Dog Body Language

Dog body language: Even though dogs have become domesticated, they still use the same language wolves do. Dogs have three types of linguistic codes which include: visual, acoustic, and smell, and whenever they want to communicate with us they use these signs. There are many occasions in which an owner and a dog do not get along well because the owner is unable to understand the dog's language even when the animal is expressing himself as clearly as possible. Dogs consider body language to be extremely important. The way a dog stares, the position he puts his ears and tail, and the gestures he makes with his body combine together forming a very precise linguistic code. Only a dominating dog will stare into your eyes. For centuries now dogs have been bred and this has limited their capability to express themselves especially in the cases of dogs that have very long ears or coats (you can't even see some dog's bodies because of their coats). Dogs that have their tails cut, or ears cut, also have difficulty communicating with the rest. In nature dogs use their voice to communicate by distance or in the cases of places with dense vegetation which causes visual contact to be impossible. There are different types of barks that express alarm, say hi, give warnings, say they want to play or that they want attention etc. there are also soft grunts, as well as fierce growls which could indicate, fear, pain, asking for help etc. and they used to howl to get the whole pack together to hunt. When a dog howls in this day and age, it means that he feels abandoned by his family and is trying to get them to come back. Smelling signals are also important; since dogs have very strong senses of smell, they are able to recognize other individuals. A dog has certain glands around its head and tail that secrete odor substances that do not smell like any other dog. In nature wolves urinate to indicate their territory and male dogs that are not neutered do the same. When a female is in heat, she emits a very particular odor which expresses her desire to copulate.