Turid Rugaas
Author of On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals
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I suspect a lot of us think of training our dogs as a matter of teaching them commands and prohibitions. The author of this book, Turid Rugaas, takes a different approach. Let’s learn to actually communicate with our dogs!
In this book she focuses on “calming signals” — these are behaviors (licking the lips, turning the head, sitting down, yawning, . . . ) that calm potential conflicts, or more generally, manage social situations among dogs and between dogs and others (e.g., humans) show more to avoid conflict.
She introduces the reader into the very idea of calming signals, then goes through a non-exhaustive list of the kinds of behaviors that dogs may use to encourage calm.
Problems will happen when dogs don’t read each others’ signals, or when we fail to read them from our dogs.
Our dogs may be trying to tell us that they feel stressed or anxious, and we may be reading them absolutely wrongly. My own dog, in play situations with other dogs, often sits down. My immediate reaction is to try to re-engage him with the other dogs. But what he is likely signaling, to the other dogs and to me as well, is that he needs a break, some calm time.
When introducing my dog to another dog, especially on leash, there are those moments of anxious maneuvering. The anxiety may be mine more than his. What I’ve read here should, as I practice reading the signals, make me more able to read the situation and recognize when the two dogs are giving each other calming (or non-calming) signals. We don’t have to be blind to the signs and just wait for the outcome.
Many of Rugaas’s examples are drawn from her dog, Vesla. She presents Vesla as a truly extraordinary dog, with superior calming skills. Of course, not everyone’s dog will be so skilled. But one thing I take away from the book is the importance of giving my dog as much (safe) experience in social situations as I can to help him develop those kinds of skills, experience both with dogs he’s familiar with and with strangers.
Rugaas also includes us as potential signalers — we can ourselves give calming signals to our dogs, or especially to strangers’ dogs. Dogs are, and should be, wary of strangers. Learning to give them the kinds of signals that reassure them that you are not a threat has got to be a good skill to learn.
None of this is going to matter without practice. You can easily get the impression, given the list of “calming signals” that Rugaas goes through, that anything can be a calming signal. Yawning, for example. As with humans, everything is contextual — sometimes a yawn is just a yawn, and sometimes it’s more than that. Reading signals in context is going to take practice. The book won’t do it for you. show less
In this book she focuses on “calming signals” — these are behaviors (licking the lips, turning the head, sitting down, yawning, . . . ) that calm potential conflicts, or more generally, manage social situations among dogs and between dogs and others (e.g., humans) show more to avoid conflict.
She introduces the reader into the very idea of calming signals, then goes through a non-exhaustive list of the kinds of behaviors that dogs may use to encourage calm.
Problems will happen when dogs don’t read each others’ signals, or when we fail to read them from our dogs.
Our dogs may be trying to tell us that they feel stressed or anxious, and we may be reading them absolutely wrongly. My own dog, in play situations with other dogs, often sits down. My immediate reaction is to try to re-engage him with the other dogs. But what he is likely signaling, to the other dogs and to me as well, is that he needs a break, some calm time.
When introducing my dog to another dog, especially on leash, there are those moments of anxious maneuvering. The anxiety may be mine more than his. What I’ve read here should, as I practice reading the signals, make me more able to read the situation and recognize when the two dogs are giving each other calming (or non-calming) signals. We don’t have to be blind to the signs and just wait for the outcome.
Many of Rugaas’s examples are drawn from her dog, Vesla. She presents Vesla as a truly extraordinary dog, with superior calming skills. Of course, not everyone’s dog will be so skilled. But one thing I take away from the book is the importance of giving my dog as much (safe) experience in social situations as I can to help him develop those kinds of skills, experience both with dogs he’s familiar with and with strangers.
Rugaas also includes us as potential signalers — we can ourselves give calming signals to our dogs, or especially to strangers’ dogs. Dogs are, and should be, wary of strangers. Learning to give them the kinds of signals that reassure them that you are not a threat has got to be a good skill to learn.
