog is aggressive.
- Dogs look guilty when they’ve done something wrong.
False: A wagging tail means a dog is friendly. Dog body language is subtle and complicated. A wagging tail can mean the dog is friendly – or not. The wagging simply indicates the dog is aroused.
To figure out whether it’s good arousal or not-so-good, you have to look at what else his body is doing. Generally, a friendly dog will have soft eyes, relaxed ears, a loose, open mouth, a curved or wiggly body, and a low, slowly wagging tail. (See the photo above.) If the wagging tail is accompanied by intense focus, forward ears, closed, tight mouth and a stiff body stance, this dog is shouting out loud, “I’m tense and concerned! This is not a good time to approach me!” (See the photo below.)
Here’s a good rule of thumb: Wagging tail below the horizon (but not tucked under the body) usually means the dog is approachable. Wagging tail above the horizon (especially if it’s wagging in quick, short movements) means it’s best to keep your distance and give the dog space.
False: Dogs can only see in black and white. This is what we used to think – but studies have shown that dogs can see colors, just not as many as we do. To a human, the rainbow is made up of: violet, blue, blue-green, green, yellow, orange and red. To a dog, the rainbow is more like: dark blue, light blue, gray, light yellow, darker yellow, and very dark gray. Click here to see some great examples of how the world looks to us – and how it looks to our dogs.
False: Dogs have a natural desire to please. This is a tough myth to debunk because we like to think our dogs want to please us. But consider this: Would you work hard if there were no paycheck involved?
As trainer and author Pat Miller says, “Dogs exist to please themselves, not us. It just so happens that for some dogs, the things that please them also please us.” And for some dogs, it’s reward enough to be in our company and get a pat on the head – so they’ll repeat whatever behavior brought that about.
Trust me, if the dog doesn’t find something rewarding in some way, it’s highly unlikely he’ll repeat his behavior. (This gets into a whole discussion of what dogs find rewarding — and it can be quite different from what we find rewarding. But that’s a blog post for another day!)
False: Growling means a dog is aggressive. I have a lot of trouble with the word “aggressive” because it is misused so much of the time (but again, a blog post for another day!). As far as growling, it’s a wonderful form of communication. Unless they are play growling, which is an entirely different category of growl, a dog’s growl is saying, “I’m not comfortable and if you continue to push me, I might snap!”
The vast majority of dogs do NOT want to fight or get into any kind of conflict. Most dogs go out of their way to avoid conflict. A growl is a warning, and it’s one we understand as humans – and one we need to respect. Never punish your dog for growling. You WANT your dog to growl and give you a heads up. Without the ability to growl, a dog may feel he has no alternative but to go right to the snap.
False: Dogs look guilty when they’ve done something wrong. Check out this experiment: Owners told their dogs not to eat a treat and then left the room. Some of the dogs were allowed to eat the treat, while others weren’t allowed to. The owners then returned – with some of them being told their dog ate the treat, even if he didn’t. Here’s what they found: When the owners scolded their dogs, the dogs looked guilty whether or not they’d eaten the treat.
Further studies have confirmed the “guilty look” has nothing to do with the dog’s behavior – and everything to do with the owner’s behavior! What we consider a guilty look is a dog’s appeasement behavior. You know the look: flattened ears, tucked tail, lowered body posture … Dogs do this to avoid conflict and to tell the person (or dog), “I don’t want to fight! Let’s just go our separate ways in peace.”
Where we get into trouble with dogs is when we ascribe human motives and definitions to a dog’s behavior. We think of our dogs as our babies and our children, but the truth is they are dogs with their own vocabulary and etiquette. To have the best relationship with our dogs, we need to become fluent in their language — and stop expecting them to be naturally fluent in ours.
Click here for a more in-depth look at dog body language from the ASPCA.
Are you fluent in speaking “dog” and understanding your dog’s body language? Are you ever confused about what your dog is trying to tell you? Let us know in the comments section below.
24 May 2015
DogsHome: Providing shelter, training and love.
he knows he’s sick rather, he knows somtehing is different but he doesn’t attach all the baggage to it that we do . It was true: the best day he’d ever had was whatever day it was; the best thing he’d ever smelled was whatever was under his nose just then. That helped me tremendously to set aside my baggage, too and just savor the moment. Which is, really to be more like my dog. ~ Jeanne & Bob & Rex