Calming Signals

[RubyJeansMom]

I thought this might be a good topic to start or even make into a sticky.

Calming Signals - Dogs use these signals as soon as there is anything to calm down. Often signals come in quick movements and you have to really look to see them. By experience you will learn to see them, just as other dogs see them, even other animals, like cats. All it takes is a little patience and practice. Just imagine being able to travel the world and everywhere you go you speak the same language! No matter what size/sex/breed/color/shape all dogs inherited this language. Dogs and Wolves have strong instincts for conflict solving, communication and cooperation.

Listed below are examples of calming signals:

1. Turning of the head - This can be swift, turning the head to the side and back, or held to the side. This is a sign the dog is not comfortable. Examples of this are often seen: His head may turn if you stoop over him, or if another dog approaches him too fast, or if she finds a camera being pointed in her direction scary. You can use the turning of your head to communicate to a dog that seems scared and starts to growl or bark at you. Sometimes it’s not the head, but the eyes only from side to side and look away to avert a direct stare. Your dog may use it if you stare at him or approach front to front.

2. Turning away - Turning the side or back to someone is very calming. When dog’s play and that game gets Wild dogs will start turning their side or back, just to calm the game down a little. Your dog may use it if another dog acts threateningly, or growls at him. You can use it when a dog shows signs of nervousness or aggressiveness to you. If he jumps at you, turn away and most times he will stop. If your approaching a strange dog and you see the dog getting nervous, turn your back and more often than not the dog will come to you.

3. Licking Noses - A quick movement of the tongue, so quick it is often missed. Your dog may use it, along with other signals when approaching another dog, if you the owner bends over the dog, holds him tight, grabs him or talks to him angrily. It is one signal we as humans cannot use, we are not quick enough!

4. Yawning - The most intriguing of the signals, at least people seem to enjoy using it. Your dog may yawn when you visit the Vets, when you fight or quarrel in the family, when you hold your dog too tight, when a child comes up to hug him, and many other situations. You can use it when your dog feels uncertain, a little scared, stressed, worried or when you want him to calm down a bit.

5. Shaking off - Not to be confused with shaking off water after a rainstorm or bath, this calming signal is used quite often with dogs. Here’s an excellent example: an adult dog that is not normally aggressive is playing with a young puppy that becomes a bit too rambunctious. As a result, the adult dog ends up getting accidentally bitten in the ear by the puppy. The adult dog, in turn, puts a big paw on the puppy, ‘pins’ him to the ground, ‘makes eye contact’ with him and ‘stares him down.’ The puppy sees these signals and stops the behavior. The adult dog then releases the puppy, backs up just a bit and ‘shakes off.’ By exhibiting this physical behavior, the adult dog is ‘diffusing’ or ‘shaking off’ the nervous energy around him as if to say ‘I’m sorry I did that to you, but don’t bite me again!’ Hopefully, the puppy will get the message and will be more respectful of the adult in the future.

By paying attention to canine signals, we can help dogs feel more secure. For example, we can lead a dog in an arc around a person she perceives as threatening. Also, a vet or groomer can approach a nervous dog from the side to gain the dog's confidence.

Additional calming signals include:

* Moving slowly in an exaggerated motion.
* Moving in an arc.
* Sniffing the ground.
* Sitting or lying down.
* Lip licking -- a quick little flick of the tongue is usually a signal to calm down.
* Blinking, averting eyes, turning away, displaying their back or side to another dog or person.

[BostonTerrier200]

I am confused by your sentence Dogs use these signals as soon as there is anything to calm down. Are you saying like a way to defuse a possible situation? Are calming signals strictly between dogs or human and dogs?

Sorry if I missed a conversation, can you explain more to someone who does not know at all what calming signals are? Would the confidence and comfort level of the person (trainer) be calming signals? Or when someone is training whatever you are feeling goes right down the leash and the dog picks up on it?

[Phyrie]

Are you saying like a way to defuse a possible situation?

Yes. A dog will use calming signals to show another dog that he is harmless, has no ill intent, and to calm an aggressive, or fearful dog.

Are calming signals strictly between dogs or human and dogs?

