6.1 Introduction
In Module 5, we learned how dogs communicate with humans - and in this module, we will discover how a human can communicate better with a dog. We all talk to our dogs - and most of us have full-blown conversations with our furry companions. However, the vast majority of us are not getting the point across to our canines, as well as we could be. This module will focus on not only how to 'talk dog', but will also discuss why communicating with a dog is important and how to improve your communication with a dog.
6.2 How Humans Can Better Communicate With Dogs
One of the best ways for a human to communicate with a dog is during play. Just as with children, dogs are constantly learning when they are playing and because they have to learn how to accept communication from their human companions, especially with things like verbal communication, teaching during play makes things easier. In addition to this, it is also important to know what your dog's instincts are. Herding breed dogs, for instance, will love chasing and fetching things. Hounds, such as Beagles or Bassets, will have a stronger instinct to follow the scent, rather than chase random items, such as a flying disc. Mixed breed dogs may have several different instincts.
A dog that is a mix of a Border Collie and a Beagle might be an excellent chaser and tracker. It does not matter what type of dog you are working with, if you want to have the best communication possible with him or her, you must first learn about what their strongest instincts are. Once you know that, you can determine what type of play they like best - and this is where they have the best opportunity to learn.
Another key to effective human to dog communication is the tone of voice. You can and should remain firm to keep the dog's attention, but you should also make sure that your words are gentle and soft, just as one might speak to a toddler. Small treats of food are quite helpful when learning to communicate with your dog, but you do not want to depend on them too much, as the dog could become less effective. An instinct, however, such as tracking, will serve you much better, as a dog will not ever forget its instinct.
The more you use this type of play to communicate with a dog, the more you and your praise will serve as positive reinforcement for your dog. We will get to training a dog in a later module, but it is important to remember that you can apply what you have learned in this module to the training you do with your dog. Your dog will always watch you closely, to determine what you want them to do, so try to match the way your dog communicates with how you communicate with him or her.
6.3 How to 'Speak Dog'
We will get into the details later in the module, but there are different ways that you can, sometimes without even realising it, 'speak dog'. As mentioned above, when you are attempting to communicate with a dog, it is always a good idea to follow the cues of the dog. Two ways to do this are to use assertive signals and calming signals. These are both ways that dogs use to communicate with each other and with humans.
Assertive Signals
Here are some ways that one can use assertive signals to communicate with your dog:
-Use a low-pitched, calm tone and short words. Using a high-pitched voice can give the message that you are not in charge.
-Use the same words, for the same commands. If you want the dog to stay, use the command, “stay". Do not use “wait, don't move' or I'll be back". This will be confusing to the dog.
-Stand tall, but not directly over the dog. When a dog wants to tell another dog that they are in charge, they carry themselves as if they are in control.
-Since dogs do not have hands, they do not know a lot of hand movements. You might consider acting like a dog when interacting with your pet. For instance, if you believe a dog is going to jump at you in play, instead of holding your hands out to say “no", lean your body forward and invade his or her space.
Calming Signals
You might also consider using calming signals, when communicating with your dog. These include:
-Higher pitched tones, with a soothing voice. This is, of course, the opposite of how one should act when they are attempting to be assertive with their dog.
-Crouch or kneel near the dog and always allow a nervous dog to approach you. If you really want to show a dog that you are not a threat, lay on the ground, motionless.
-If you want to approach a dog, it is best that you come into their space at an angle, instead of running or walking directly towards them.
-Show the dog that you are not a threat, by yawning or licking your lips - and then look away.
FACT
Dogs communicate by a variety of different means. Scent, physical appearance, body position, facial expressions, movements and vocalisations, which include numerous different barks, whines and growls, are all used. Many of which can also be understood by well-trained humans.
Source: Onekind.org
6.4 Verbal Communication With a Dog
We have already discussed that dogs are not the best verbal communicators, but this does not mean you cannot use verbal communication with the dog. Communicating verbally with a dog includes being aware of how you deliver verbal cues and the tone of your voice. Firstly, when you attempt to verbally communicate with a dog, you must be consistent. We have discussed this before when talking about commands, but you must also be consistent with how you say the command. If you are using a strong, firm voice to tell a dog to sit, you do not want to use a sing-song voice, the next time you ask the dog to sit.
Pick a sound, when giving a command - and then stick to it. You also want to make sure that when you communicate verbally, you also keep your body language as even and relaxed as possible. Always speak in a normal tone, instead of one that is pleading, questioning, or whiny. Dogs will not respond well to these tones, they will not acknowledge you, nor respect what you are saying. Why?
