Canine Communication & Body Language

Question 1

What is the definition of:

Dominant Animal

Answer 1

Higher status. Exercising influence or control over another.

Question 2

What is the definition of:

To Dominate

Answer 2

To control by superior authority.

Question 3

What is the definition of:

Subordinate

Answer 3

Belonging to a lower rank.

Question 4

What is the definition of:

Submission

Answer 4

Yielding to the authority of another.

Question 5

What is the definition of:

Hierarchy

Answer 5

• Group organized according to rank.

- Used to keep order within the group.

Question 6

What are the “Determinants of Dominance”?

Answer 6

1. Size: bigger dog has higher status.
2. Breed Temperament
3. Individual Personality
4. Sex: males have higher status.
5. Territory: one in a home has more territory. New pet.
6. Age: at social maturity, may try to move up in status. Very young and very old usually have less status.
7. Health Status: healthy dog has higher status than a chronically ill dog.

Question 7

Why do you need to know how to read dog communication signals?

Answer 7

• To evaluate dogs motivation.
• To communicate effectively.
• To avoid misinterpretations.

Question 8

What are the types of communication singles?

Answer 8

• Visual: body language, distance, marking.
• Olfactory
• Auditory
• Tactile

Question 9

What do you read when looking at body language?

Answer 9

• Body posture.
• Ear position.
• Tail position.
• Facial expressions (mouth, muzzle, forehead, eyes, whiskers)

Question 10

What indicates submissive / fearful body posture?

Answer 10

• Roll over.
• Crouched body.
• Turn away from fearful thing.
• Trembling

Question 11

What indicates dominant / confident body posture?

Answer 11

• Weight shifted forward.
• Standing tail.
• Body position in relation to others.

Question 12

What indicates ambivalent body posture?

Answer 12

• Signals conflict.

- Read the biting end.

Question 13

What indicates arousal in body posture?

Answer 13

• Piloerection.
• Dilated pupils.
• Wagging tail.

Question 14

What does a raised paw indicate?

Answer 14

• Play
• Appease
• Fear
• Pointing

Question 15

What does mounting indicate?

Answer 15

• Play
• Dominance
• Sex

Question 16

What does a play bow indicate?

Answer 16

• Solicits play

- Implies everything after is in context of play.

Question 17

What ear position indicates submissive / fearful?

Answer 17

• Flattened

- Back

Question 18

What ear position indicates dominant / confident?

Answer 18

• Upright

- Forward

Question 19

What tail position indicates submissive / fearful?

Answer 19

• Lowered tail

- Between legs

Question 20

What tail position indicates dominant / confident?

Answer 20

• Vertical

- Over the back

Question 21

What tail position indicates neutral?

Answer 21

Different for each dog.

Question 22

What facial expression indicate submissive / fearful?

Answer 22

• Muzzle smooth
• Forehead flat
• Eyes narrow
• Whiskers folded back
• Whale eye
• Averts gaze
• Eyes small
• Darting
• Licking lips
• Horizontal grin

Question 23

What facial expression indicates dominant / confident?

Answer 23

• Vertical lip retraction
• Muzzle wrinkled
• Eyes staring
• Eyes big
• Whiskers forward

Question 24

What facial expression indicates neutral?

Answer 24

• Eyes soft
• Mouth relaxed
• Muzzle smooth

Question 25

What is a displacement behavior?

Answer 25

A normal behavior shown out of context.

Question 26

What are some displacement behaviors?

Answer 26

- Yawning - Grooming - Sniffing

Question 27

What are the different distances?

Answer 27

- Personal space - Flight distance - Withdrawal distance

Question 28

What is personal space distance?

Answer 28

Space immediately surrounding dog. -If entered, and dog is comfortable: ~submissive body language -If entered, and dog is uncomfortable: ~try to move away ~aggression

Question 29

What is flight distance?

Answer 29

Distance at which escape behavior occurs.

Question 30

What is withdrawal distance?

Answer 30

Distance the dog runs away (how far).

Question 31

Why do dogs mark?

Answer 31

Signals sent to someone else, ie: another dog.

Question 32

What are visual signals of marking?

Answer 32

- Scratch ground | - Urine marks

Question 33

What are olfactory signals?

Answer 33

``` Scent marking. -Signals intolerance or dominance to another. -Territory, anxiety. -Stimuli to mark. ~familiar and conspicuous objects ~novel objects ```

Question 34

Why do dogs scent mark with urine?

Answer 34

- Cover previous marks. | - More common in males.

Question 35

Do dogs scent mark with feces, how?

Answer 35

- Uncommon | - Handstand position

Question 36

How do dogs scent mark with scent rubbing?

Answer 36

- Roll on bad smelling substance. | - Rub head and neck on vertical objects.

Question 37

What are pheromones and what are they used for?

Answer 37

Chemical substances excreted or secreted. Used for intraspecies communication. - found in urine: advertise territory, rank, gender. - nursing mothers to calm puppies.