Absolutely not! A very astute dog handler (Turid Rugaas) first noticed, and documented the calming signals between dogs. She knew that, since dogs don't have much of a vocal language, they use body language to express themselves. We already know a lot of their "language": wagging tails, lowered ears, wide eyes, etc. but calming signals go farther.

You can gain a dog's confidence by turning your back on him and avoiding eye contact. Have you ever stared into your dog's eyes? Guess who looks away first? I'll give you a hint: it's not you! Direct, steady eye contact with a dog is a challenge. If a dog is staring at you, he probably doesn't have good intentions.

Sorry if I missed a conversation, can you explain more to someone who does not know at all what calming signals are? Would the confidence and comfort level of the person (trainer) be calming signals? Or when someone is training whatever you are feeling goes right down the leash and the dog picks up on it?

Calming signals, for this discussion, are the specific actions/movements described by Turid in her book, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals. She also has a very nice video on the same subject. If you want to learn more, check out her website.

Of course, RJM has described quite a few of them in her post, which I assume you have read.

[Muzzlenuzzles]

This is very good information -- and not something I've seen discussed here before. Dogs are so good at reading our signals and we're often so poor at reading theirs -- and at using body language to communicate with them. I'd love to see this become a sticky. Thanks, RJM, for posting it!

I've run across references to Turid Rugaas' work in several books but to my annoyance, our library doesn't have any of her books. For some reason, though, I'd never thought to see if she had a website, so thank you for mentioning that, Phyrie! I'm on my way there now.

[Madi P]

Interesting RJM, thanks for sharing. This needs to be kept at the top.

I was a bit confused at first as well "Boston," I had to read through things twice, even three times, (its a slow brain morning for me)
The Yawning thing is interesting, Ive never hear that before, I always thought it was just a tired / waking up thing. thats the only time I see mine doing it, but guess Ill pay more attention now.
So we can do a fake yawn too and suggest something to our dogs?

The licking was interesting too, never thought of that either as being a signal ..

[Muzzlenuzzles]

Madi P, I didn't realize the nose-licking was a signal either until I read about in a Patricia McConnell book a couple of years ago. (I think she was talking about Rugaas' calming signals among other examples of canine body language.) And after I learned about it, I noticed that my now ten-year-old dog, Jasper, did a quick little nose lick frequently when I looked at him or walked over to pet him. He also often does the head-turn at these times. In fact, he does both so often during training sessions that I put them on cue.

But it makes me wonder if I really make Jasper nervous and if I do, why. For the most part, he seems happy and relaxed, but he does use those two signals pretty often. His behavior has always been so good that he's hardly ever even heard a raised voice or a sharp tone, so I wonder what makes him think that my mere glance calls for some calming signals. It makes me a little sad, actually. (Jasper's history is mystery; he was picked up as a stray by Animal Control at the age of two and subsequently adopted by our family, so we'll never know what other learning experiences might have shaped his view of the world or his expectations of how a human might act.)

Even though I was happier when I thought Jasper was happier, I'm glad to be learning to read dogs better and I'm glad we're discussing this here. Again, great idea for a post, RJM!

[RubyJeansMom]

Madi, It is a little confusing. Is my dog yawning because he's stressed or is he just tired?
I'm guessing it will take time, once the signals have been learned, to be able to recognize them in our dogs.

Even though I was happier when I thought Jasper was happier, I'm glad to be learning to read dogs better and I'm glad we're discussing this here.

I totally agree Mary Ann (hope I spelled your name right)
I've now realized that poor Kessler has been giving me calming signals like crazy. It makes me sad thinking he's so uncomfortable that he feels the need to calm me.

[Muzzlenuzzles]

RJM, you spelled it exactly right. But I don't get hung up on the spelling of my name; I'm happy as long as people call me Mary Ann and not Mary (or Mary Jane, or Mary Lou or Mary Sue)!

So are you trying to do calming things like yawning and approaching Kessler from the side? I've been trying this with Jasper, but I can't say that I've been able to see that it makes him more comfortable. I think I probably need to buy Turid Rugaas' book or DVD and see what I'm missing because I'm probably missing something.

Good luck with your calming efforts. It makes me sad to think that Kessler's uncomfortable, too.