Firstly, if you use an intimidating or aggressive tone with the dog, it will lose confidence, which is not conducive to cooperating or learning. Also, keep in mind that your dog is very capable of responding to you when you speak in a pleasant voice, so there is no reason to make it any different. You must also make sure that your demeanour is matching what you are saying. This will help to make your dog feel more appreciated, which will lead to better communication. You might also want to try different tones, to find out which tone your dog likes the best, or reacts to the best.
Though you might think you can get away with it, you cannot fool a dog that you live with. They will know when you are being fake because they can read us much better than we can read them. The point of all of your verbal communication with your dog is to educate and not intimidate and to only show love and acceptance. Both you and your dog will make many mistakes in your communication attempts - and you don't want him or her to feel bad about the mistakes they make. Instead, you can use these methods to help the dog to do the right thing.
6.5 Hand Signal Communication With a Dog
Another way that a human can communicate with dogs is by using hand signals. In fact, many professional trainers recommend using these signals and, in some cases, they only use hand signals, instead of a spoken command. Hand signals are nothing more than sign language, which you use to communicate with your dogs. There are standard hand signals for sitting, lying down, rolling over and for almost any command you can think of. However, you can also create your own, as you train your dog. You might wonder why one would use hand signals at all, especially if a dog is able to hear you clearly.
Here are some of the main reasons to use hand signals, in order to communicate:
-Dogs have a superb ability to read body language and in fact, it is much easier for them to understand body language than it is for them to understand verbal language.
-If a dog is deaf, hand signals are the only way to communicate with the dog. However, these signals allow a deaf dog to learn the same commands that a hearing dog learns.
-If you live or work in areas where silence is necessary, or you do not want to be too loud with your voice, you can use these hand signals anywhere, without making a sound.
-Using hand signals is also fun! You can impress your friends and add a few more skills to your dog's repertoire, simply by teaching them hand signals.
How to Train a Dog With Hand Signals
It is just as easy for you to train a dog with hand signals, as it is to train a dog by using verbal commands.
Here are some basic steps for training:
Get the Dog's Attention - The dog must see you make the signal, so you must make sure that you have established eye contact.
Give the Signal - Show the dog the signal of the action you want him or her to perform. For instance, if you want the dog to sit, you would hold out your hand with the palm out and then bring the hand up, until it becomes parallel with the floor.
Follow Training Steps - Finally, follow the steps of training for the command that you are attempting to teach. You will learn more about this in the module on how to teach dogs commands.
As you can see, training a dog with hand signals is much easier than one might think. However, there are some common mistakes that people make.
Here are some ways to avoid any trouble when training:
Always train using hand signals alone. It can be quite confusing for dogs if you use hand signals and verbal commands. Instead, stick to one type of training and then the other, until the dog understands and can do both, without hesitating. When giving your dog a command, always use the hand signal, then the verbal command. Since dogs are so good with body language, they will catch on to this first. Then, teach the verbal command, if you wish.
Here are some of the most common hand signals for dogs:
Sit - To teach sit, start out by showing the dog a treat and then draw it back towards the ears, until he or she sits. Once the dog does this a couple of times, use the obedience sign for sit. This is holding the arm down, with the palm facing the dog - and then bringing your arm up to a 90-degree angle.
Down - To teach down, have the dog sit and then take a small treat and lower it from the dog's nose to the floor. The dog should follow the treat and lay down. Once the dog does this on a regular basis, bring the hand signal in. To do this signal, hold your arm out towards the dog, with the palm facing down. Then simply lower the entire arm.
Stay - The command “stay" will teach the dog self-control. To teach this command, make the dog sit and then use the command. The “stay" command is simply holding your hand in front of the dog's face. Give the dog a quick treat and then give the “stay" command again. Do this a couple of times. The next time you do this command, wait a bit of time between treats. When the dog begins to understand the command, place a couple of treats on the floor in front of it and give the hand signal again. Feed the dog one treat at a time, at a quick pace.
Ask the dog to sit again and then replace the treats. Wait a bit longer this time, before giving the treats. As the dog learns this command, add in a distraction or two, such as tossing a toy, or jumping. Eventually, the dog will understand. As you can see, hand signals can be quite convenient, when it comes to communicating with a dog - and when you choose to use them, you will be sure that your dog will catch on quickly.
