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calming signals

1K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  Muddypaws 
#1 ·
Someone on another thread mentioned this trainers youtube videos on clicker training so I did a search and this video popped up. I found this really interesting and it will be an important thing I can use with my dog - I wanted to share!!!


 
#2 ·
Thanks for sharing! Half way through the video, I decided to try this with Bailey and Annie. I laid on the floor on my back next to Bailey and yawned. Bailey immediatly started to sniff my head and attack me with face licks. Annie came over and joined in on the fun too! The girls did a pretty good job washing my face. lol Their tails were wagging a thousand miles a minute too!
 
#3 ·
Thanks that was really interesting!!! Thanks for posting :)

I'm still not sure I really understand how these are meant to work... if dogs do them when they are feeling stressed, does it mean they are signals of unhappiness? Or merely that they are signals of "not being a threat," which they happen to try and utilize at times of stress around other dogs/people (but also other times too)? I just don't want to be trying to imitate signals that would indicate to Oscar that *I* am stressed out (like she did during the thunderstorm...?)

(Not expecting an answer LOL just musing out loud!)
 
#6 ·
OK I tried some of these things. None of them worked. Griff stared at me and started to bark (which he never does). "Mama - what the heck is wrong with you? Now Please come with me to the kitchen, there's pancakes left out!"

I think every dog reacts and responds to their owners the way they think their owners want them to.

Yawning IMHO is the dog's attempt to calm itself when stressed. I think she is stressing her dogs. LOL
 
#7 ·
Really interesting video, but it leaves me with alot of questions in my mind. I think the calming signals are for themselves...mostly....not for others. So if I would do these things, it would mean I am trying to calm myself down, not get them to calm down.

The yawning is definitely a calming signal for a dog...I've heard this before. When Jax is barking at Lucy, she often times yams at him...is it a signal to HIM to stop the barking and calm down, or is it her own internal signal not to get excited by his barking. I dunno.

The look aways...hmmm.... I remember reading somehwere that this just means they are avoiding conflict with the dog. Just like you are told not to make eye contact with a dog that looks threatening. Eye contact somehow means you are ready for confrontation.

Sighing is something my dogs do all the time when they are starting to really relax while lying down. Are they trying to signal themselves to calm...signal other...I doubt it...I think its their bodys own reaction to the relaxing.
 
#8 ·
If you get a chance to watch dogs in groups you see these signals <and others> ALL the time....the signals definitely means something to dogs that are versed in doggy body language and dont mean much to those that are not well versed.....

When a dog A approaches dog B...if dog B is not interested...dog B will often look away...if dog A is smart he will also look away and move on...if he ignores Dog B signals then the stress level increases. And it forces Dog B to signal yet again...

The dogs that are not well-versed often miss the cues or ignore them and then you see the stress levels in all the dogs increase...Learning these signals are what puppy socialization is about...

You see other dogs in the group that are aware that Dog B is not pleased with Dog A's behavior and start to offer other their own behaviors to diffuse the situation....some will yawn, or sniff the ground in an attempt to draw Dog a away from Dog B... or will try to engage Dog A themselves. Some will subtly walk between Dog A and Dog B to diffuse the tension...

Liberty does ALL of these when a new puppy comes to the house....If the puppy is getting carried away and she sees Lexi offering signals to the puppy and the signals being ignored...Liberty will do all she can to diffuse the tension and draw the pup away from Lexi...Is Liberty offering signals to calm her self...sure, partly...she doesnt want the conflict around her...but I think she also offers the signals to calm Lexi down....

Liberty's signals are FAR more obvious then Lexi's when a puppy is around...if she were simple trying to calm her self then the signals would be subtle and self serving...to me....they seem to be exaggerated for the puppy's sake...which makes me beleive that the signals are for the group's benefit....not just to calm herself...

Lexi does not alter her signals for a puppy...why, I have no idea. Her status in the group?...her age?....her own lack of socialization?
But if a puppy ignores them one second too long...the puppy will pay....and by golly...the pup rarely ever misses that signal from her again.

I take advantage of them when I work any of the dogs...especially when they are learning something new...they help me to know if I am pushing too hard too fast...If I see looking away repeatedly or lots of yawning, scratching, lip licking I know the dog is trying to calm himself down or appease me....either way I dont push that particular skill too hard for too long....I beleive some stress has to happen when learning is going on <dogs and people> so I don't avoid the signals all the time....but if I ignore the signals too long then the dog shuts down and no learning happens.
 
#9 ·
I can tell you that lip licking in a Silky Terrier means a bite is next. :no: We called it flicking his bick (not to sound dirty - we mean his tongue). If you see one of those little terriers doing it do not attempt to pet them - you may loose a digit.
 
#10 ·
This is all very interesting. LibertyMe everything you mentioned makes sense especially in training. Both of mine scratch when we do something in class, they will also yawn. This practically never happens at home and they rarely ever scratch (so they are not "itchy").

In class I know they are stressed so I let them do their thing and then do the exercise. If everything is going well Kirby does very well, but if we are having a lapse in communication and I begin to get frustrated the behaviors increase and she will just shut down. Now that I know the signs I quit before she gets to that point. We will go do "fun" stuff until we are both ready to work or sometimes it means tonight isn't the night to work.

Darby goes from anxious to stressed to excited to bored in a flash, it is hard to keep up with his swings but if I keep him moving and change things up often he can focus in and concentrate. He loves to learn knew things but can easily get bored and loose focus, if I get frustrated then he really gets stressed ad the drool factory cranks up operations. I think they have a lot of signs and we need to recognize them and learn how t respond to each dogs needs. With Kirby it is take a break and have fun with Darby it is move on to something new then go back to something old.
 
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