When a dog wags its tail it is happy. Every time he turns on his back he asks for a cuddle. And when he licks someone's face, he shows how much he loves them. That's what most people think. But, according to experts, they're not necessarily correct.
These are some of the most common mistakes dog guardians make, as they either don't properly read the "signs" that show how their pet is really feeling, or they try to interpret some of their behaviors by attributing human characteristics to them.
"Dogs are always communicating with us, but most of the time we don't listen. Which can lead to some issues with their behavior," says trainer Amber Marino.
How to recognize the signs
A key mistake people make is that they often don't see the signs that give away that their dog is stressed, which is often a precursor to aggressive behavior.
According to experts, an anxious dog can show he is afraid by licking his lips, yawning, lifting one of his front paws, when scratching, shaking, panting or pacing. He may also "change" his eyes. It is a phenomenon called "whale's eye"-when their whites are most visible-and is often a sign of stress.
This does not mean that every time a dog is panting, yawning, or lifting his paw he is on the verge of a "crisis." Dogs pant when they get hot. Some breeds, such as pointers, lift their front paw when they "catch" a smell. Yawning also can mean the dog is tired.
To understand what a dog's body language and behavior indicates, we need to look at his whole body and consider the context in which he is in, says psychologist Sarah Byosier, director of the Thinking Dog Center at Hunter College in New York.
So if the dog is panting and not warming up, or yawning but doesn't look tired, he could be stressed. Particularly if you see a flurry of these anxiety behaviors at the same time, it's a good sign that your dog is uncomfortable, says Dr. Byosier.
What should you do in such a situation? First of all, try to figure out what might be causing him discomfort, says psychologist Angie Johnston, director of the Canine Cognition Center at Boston College. Are you in an unfamiliar place? When you have an idea of what might be making your dog uncomfortable, withdraw from that activity to see if those behaviors go away.
Tail movements are another thing we think we understand, but usually that's not the case. "The most common misconception, by far, is that tail wagging definitely means the dog is happy," says Dr. Johnson. If the movement is relaxed, chances are, yes, he's happy. But if he's wagging his tail slightly and it seems stiff, it could be a sign that he's getting ready to be aggressive. Also, research shows that when the tail tilts more to the right when wagging, the dog is happy, and when it tilts more to the left, the dog is aggressive.
The Social Life of Dogs
Many of the mistakes dog guardians make are related to how they handle their pets' social interactions. They often fail to recognize the signs - panting, stiff tail wagging, lip licking or yawning - that indicate the animal is uncomfortable around other people or dogs and needs help.
One response, recognizing the signs, might be to ask other people to give your dog space or to leave the park and come home. "Probably the worst thing to do is nothing," says Dr. Byosier. If you don't intervene, you increase the risk of the animal becoming aggressive."
One reason we make such mistakes is that we tend to assume that dogs are more outgoing than they really are. "Not all dogs like meeting new people or dogs," says Brian Herr, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University who founded the university's Canine Cognition Center.
If you want to meet a dog, first ask its guardian if it's OK, and if the answer is no, respect it. If the guardian agrees, approach the dog slowly. Stop a few feet away, kneel or crouch down and see if the dog approaches you, suggests Dr. Herr. If he doesn't, especially if he looks away or walks away, take it as a sign that you shouldn't approach any further. If you see any of the signs of anxiety, it's also a sign that the animal is feeling nervous and you should back off.
Don't approach a dog with your arm outstretched, Dr. Herr also advises. This can cause aggression in abused dogs and can lead to biting.
Expressing "guilt"
Experts say we often attribute our dogs' actions to feelings they don't actually have. For example, they often lick someone's face not because they love them, but because they're hoping to get a taste of what the person recently ate, says Evan McLean, an anthropologist and psychologist at the University of Arizona.
Another mistake we make is assuming that dogs like the same things we do. Yes, some like petting, but many don't. Sometimes when they turn on their backs, it doesn't mean they want a belly rub, but that they're uncomfortable, illustrates Dr. McLean, who admits it's hard to tell the difference.
What about that expression of "guilt" we see on dogs' faces if they've done something "bad"? Research has shown that there isn't really a sign that our pet is feeling shame, but is probably just reacting to our anger. "Dogs have that look in response to someone's behavior or attitude, not because they've done something we think is wrong," says Alexandra Horowitz, director of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College."
Ultimately, dogs understand us much better than we understand them, says Dr. Johnston. After thousands of years of domestication, "they've gotten really good at reading our emotions," she adds. "But I don't think it's worked as well in the opposite direction," she concludes."
*With information from NYT
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