We talk to dogs, and we understand each other well. The important thing is to have a method, so as not to waste the opportunity to communicate, which includes, for example, the way we capture their attention, the dictionary we share (with some key words), our ability to repeat phrases that have not been understood. And also listening: the dog responds, even just by perking up its ears, an unmistakable sign of its attention, and therefore must be listened to.
Talk to the dogsIt's not just a whim, or a way to vent with your pet, but it can become a real form of communication. Dogs make an effort to understand what we're saying and interpret our moods to then behave accordingly. And this is now certified by science, as demonstrated by the conclusions of a British study conducted at the University of Sussex. According to this study, published in the scientific journal Current Biology, every time we address the word to the dog, the right and left hemispheres of his brain light up simultaneously. And something very similar happens to what happens in humans when, for example, during a conversation, we try to understand both the words and the nonverbal language of our interlocutor. Is he happy? Is he angry? Is he scared? "We don't know how and to what extent dogs understand the information contained in a speech, but we can say with certainty that they react not only to the emotional tone of what we say but also to the meaning of the words," warns psychologist Victoria Ratcliffe.
How a dog understands
Not all
dogs They understand the things we say in the same way, Some, like the
border collie, particularly intelligent, seem to have no limits to their understanding. And they can even classify (the study is from the University of Leipzig) the words related to 200 different games. According to what was published in the journal
Science i
dogs They understand our words perfectly, they know how to interpret and decipher them. Their intuition is very high, provided our tone is right and not too imperative or shouted.
How to make a dog understand you
But how do you talk to dogs? First of all It must be kept in mind that our facial expression, the movements we make during speech and the tone of voice are important for their understanding.For some sound advice, you can check out the website www.dogsitter.it where Aldo Biondi, a dog catcher in the province of Cremona and owner of two beagle and basset hound kennels, shares the secrets of conversation with dogs. A dialogue that, as English researchers have told us, is not with aliens. To make yourself understood by a dog, the tone in which we speak to him, seeking his attention, must be both gentle and firm. Always use the same tone, and repeat key words several times until you're sure you're understood. Use your hands: gestures are a type of language that dogs understand well.
Dog language through the body
In
dog language, their responses can be filtered through simple gestures that we simply need to decipher. Let's look at some examples. A dog licks its nose: it's relaxed and listening with pleasure. Yawning is an indicator of reconciliation, after you've had an argument and scolded the animal. An open mouth is also a sign of relaxation, while if the dog shows its teeth, it's a sign of aggression. Ears that are erect and pointed forward indicate a high level of self-esteem; conversely, if they're lowered back, the dog expresses complete submission.
About Find explanations and meanings, along with images, of the most common dog gestures. These are the ones dogs use to communicate.
To truly understand a dog, we must learn to interpret its communication. It's not difficult. dog It communicates primarily through sounds, sight, noises, and smell. Most communication occurs through body position. If the body is lying down, not pulled, the dog communicates its tranquility. If it is bent forward, with his tail wagging, the dog is inviting us to play. If it is stretched out, with legs open and paws curled up on the body, the dog asks us for caresses and in exchange grants his total submission. If the body is stiffLying forward, with its tail held high, and perhaps with its mouth growling, the dog is in a state of aggression. It's not just self-defense. As for smell, which is very important for animals, dogs, for example, leave signals with their urine: a mark to demarcate their territory. Barking can have various meanings, from alarm to annoyance, or simply a way to get their owner's attention. Growling, on the other hand, is the language of hostility, against humans, against another. dog, or in relation to another animal.
The language of the dog
Aside from posture, dogs have other ways of communicating. If they wag their tail, they're excited (and not always happy); if they bow to us, it's often to play; if they lean in, they feel like an ally. Then there's their gaze: toward an object they desire; or if they glance in a certain direction, it means they want to go out. As for growling, be careful, because it can mean very different things. Whether it's a threat or during play, it's up to us, in each circumstance, to know how to interpret it.
How to greet a dog
Greeting is the first step of our
conversation with the dogJust like humans: if we make the wrong approach, with the wrong greeting, the road will be all uphill. But how do you greet a dog? With three fundamental moves. Approach him calmly, without haste, without excessive euphoria that could only scare or confuse him. Second move: don't look him straight in the eye, but lower your gaze and wait for him, looking at us, to approach. A direct gaze could provoke fear and detachment. Third tip: never stand directly in front of the dog; better still, from the side. This will make it easier for him to approach, and then you can begin with your own words.
arezze.
How to Stop a Dog from Barking
The
bark is a
dog's way of communicatingBut it can be very annoying or completely useless. How can you make it stop? First, address the cause (for example, he might hear or encounter another dog) and try to remove it. Then distract him with a noisy object. And in any case, don't yell or raise your voice too loudly: just repeat a single, magic word several times and firmly.
SilenceWhen he stops barking, reward him.
Another very used piece in the dog dictionary is thehowlIt's a nuisance, especially at night. To stop it, you should take the dog to his kennel, reassure him, and perhaps reward him with a small amount of food. If he continues, gradually distance yourself from him until he's used to not seeing you and stops howling. Keep in mind that your dog's howling could also mean a desire for exercise, fresh air. At that point, take him out for a walk.
When the dog feels mistreated
In the language between dog and owner, there is also the possibility that the animal recognizes a wrong suffered. And for this reason, it expresses its disappointment and its frustrationUntil now, it was thought that dogs, to always please their owners, were able to mask the feeling of being mistreated, even just by misspoken words. However, according to the results of a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, dogs are well-versed in distinguishing between right and wrong, even before being domesticated. And they are capable of expressing their displeasure when faced with injustice.
Read also:
Want to see a selection of our news?
