The language of dogs. Dog language translator. Do dogs understand human speech? How to communicate with your dog

FOREWORD

Man is given a great power of speech, but most of it is empty and deceiving, animals have very little, but much more useful and truthful; a little truth is better than a lot of lies.
Leonardo da Vinci, Notes, circa 1500 There is an old story about King Solomon and the magic ring with his seal and the true name of God. This ring allowed him to talk to animals and understand them. After the death of King Solomon, his ring was hidden in "a huge house with numerous doors." And as a child, I very much regretted that I did not have this ring so that I could talk to my dogs.
Then I learned that it was a fairy tale, and realized that King Solomon could speak with animals without the magic ring and that we, like him, can learn to do this. Solomon's secret was the ability to understand how animals communicate with each other, and this understanding is hidden in science, which is a house with many doors. This knowledge must be mastered in the same way as the knowledge of any other language. To begin with, learn his vocabulary, that is, what the words in the canine language are. It is also necessary to study grammar in order to be able to find words and make an understandable sentence in the canine language.
This book is about dogs: how they "talk" to each other, how they understand us and how we should understand them. Knowledge of the language of dogs allows you to understand how they feel, think and what are their intentions. Such abilities help to control their behavior and explain to them what you require of them. This, of course, does not mean that you will be able to chat with your dog about science, philosophy and morality, or discuss the latest Hollywood films with him. Nevertheless, I find my conversations with dogs more meaningful than conversations with my grandchildren of two and three years old, even if they are on the same topic. Knowing the canine language prevents misunderstandings between humans and dogs.
In our "language courses" we will learn about different wonderful dogs and how smart four-legged human friends can be. We will see how humans influenced the communication skills of dogs during the long history of domestication of their first companions.
Some of my colleagues may oppose the use of the term "language" in this context. For a long time, it was believed that language is a feature inherent exclusively in humans. However, it is clear that there are many similarities between the habits of dogs and the behavior of humans. As a psychologist, I am glad that the conclusions of studies on human learning were based on data obtained from studies of the behavior of monkeys or rats, and for most scientists they coincided. It would be foolish to think that human learning is fundamentally different from the same ability in animals and they are not identical in this. Therefore, I am surprised that, as soon as it comes to language, behaviorists stop believing in commonality and argue that our language is radically different from animal communication. Is human language unique - this question has its own history, which will open before us when we try to learn to understand canine language.
I would like to thank my wife Joan, who made many comments on the first draft of this manuscript, and also our daughter Karen, who also made some useful suggestions. I am also grateful to my dogs Wiz, Odin and Dancy for clarifying some aspects of the canine language.

1
CONVERSATIONS WITH DOGS

The justification was weighty. If his master had spoken, the ears would have heard. But the author was a dog, they did not listen to Him.
Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695), "The Peasant, the Dog and the Fox"
Probably, many would like to become Doctor Doolittle at least for a while or to get the ring of King Solomon in order to start talking with animals and understanding them. As for me, what I wanted most of all was to talk to the dogs. I remember one Sunday night sitting on the living room floor in front of the big family radio with my beagle Skippy. I leaned against an overstuffed chair, waiting for the start of my favorite radio series, starring the famous dog Lassie. A musical theme sounded - it was, in my opinion, almost a folk melody "Green Sleeves", and in a moment I heard her voice. She was barking in the distance, and her voice was approaching with every second ... Before the current galaxy of canine movie stars such as Benji and Beethoven, and their many television copies - Eddie, Wishbon and Little Tramp, Lassie was everyone's favorite. She was more than just a dog: she was a friend and close comrade, a brave defender of the offended and the weak, and, of course, a fearless fighter.
The dog, which has become the prototype of all his fellows in films and a model of canine intelligence, first appeared in a short story published in the Saturday Evening Post by Eric Knight in 1938. The story was so good that in 1940 Knight wrote a bestseller based on it, and in 1943 the melodrama Lassie Comes Home appeared. It was a color film set in Britain, where Lassie's poor owners, under pressure from financial problems, sell a friendly collie to a wealthy dog \u200b\u200bowner (whose daughter is played by a very young Elizabeth Taylor). Lassie escapes from the duke and his cruel dog handler - this is how her journey from Scotland to England begins, home to her young owner (played by Roddy McDowell). Lassie, a pleasant dog in all respects, was not played by a bitch at all, but by a dog named Paul. Virtually all Lassies have been drag queens ever since. Males were preferred, as they are larger and not so timid. But more importantly, un-sterilized bitches have estrus twice a year, during which they lose a significant portion of their fur. This, of course, worried the director - after all, the audience would notice that Lassie's coat changes from scene to scene.
