We have always known that dogs learn through "conditioned reflexes", that is, a certain action will produce a certain result. However, American psychologist B. FSkinner (1904-1990) confirmed that dogs can learn to change and adjust their behavior based on their experiences and results. This means that the dog can make decisions, has the ability to recognize and remember events, and can express its intentions. This makes our communication with dogs quite complex and accurate.

Among similar dogs, dogs will use a series of signals to communicate with each other, including various facial expressions, body postures, sounds and smells. They also use their mouths, eyes, ears, tails, and even paws to express emotions. They will also use these methods when facing their owners.

1. Body language:

Dogs are similar to wolves in body language. When dogs are quiet and quiet, their body posture is relaxed and their facial expressions are calm. Their ears remain in a normal position (varies among breeds) and their tails droop. Their bodies do not arch or rise. Their eyes are slightly closed and their lips and neck muscles are relaxed. When a dog is confident and wants to show his authority and superiority to another dog, his body is slightly arched, ready to take action.

When two dogs meet, they sometimes use body gestures to express dominance or submission. Sometimes one dog will put its front paws on the other's back or try to ride the other dog. Only rarely will a dog press its head against another dog's back or neck to demonstrate dominance.

In most cases dogs can easily tell the difference and stop communicating or start playing or break up peacefully. In fact, most dog fights occur because the owner gets involved, interferes, or stops the communication behaviors that dogs are familiar with. The owner's intervention will make them misunderstand and make them feel confused and uneasy. Therefore, even if you want to intervene in the dog's behavior, it should be done in a way that they can understand.

2. The language of the tail:

A dog’s tail shows its mood and intentions. A dog's high tail shows confidence, excitement, or strength. A wagging tail expresses happiness and excitement. The dog's tail is upright and wagging at a small but high frequency, indicating that it is strong. A slow wagging of the tail indicates that the dog is saying "not sure."

3. Vocal communication:

Dog vocalizations have a wide range of expressions, including baby cries, warning growls, high-pitched barks, and calls for attention. Barks, howls, groans of pain, screams and moans of pleasure, etc. Some dogs, such as huskies, howl like wolves.

Dogs use their voices to express emotions. Normally, a high pitch or volume indicates frustration or excitement. Barking does not mean aggression, it often means "come on faster"Game" and "Nice to see you." Growling has an aggressive meaning in adult dogs. Some dogs like to play with "growling", but their attitude is clear. Some dogs can grow up and down in the "growling" sound. .When the dog makes an aggressive growl, its body will also lower itself, showing an aggressive posture.

The message conveyed by the dog’s eyes

Face it - pay attention

Squint - hostility

Rolling eyes and looking up - angry

Look into each other’s eyes - challenge

The dog’s ears are also talking

The expression of the ears is more obvious in some dogs with erect ears.

Put your ears together - comfortable

Ears parted horizontally - unpleasant

Lean your ears forward - pay attention

Ears back - be careful

Behind the ears - fear

How to communicate with dogs without barriers

Since dogs cannot understand our language, when we communicate with them, we can easily pay attention to some communication rules communicate with them.

1. Touch:

In the eyes of dogs, gentle petting is equivalent to the intimate licking of each other's fur between the same kind, and is a more acceptable way to express friendliness.

However, there are differences in stroking. When petting a dog, be careful not to suddenly touch it from behind. This will surprise most dogs and stimulate their directional nature. Do not press your hand directly down on the dog from above the head. This will It can also make them very nervous.

The location of the massage is also important. The most acceptable ones are massage on the back, head and neck. If you are petting an unfamiliar dog, be sure not to touch their abdomen, limbs or vital parts hastily, as this may cause them to have an overreaction.

2. Eyes:

Eye contact is as important to dogs as it is to dogs. The best eye contact is looking at the other person confidently and kindly for a short period of time. The dog will actively look away. If you pet it a little more at this time, it is equivalent to having a friendly conversation with the dog.

In daily life, if it is not to emphasize the dominance of the owner, it is best not to stare at the dog all the time, which will make it confused and uneasy. If it's against a dogIf the dog is looking away, it is best not to take the initiative to look away. This will cause it to have a wrong understanding of its own status and think that it is above its owner.

3. Speech:

The content of words has no meaning to dogs. What really produces the "magic" is the tone of voice. A dog’s intelligence allows it to fully understand the emotions contained in our tone of voice. Soft tone, excited tone, angry tone, etc. Dogs will judge what we want to express based on the frequency and size of our voice.

Having a clear tone is important if you want your dog to understand it correctly. Think before you speak. You must communicate with them in the most appropriate tone of voice. In addition, when communicating with dogs, sentences should not be too long or complex. Dogs can only understand simple and clear sentences.

4. Rewards and punishments:

Reward if you do something right and punish if you do something wrong. This is a common method of communication for all intelligent creatures, and dogs are no exception. Through rewards and punishments, dogs can most intuitively understand what should be done and what should not be done. Rewards can be your dog's favorite food, favorite toys, a little petting, or just a compliment. At the same time, the timing of rewards is important. If you just want to establish a good relationship with your dog, you don’t need to think too much about timing. However, if you want to guide your dog to establish a certain habit, it is best to reward it immediately within 3 seconds after it performs the correct behavior to achieve the best results. Don’t overdo it with rewards. It’s a good idea to keep one or two toys or treats exclusive to the reward and only enjoyed occasionally. If the dog is rewarded as soon as it asks, it will gradually develop a sense of dominance.

The content of punishment is best to be a verbal scolding. It does not need to be too strong, and the dog will understand what you mean. Avoid corporal punishment as much as possible. Just like children, many dogs will have a rebellious psychology towards pain, which can easily backfire.