Canine Communication Methods

Study Notes

Dogs primarily communicate through body language (60-70%) and vocalizations (30-40%)
Vocalizations:
- Barking: alertness, warning, or playfulness
- Whining: anxiety, need, or attention-seeking
- Growling: threat, resource guarding, or pain
- Howling: long-distance communication, anxiety, or response to stimuli
Olfactory communication:
- Dogs use scent marking to convey information about identity, sex, and reproductive status
- They can detect pheromones, which convey emotional and social information

Posture:
- Relaxed: loose, open, and slightly curved
- Alert: stiff, upright, and ears forward
- Fearful: lowered, crouched, and tail tucked
- Aggressive: stiff, direct, and ears forward
Facial expressions:
- Relaxed: soft, relaxed facial muscles
- Fearful: wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and a tense mouth
- Aggressive: direct stare, raised hackles, and a tense mouth
Tail language:
- Relaxed: hanging loose, slightly wagging, or still
- Happy: wagging, often with a loose, open posture
- Fearful: tucked, tense, or held low
- Aggressive: stiff, held high, or lashing
Eye contact:
- Direct gaze: confidence, interest, or aggression
- Avoiding gaze: fear, anxiety, or submission
Proximity and distance:
- Invading personal space: assertiveness, dominance, or aggression
- Maintaining distance: fear, anxiety, or submission

Dogs primarily communicate through body language (60-70%) and vocalizations (30-40%)

Barking indicates alertness, warning, or playfulness
Whining is a sign of anxiety, need, or attention-seeking
Growling signals threat, resource guarding, or pain
Howling is used for long-distance communication, anxiety, or response to stimuli

Dogs use scent marking to convey information about identity, sex, and reproductive status
They can detect pheromones that convey emotional and social information

Relaxed posture is characterized by loose, open, and slightly curved body language
Alert posture is marked by stiff, upright, and ears forward body language
Fearful posture is identified by lowered, crouched, and tail tucked body language
Aggressive posture is marked by stiff, direct, and ears forward body language

Relaxed facial expression is characterized by soft, relaxed facial muscles
Fearful facial expression is marked by wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and a tense mouth
Aggressive facial expression is marked by direct stare, raised hackles, and a tense mouth

Relaxed tail language is characterized by hanging loose, slightly wagging, or still tail
Happy tail language is marked by wagging, often with a loose, open posture
Fearful tail language is characterized by tucked, tense, or held low tail
Aggressive tail language is marked by stiff, held high, or lashing tail