[RubyJeansMom]

So are you trying to do calming things like yawning and approaching Kessler from the side? I've been trying this with Jasper, but I can't say that I've been able to see that it makes him more comfortable. I think I probably need to buy Turid Rugaas' book or DVD and see what I'm missing because I'm probably missing something.

That's exactly what I've been doing and he seems to be responding.
Kessler's not an "in your face" dog, like Ruby and Gizzie are, and I'm always kissing and hugging them. When I do the same with Kessler, I am now seeing so many of the signals mentioned above. Approaching from the side has already made a big difference, he's starting to welcome my attention, once I've approached him the "proper" way.

It really is amazing!

[clipandcoach]

Excellent post RJM! Great discussion point that I'm sure we can all learn a lot from. If it's ok I'd like to add a little about my views on signals/body language:

When reading language/communication/signals from any animal we must remember that the meaning is always contextual. By this I mean, we can never pin point any one movement, motion or body language as having one certain meaning. This is because dogs, just like humans and every other animal on the planet, will use the same signal to mean a variety of things. This is our language and we rely on the observer/receiver to understand the context they receive it in. For example, I may wave my hand in the air to mean a) hello or b) look over here emergency! The receiver of this signal would look at the context I am giving this signal, and all the combination of other signals I am giving. Am I smiling and standing still or am I jumping up and down looking panicked?

This is the art of understanding our dog's communication. Start by researching great resources like this post and the ones suggested in the post. Now look very objectively at your dog, the situation he is in and the signals he is giving you. Become a keen observer. Even start video taping your dog. You will start to see that your dog will yawn when he wakes up and stretches his legs then goes to you for a pat. (So by the context one could probably assume this is not a calming signal). Later in a hard training session you may see him yawn as he lies down and sort of gives up. What does this mean? I can't tell you exactly that is up to you to keenly observe the situation. Perhaps he is overworked and you have worn him out, or perhaps he is greatly frustrated and doesn't understand what you want him to do next, or perhaps the cat walked behind your back and threatened the dog over food guarding issues.

Always look at the whole picture as well as the details. You will soon become a world-class dog language expert!!!

Thanks again for the great discussion point.

[Sandy, Cheyenne's mom2]

Thanks for the excellent post, RJM. My grandson & I visited the Humane Society a few days ago, and thinking back, its amazing how many signals I picked up even unknowingly from various dogs we visited. There were some we didn't go in to visit with as there were just no welcoming signals at all. It almost seems easier to pick up signals from dogs you don't know.

Others were gloriously happy to see us and would have come home with us in a heartbeat! The one we did have a hard time leaving there has since been adopted, yea! She just did not have the right connection for me, and it wouldn't have been right to take her on "like" alone. (I've been watching their web site & noticed she's gone.)

It is good to know more of these signals for the next time I go, always something new to learn!

[princelover]

Thank you for the great post, RJM.

[4 the Dogs]

This is interesting...I'm going to watch the dogs I work with at the shelter today to see what they do.

I have noticed that Izzy does the lick and licks other dogs noses all the time. It's very obvious (at least to me) that he is saying "it's OK!" to them. Another thing he does, which I think is a sign of frustration, is sneeze. When we are working on stay, which is very hard for him, he will bounce and sneeze until I release him.

[purdyandi]

Interesting thread. You know, Divali always yawns in the car on the way to the park which she LOVES!. I did know that "non-sleepy" yawning is a stress signal, so I would always find it curious that she'd do that on the way to the park. But, I guess I didn't go far enough in my reading of her signal. I bet she's trying to manage her excitement by yawning. Just like with humans, stressors can be both negative and positive.

I loved hearing that little insight into Kessler's personality. How sweet he is. So, if I understand this correctly, yawning not only calms the yawner, but is done to calm others. As animals that live in social groups, you'd have to expect a complexed set of communicative behaviors. It's about time more research is being done into dog's cognitive functioning.

[Sadie G]

I too found this very interesting! Sadie always stretches and yawns when we are getting ready to go for a walk. I always wondered about the yawn, now I understand. She is excited I understood that part, but not the yawn that always goes with it. I have been paying more attention to her signals now. Very interesting!