6.6 Body Language Communication with Dogs
Most of the things we do while communicating with our dogs – or someone else's dogs – is wrong from the dog's point of view. We pat them on the heads, hug them and talk to them in a baby voice. If you want to work with dogs or communicate better with your pets, you need to understand how to interact with them. Effective animal trainers use clear, calm, consistent commands, body movements and postures to train dogs. They make the effort seem almost effortless.
However, the dogs learn fast since they associate the right cues, rewards, actions and responses. If your body language is unintentionally intimidating, aggressive, meek or erratic, the dog can get very confused. The resulting disconnect between what you want to say and what your body language shows can also be perceived as threatening by your pet. People who send the wrong messages with their body are more at risk of being bitten compared to perceptive trainers and pet owners.
In the world of a dog, every body motion, gesture and sound has meaning - and all of these can cause a positive or negative reaction, depending on the action. Dogs watch their human companions very closely and they also interpret our actions. They notice the way we approach them, our facial expressions when interacting with them, or even how we treat other dogs. Because of this, when you know how to use body language, you can control your own dog, or even have success when meeting a dog you do not know.
For example If you lean forward and move your hand towards the head of a dog that is submissive, you will likely get a negative reaction, such as submissive urination. Why? Because the dog is reading your body language as intimidating. However, if you approach the same dog by crouching down to his or her level and bringing your hand to the chest first and then up to the head, you will have a positive reaction. Why? Because in this case, the dog reads you as non-threatening. Though we naturally always go for the head of a dog, it is much better to put the chest first, in order to avoid seeming intimidating.
You can use body language when training a dog too - and sometimes, you can even get better results with body language than when using verbal commands or hand signals.
For example One of the most difficult commands to teach a dog is to recall or come to you. Many dogs simply refuse to come to their owners or trainers, even when offering them a bite of food. They refuse, because they see you as a threat, or believe that they are in trouble. However, if you use body language to show him or her otherwise, the dog will come to you. Do this by turning your back to the dog and crouching down. In dog speak, this is an invitation for the dog to join you.
If you do not get a response from your dog with that, consider running away from the dog. It is rare for a dog not to react if someone is running away from them because they know that running often means play. Make sure to play with the dog when it comes, as this is the reward they are seeking. Play often leads to excitement with dogs - and this often leads to dogs that jump, or become otherwise rambunctious.
This, of course, can be quite frustrating, but you can use body language to keep them down. It is best to not use your hands to push the dog away because dogs look at your hands as 'paws' - and they know that paws are often used in play. Thus, when the dog jumps on you, turn away. If the dog jumps again, turn away again. If the dog will not stop, walk away from them. They will understand this body language, perfectly.
You can also use body language when it comes to leash training a dog. Many dogs have issues with walking on a leash and they often yank and pull, ultimately dragging you along with them. You can leash train your dog, however, by changing directions, each time the dog pulls. You are teaching the dog with your body language that you are in control and that you make the rules when it comes to walking.
Along with general body language, eye contact is also important for dogs. When training dogs, it is extremely important to maintain eye contact with the dog, to show them that you are in command and serious. Eye contact also shows a dog that they must pay attention to you. If a dog has difficulties with maintaining eye contact, use either a pointing gesture to point at the dog's eyes and then to your own, or take a small treat and show the dog the treat and bring it up to your eyes.
How to help your dog make eye contact:
Hold a food treat in your hand and have your pet sit in front of you and say the cue word 'Watch' Slowly move the food treat to the corner of your eye and observe your dog following it with his or her eye Once your pet is able to hold your eye, say 'Yes' and give her the treat
Repeat the exercise for 5-10 minutes twice a day
Body language is just as important to dogs as vocal communication is to us. Thus, you can use this language to establish a relationship of trust with your dog. Stand tall, show confidence, remain consistent, calm and be fair, and you will reap the rewards.
Module Summary
Learning the basics of how to communicate with our canine companions with words, hand signals and body language will not only help us to 'speak' to dogs, but also to understand our dogs better than ever before. Not only does this module teach you how to communicate with
your own dog, it also teaches you how to communicate with every dog you meet. If you continue to take steps to learn the language of dogs and continue to understand how they communicate, you can greatly strengthen the bond we already have between the species.
This module shows that no matter what type of communication you use, a dog will understand it, in some capacity. Where we are better with verbal communication, dogs are better with body language. Thus, we must make sure that we are using a combination of communication styles when interacting with a dog. This way, we can make sure that our attempts at communication are met with as much understanding as possible.
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