However, let's leave sex issues aside. Lassie was the first dog to inform people about how animals think and act. So far, only nine films have been made about her adventures. But in them, Lassie managed to overshadow the most famous Hollywood stars, including James Stewart, Helen Slater, Nigel Bruce, Elsa Lancaster, Frederick Forest, Mickey Rooney and many others. The television series, which aired from 1954 to 1991 (with short breaks), changed six cast. During this time, Lassie's television family included famous actors such as Cloris Leachman and June Lockhard. Many of the episodes are still being repeated on television. There was even an animated series about Lassie ("Lassie the Lifeguard"), which was shown on Saturday morning on the children's channel.
Perhaps Lassie's most unusual starring role was on a radio series that ran from 1947 to 1950, and I was a young fan of hers. I bet if the producers made a radio series with a dog today, they would have decided that Les-si should be given a human voice so that we can hear her thoughts and understand what she has to say. It would be a soft, feminine voice that cannot be dated, perhaps with a slight Scottish accent to remind us of her origins. However, that radio series matched the on-screen character Lassie. She never spoke human language - she barked. The floor in radio shows also barked, and the whimpers, growls and puffs were convincingly voiced by people.
The magic of the show was that Lassie didn't have to speak English, Spanish, German, French, or any other language. Her owners and everyone else, who am I? I heard it, they understood it without translation. A typical episode looked something like this.
Lassie comes running with desperate barking and whimpering.
Her young master asks:
- What happened, girl?
Lassie barks in response.
- Did something happen to your mom? - the boy decrypts (and Lassie barks and squeals). - Oh no, she's hurt! Dad asked her not to use this car on her own. Run to Dr. Williams, I saw him stop by Johnson's just down the road. And I'll come back and see if I can help with something.
The boy runs home. Lassie barks and rushes for help. The doctor, of course, will understand every "woof" and whine and will certainly help.
In other episodes, Lassie barks that bad people are approaching, about lost or stolen things, or warns the owner that someone is not telling the truth. Lassie seems to be fluent in a universal language. There is one episode where a boy from France, after the tragic death of his parents, comes to live with his uncle. The poor child doesn't know English. Fortunately, this is not necessary. After all, Lassie speaks a universal language (let's call it canine). The boy immediately understands this - all French dogs use the same language. Therefore, Lassie can tell him (barking, whining, whimpering, sometimes dull growls) that he is where people are his friends, although there is one bad boy who is worth taking a closer look at. Thanks to her abilities, Lassie made friends with the local guys, settled some misunderstandings between them and taught him the first words in English. Of course, they were "Lassie, you are a wonderful dog!".
I really envied the Lassie family and their neighbors. All about ... knew how to understand the dog's language and knew how to explain to their dog what they want from her. I stroked Skippy's long ears and wondered why this language was not clear to me.
Not that I really didn't understand anything Skippy was trying to tell me. When he wagged his tail, it was clear that he was happy. When he tucked his tail, I realized that he felt bad. When he barked, I knew that someone had come or that he wanted to eat or play, or that he was just excited ... In general, he barked a lot. For example, when he barked at someone (the beagles at the same time emit a peculiar singing sound - yodel), I knew that he was chasing some kind of "prey". Skippy had no language problems, I had them. My dog \u200b\u200bhad to be quite resourceful to tell me anything. One day, he moved his water bowl on the kitchen floor until it rested on my feet to tell me that he was thirsty and there was no water in the bowl. However, more often than not I could not understand what he was "saying", and the gaps in our communication saddened me very much. Now, after years of study and research, I think I have begun to understand the language of my four-legged friends. As a psychologist, I also sought to understand if the understanding between a dog and a person affects their relationship.