None of this is going to matter without practice. You can easily get the impression, given the list of “calming signals” that Rugaas goes through, that anything can be a calming signal. Yawning, for example. As with humans, everything is contextual — sometimes a yawn is just a yawn, and sometimes it’s more than that. Reading signals in context is going to take practice. The book won’t do it for you. show less
This dog trainer is great! Her years of observing canine behavior are the basis for her explanation of calming signals and how they can be used for better communication with your dog. There’s a lot in here about body language, how calming signals can be misinterpreted as misbehavior, and how our own body language and tone of voice can cause stress for our dogs.
There are lots of photos of dogs demonstrating calming signals: turning their heads or bodies away from what’s stressing them show more out, blinking or yawning, approaching at a curve rather than head-on, slowing down movements (we used to have a dog who would get up and verry slowlly walk out of the room when we were arguing—we always anthropomorphized it as a kind of rebuke, but I’m sure this trainer would say he was trying to calm us down).
Some signals are very easy for humans to do (blinking, yawning, turning away) and some aren’t (tail wagging), but there’s a lot you can do, using their own body language, to help your dog feel more comfortable.
There’s a very strong recurring message of “don’t be a jerk to your dog (she phrases it better)—you may not realize you’re doing it. She wants to steer people away from popular training techniques based on leadership and commands.
“Well-balanced togetherness”—isn’t that a nice phrase?
This book isn’t going to solve all the issues people have with their dogs, but I think it’s provides an important foundation for building trust, which you pretty much need for any training you need to do.
There are lots of photos of dogs demonstrating calming signals: turning their heads or bodies away from what’s stressing them show more out, blinking or yawning, approaching at a curve rather than head-on, slowing down movements (we used to have a dog who would get up and verry slowlly walk out of the room when we were arguing—we always anthropomorphized it as a kind of rebuke, but I’m sure this trainer would say he was trying to calm us down).
Some signals are very easy for humans to do (blinking, yawning, turning away) and some aren’t (tail wagging), but there’s a lot you can do, using their own body language, to help your dog feel more comfortable.
There’s a very strong recurring message of “don’t be a jerk to your dog (she phrases it better)—you may not realize you’re doing it. She wants to steer people away from popular training techniques based on leadership and commands.
Until now, much of the relationship has consisted of a one-way communication: I, the owner, tell you what to do and you do what I say. This has nothing to do with a relationship…If you want your dog to respect you, you must also respect your dog. A good relationship is based on two-way communication, and living together in a well-balanced togetherness.
“Well-balanced togetherness”—isn’t that a nice phrase?
This book isn’t going to solve all the issues people have with their dogs, but I think it’s provides an important foundation for building trust, which you pretty much need for any training you need to do.
It takes so little to be friendly to a dog, and the result can be so overwhelmingly huge. You always have the choice of being threatening or calming. To me, the choice is easy.show less
This little booklet training manual is a one-trick pony about calming signals for dogs, but it covers that topic very well. It goes through each calming signal and then has pictures to show dogs using them. Most often it is about one dog calming another dog to reduce stress of meeting, to reduce their own stress, or to reduce your stress that is being transferred to the dog.
I think the signals discussed in the book are critical to being a ‘dog-whisperer.’ All of us around dogs much have show more seen most of the behaviors but may not have identified each one individually. Most people probably do not know that they work when we do similar behavior and how it can calm a dog. Here is the list of signals:
Head turning – can be swift movement or held to one side for a longer period
Softening the eyes – lowering the lids so as not to be staring in a more threatening way
Turning away – turning the side or back to someone is very calming
Licking the nose – can also be a very quick movement of the tongue
Freezing – your dog may freeze, stopping, standing, sitting, or lying still like when a larger dog comes up too close
Walking slowly, using slow movements – when movements become slower, maybe hardly moving at all, can have a very calming affect
Play Bow – can be an invitation to play, but if he stands still in a bow the possibility of it being a calming signal is high
Sitting down – your dog may sit when another dog is making him feel uncertain
Down – while laying down belly up is a submissive posture, just laying down is a calming to the dog and other dogs
Yawning – dogs yawn in different situations to calm themselves and is one of the first ones puppies use
Curving – walking in a curve or at a little distance from another dog with most dogs not usually going directly
Splitting up – physically putting one’s body between dogs or people is a calming signal
Some of them I had heard before. I was told best when greeting a dog to kneel down and angle your body away from a dog and let them come to you. I knew about yawning around a dog to help calm the dog, and the book even remarks it is the signal most people find fun to use. I like to think of yawning as saying, 'I am so non-threatening and confident that I don't have to bother with you or you bother me so much so that I am bored and relaxed.'
Most people know not to directly stare at a dog, but may not think to send calming signals to a dog for different situations by; turning their head, turning their body at an angle, sitting down, having guests sit down, or maybe even lying down on a couch.
Most people have also probably heard that a good way to introduce their dog to another dog is while walking, but the suggestion to walk with several people in between the dogs isn’t something I previously had thought of adding.
So good book for the topic is covers. We just need to be observant and experiment with the different signals and see what helps calm our dog or other dogs and use it to help. Love to hear any comments and tips you can share. show less
I think the signals discussed in the book are critical to being a ‘dog-whisperer.’ All of us around dogs much have show more seen most of the behaviors but may not have identified each one individually. Most people probably do not know that they work when we do similar behavior and how it can calm a dog. Here is the list of signals:
Head turning – can be swift movement or held to one side for a longer period
Softening the eyes – lowering the lids so as not to be staring in a more threatening way
Turning away – turning the side or back to someone is very calming
Licking the nose – can also be a very quick movement of the tongue
Freezing – your dog may freeze, stopping, standing, sitting, or lying still like when a larger dog comes up too close
Walking slowly, using slow movements – when movements become slower, maybe hardly moving at all, can have a very calming affect
Play Bow – can be an invitation to play, but if he stands still in a bow the possibility of it being a calming signal is high
Sitting down – your dog may sit when another dog is making him feel uncertain
Down – while laying down belly up is a submissive posture, just laying down is a calming to the dog and other dogs
Yawning – dogs yawn in different situations to calm themselves and is one of the first ones puppies use
Curving – walking in a curve or at a little distance from another dog with most dogs not usually going directly
Splitting up – physically putting one’s body between dogs or people is a calming signal
Some of them I had heard before. I was told best when greeting a dog to kneel down and angle your body away from a dog and let them come to you. I knew about yawning around a dog to help calm the dog, and the book even remarks it is the signal most people find fun to use. I like to think of yawning as saying, 'I am so non-threatening and confident that I don't have to bother with you or you bother me so much so that I am bored and relaxed.'
Most people know not to directly stare at a dog, but may not think to send calming signals to a dog for different situations by; turning their head, turning their body at an angle, sitting down, having guests sit down, or maybe even lying down on a couch.
Most people have also probably heard that a good way to introduce their dog to another dog is while walking, but the suggestion to walk with several people in between the dogs isn’t something I previously had thought of adding.
So good book for the topic is covers. We just need to be observant and experiment with the different signals and see what helps calm our dog or other dogs and use it to help. Love to hear any comments and tips you can share. show less
This little booklet training manual is a one-trick pony about calming signals for dogs, but it covers that topic very well. It goes through each calming signal and then has pictures to show dogs using them. Most often it is about one dog calming another dog to reduce stress of meeting, to reduce their own stress, or to reduce your stress that is being transferred to the dog.