People think that speech is the most important part of human relationships. Look at families with children with intellectual disabilities. You will find love and affection there, even if the child cannot speak and fully understand the language of adults. But such a child gives parents more grief than a healthy one, because there are problems of communication and understanding. Some studies have shown that the most important factor in the entry of an immigrant or refugee into a new society is the speed and quality of learning the language of this new country. And a person's ability to understand the language of a dog determines how well it fits into the family. Failure to understand the emotional characteristics of a dog can harm its owners and even itself. For example, here's the story of Finnigan, a beautiful Irish setter from Melanie's breeding farm. I knew Melanie as a careful breeder. Her conscientiousness allowed her to create a line of dogs that were not only beautiful but also kind, playful and friendly. Imagine how surprised Melanie was when she heard complaints over the phone from people who bought Finnigan. They said he was too aggressive. They said that he jumped and growled at guests and other dogs. They turned to the trainer, but he said that it was impossible to correct this behavior. In the end, he advised to put the dog to sleep. But they didn’t want to do it, though they couldn’t keep Finnigan any longer. Melanie offered to refund the full cost of the dog and asked for it back.
Then she called me.
“I've never dealt with aggressive dogs before,” Melanie admitted and added, “I would like to ask you to come to help me deal with him.
I couldn't imagine one of her dogs becoming aggressive, but there was so much concern in Melanie's voice that I agreed to accompany her. I brought with me a complete set of equipment for aggressive dogs - several strict collars and strong leashes. There was also a muzzle, in addition, I took a heavy blanket with me so that in case of resistance, I would restrict the dog's movements and put on a muzzle and a leash. The finishing touch is a pair of leather gloves (which saved my hands a few times).
When Finnigan's truck arrived, I examined his carrier. No growls, no throws, just an excited whimper. However, we were still afraid and therefore slowly opened the door. A happy dog \u200b\u200bjumped out from there, looking around, trying to figure out where he was. When he realized that he was in a new, unfamiliar environment, he opened his mouth and showed all his white teeth and huge mouth.
I laughed, which probably upset Melanie, but I didn't do it on purpose. The fact is that to a person who does not understand the language of dogs, the instant flash of forty-two white teeth could seem aggressive. However, a dog can show teeth in a wide variety of situations and with a wide variety of facial expressions. Finnigan's face was now a submissive, peaceful smile. And this expression did not mean: “Back, or I will bite!”, It meant: “Excellent. I am not threatening. I understand that you are in charge here. "
The activity of the young setter really made him jump on people and dogs. But that jump was part of the greeting. He just wanted to touch the nose of the two-legged creatures, and the only way to reach such a high nose is to jump. To show that this was not a threat, he grimaced amiably. And the more his family and trainers tried to fix him, the more submissive he became. The more submissive he became, the more often he tried to "smile", thinking that they had simply missed this signal, and he wanted to calm them down. And of course, the wider he “smiled”, the more noticeable his teeth became. Finnigan's first family simply did not understand what the dog was trying to tell them, and if they followed the advice the trainer gave them, the dog would no longer be alive. Finnigan is now happy with his new family. Melanie told me that he still smiles and jumps, but she immediately explained to the new owners what that meant.
Unfortunately, incorrect translation of the signals given by the dog can lead to great difficulties and mutual resentment. Eleanor came to me because of a difficulty with a fine light colored American Cocker Spaniel named Videls. As Eleanor said, “She drives my husband crazy. She just refuses to be clean and now makes puddles just out of anger. Stephen (husband) says that if we cannot deal with this situation as quickly as possible, we will have to get rid of the dog. ”
The period when the puppy learns to send his natural needs outside is quite a stressful time. But one way or another, this is a matter of several weeks. The owner just needs to clearly track the feeding time and take care of getting the dog out on time. Videls, when I first heard of her, was seven months old - old enough to make puddles. So I asked what the owners were doing to teach her to be clean. - Stephen loves to keep the apartment clean, so it was important for us to teach Videls to walk outside as soon as possible. I read one of the books on the subject and did what it says, so Videls learned to write and poop in the street. But we still had "accidents." Stephen said that I was too soft with Videls and solved the problem differently. When he found the spot where she had stained the floor, he would grab her, drag her to the "crime scene" and poke his nose at what she had done. He shouted at her, slapped her bottom and put her out on the street.
Not long ago, Stephen was away on a business trip for four weeks. While he was gone, Videls behaved beautifully. Unless she could not stand it a couple of times, that's all. I just wiped it off and took it out into the yard without much fuss. Then for two whole weeks the house was absolutely clean. But as soon as Stephen returned, everything went up and down. You won't believe what this dog did. When he entered the house, she began to write right in front of him. Stephen got so angry that I got scared - he could really beat her. And Videls seemed to want to make him even more angry. As soon as Stephen entered the room, she fell on her back right at his feet, showing her belly. And when he bent over her, she tried to write directly in his face. That's why I'm here now.
In my heart I immediately felt sorry for poor Videls. Dogs communicate with different signs than humans. Videls signaled in the only language she knew. Unfortunately, there were no translators around, and her request for understanding was misinterpreted and turned into a real problem. Her behavior had nothing to do with shortcomings in training or a desire to annoy the owners. From my conversation with Eleanor, I realized that Videls practically did not write at home. This line of behavior was chosen by the dog because of Stephen. He reacted too harshly to the fact that little Videls sometimes got into trouble. This terrified her. When a dog is too intimidated, it tries to appear as insignificant as possible, small, absolutely not threatening to humans. Low squats and rolling onto your back are part of this behavior.
What Eleanor mistook for a vicious attempt to urinate in her husband's face was merely a demonstration of the dog's utmost submission and fear. She wrote to appear to the "dominant dog" as a small puppy and so that he would not offend her. This behavior is laid down in childhood, when the mother, in order to lick the baby, turns him on his back with her paw. In fact, Videls was trying her best to say, “You're scaring me, but look closely, I'm not a threat. I'm just a little helpless puppy. " Once the message was translated, Eleanor knew she had to believe Videls. It was more difficult to persuade her husband to become softer, not to be so angry with the dog and not to frighten her anymore.
Many canine messages can be misunderstood. I was approached by Josephine, who had problems with her dog.
“Pluto is being too gentle with me, which makes my husband very upset. He took him as a watchdog and does not want him to turn into a lapdog, even in the family circle, she said by phone.
Pluto turned out to be a large Rottweiler named after the cartoon dog Pluto, who always fought Popey the Sailor. This name says a lot about the person who gave it, and about what he expected from the dog. Vincent trained the dog, using sometimes rather harsh methods to make him the very Pluto. The dog obeyed him, although without much desire. According to Josephine, he did not obey her at all, although he constantly fondled her.
When I came to them, Vincent was working. Josephine ushered me into the living room. I sat in a chair and watched her sitting with her back straight on the edge of the sofa. Pluto was at her feet. He was a rather large dog - about 55 kilograms of steel muscles, Josephine weighed about 45 kilograms, was fragile and not very athletic. We talked, and Pluto put his paw on her lap, and she immediately answered him - stroked the head. After a couple of seconds, Pluto had already jumped onto the sofa, and Josephine had to move so that a large animal could fit on the sofa. He sat there looking at me, then looked at her carefully. When he looked straight into her eyes, she immediately stroked him.
Then Pluto threw all his weight on the little woman. After a while, she moved over to free herself from the heavy dog. He, too, moved and leaned on her again. She moved a few more centimeters, he again moved towards her. This performance lasted all the time that we talked, until Josephine was on the other end of the couch. When she had nowhere to move, she stood up and pointed at Pluto.
“That's exactly what I meant. He is always looking for my attention. He looks into my eyes and leans against me to show how much he loves me. I can't watch TV without him sitting behind me and pushing me away while Vince is not at home. I don't want to beat his pride, but he is a big dog. Such obsession irritates me and worries my husband. Is there a way to teach him to be more independent and self-confident?
Again the dog was sending a message that was misinterpreted by humans. Pluto didn't tell Josephine, “I love you. I need you. I completely depend on your attention, ”- how she and her husband translated his signals. Instead, he reported: "I have a higher status than you, so when the leader of the pack (Vincent) is far away, I am responsible for everything, and you will give in to me and give me everything I need."