I think the signals discussed in the book are critical to being a ‘dog-whisperer.’ All of us around dogs much have show more seen most of the behaviors but may not have identified each one individually. Most people probably do not know that they work when we do similar behavior and how it can calm a dog. Here is the list of signals:
Head turning – can be swift movement or held to one side for a longer period
Softening the eyes – lowering the lids so as not to be staring in a more threatening way
Turning away – turning the side or back to someone is very calming
Licking the nose – can also be a very quick movement of the tongue
Freezing – your dog may freeze, stopping, standing, sitting, or lying still like when a larger dog comes up too close
Walking slowly, using slow movements – when movements become slower, maybe hardly moving at all, can have a very calming affect
Play Bow – can be an invitation to play, but if he stands still in a bow the possibility of it being a calming signal is high
Sitting down – your dog may sit when another dog is making him feel uncertain
Down – while laying down belly up is a submissive posture, just laying down is a calming to the dog and other dogs
Yawning – dogs yawn in different situations to calm themselves and is one of the first ones puppies use
Curving – walking in a curve or at a little distance from another dog with most dogs not usually going directly
Splitting up – physically putting one’s body between dogs or people is a calming signal
Some of them I had heard before. I was told best when greeting a dog to kneel down and angle your body away from a dog and let them come to you. I knew about yawning around a dog to help calm the dog, and the book even remarks it is the signal most people find fun to use. I like to think of yawning as saying, 'I am so non-threatening and confident that I don't have to bother with you or you bother me so much so that I am bored and relaxed.'
Most people know not to directly stare at a dog, but may not think to send calming signals to a dog for different situations by; turning their head, turning their body at an angle, sitting down, having guests sit down, or maybe even lying down on a couch.
Most people have also probably heard that a good way to introduce their dog to another dog is while walking, but the suggestion to walk with several people in between the dogs isn’t something I previously had thought of adding.
So good book for the topic is covers. We just need to be observant and experiment with the different signals and see what helps calm our dog or other dogs and use it to help. Love to hear any comments and tips you can share. show less
I think the signals discussed in the book are critical to being a ‘dog-whisperer.’ All of us around dogs much have show more seen most of the behaviors but may not have identified each one individually. Most people probably do not know that they work when we do similar behavior and how it can calm a dog. Here is the list of signals:
Head turning – can be swift movement or held to one side for a longer period
Softening the eyes – lowering the lids so as not to be staring in a more threatening way
Turning away – turning the side or back to someone is very calming
Licking the nose – can also be a very quick movement of the tongue
Freezing – your dog may freeze, stopping, standing, sitting, or lying still like when a larger dog comes up too close
Walking slowly, using slow movements – when movements become slower, maybe hardly moving at all, can have a very calming affect
Play Bow – can be an invitation to play, but if he stands still in a bow the possibility of it being a calming signal is high
Sitting down – your dog may sit when another dog is making him feel uncertain
Down – while laying down belly up is a submissive posture, just laying down is a calming to the dog and other dogs
Yawning – dogs yawn in different situations to calm themselves and is one of the first ones puppies use
Curving – walking in a curve or at a little distance from another dog with most dogs not usually going directly
Splitting up – physically putting one’s body between dogs or people is a calming signal
Some of them I had heard before. I was told best when greeting a dog to kneel down and angle your body away from a dog and let them come to you. I knew about yawning around a dog to help calm the dog, and the book even remarks it is the signal most people find fun to use. I like to think of yawning as saying, 'I am so non-threatening and confident that I don't have to bother with you or you bother me so much so that I am bored and relaxed.'
Most people know not to directly stare at a dog, but may not think to send calming signals to a dog for different situations by; turning their head, turning their body at an angle, sitting down, having guests sit down, or maybe even lying down on a couch.
Most people have also probably heard that a good way to introduce their dog to another dog is while walking, but the suggestion to walk with several people in between the dogs isn’t something I previously had thought of adding.
So good book for the topic is covers. We just need to be observant and experiment with the different signals and see what helps calm our dog or other dogs and use it to help. Love to hear any comments and tips you can share. show less
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