The signs of dominance were quite obvious. A dog that puts its paw on the knee of a person, thereby expresses its dominance over this person, the wolf acts in the same way when it puts its paw on the shoulder or on the back of another wolf, demonstrating its leadership. In addition, it is also a threatening gesture designed to calm down the members of the pack. Josephine acknowledged his leadership by stroking him, just as an ordinary wolf could lick the face of a higher status wolf. Finally the dog leaned against it to force it to make room for him. Leaders (alpha leaders) can occupy any territory, can sleep where they want, and lie where they want, and the rest of the pack are forced to yield, thus demonstrating their agreement with the dominant position of the leader. In short, Pluto said, "I am in charge," and Josephine replied, "Yes, I recognize your authority."
Once the message was decrypted, a solution to the problem was found easily. Josephine took the dog to training courses, where he learned to follow her commands. Since she could not physically dominate the animal, she used the treat to force him to obey. Moreover, she became responsible for feeding him at home. Before getting his bowl, the dog had to follow simple commands, such as "Sit", "Stand". In the wild, the order of distribution of food and control of the hunt is carried out by the leader, he is in charge of all the prey of the pack. Taking control of food and dispensing treats for correctly executed commands, Josephine used a formula from canine communication, conveying the following information: "This two-legged dog has a higher status than you, even if it cannot be as strong as you."
So people can learn to understand the language of dogs and communicate with them if they can speak the canine dialect. An interesting story was told to me by Dr. Michael Fox, who is known for his sensational research on the behavior of domestic and wild dogs. Fox taught in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington in St. Louis. In his study, he compared the behavior of different species of wild dogs - wolf, fox and coyote - with that of domestic dogs. Scientists have found that there is a set of universal rules of behavior that are common to all dogs. Knowing this, we can learn a lot about pets by studying the behavior of the wolf. Conversely, we can study the behavior of a wolf using the example of a small sleeping la, which gets tangled under our feet. Now this statement is known to everyone and is used by many scientists, and then Fox's discovery was still disputed.
I met with Dr. Fox after a lecture he was giving. I introduced myself and said that I had seen the documentary he made, The Wolf Man. He immediately turned the conversation into an unusual direction:
- Yes, making the film, I realized that I really know how to communicate with wolves so well that it saved my life. But I did not know then that the wolves would be the first to want to escape the clashes.
He talked about it easily, like an adventure:
“We just brought some wolves together for a research program and wanted to watch them. I was hoping that we would have the opportunity to film a good film of greeting patterns and the hierarchy process. We mixed a pair - a wolf and a she-wolf (they were about four years old) with a group of unfamiliar animals. The she-wolf had estrus and flirted with the wolf. In a situation with new wolves on its territory and a "flowing" she-wolf, the wolf became very nervous.
We were hiding behind a bush when a couple dealt with the alien wolves and ended up near our shelter. When they got closer, I decided that this would allow me to take great shots, hurried to point the lens at them and went out of hiding. And then they abruptly changed direction and caught me at the crime scene. They saw a man who boldly walked right at them, and even stared into all eyes. This behavior (walking directly at the wolf and looking straight ahead) signals a threat. So I stopped right there. I thought that would be enough to get out of trouble. But I couldn't take my eyes off them, which they decoded as a challenge. There were no further negotiations with me, the wolf just attacked me. With the camera on my wrist, I couldn't do anything. It remained only to raise your hands up and call the trainer. (Now I understand that I did something completely wrong, because raising my hands is like trying to establish dominance. That is how the wolves translated it into their own language, when they saw in me an animal that wants to appear larger in rage. And the scream was understood as a perverse growl. ) Meanwhile, the wolf was biting my hands and pounced on my back, and the she-wolf, who joined him, gnawed at my legs. And then I gathered my courage and remembered how to tell them that there was no need to bite me. I froze and sank down to seem small to them, began to whine and squeak like a frightened wolf cub. They immediately stopped tormenting me, but the wolf looked me straight in the eyes and growled. I averted my eyes, continuing to whine. When the couple relaxed and retreated a short distance, I tried to step back a little, which caused them to attack me again. However, this time the attack was not so brutal. This meant that they understood what I was trying to tell them.
By that time the trainer had arrived. He grabbed the wolf and pulled him away. But the she-wolf continued to look me in the eyes, as if she was waiting for me to make the next movement. I didn't move. He stayed there with his eyes half closed, whimpering and squeaking, until the collar was put on her and taken away.
I was wearing rather thick clothes, so they couldn't really tear me apart. And yet, while they were dragging me, I received many painful blows and bruises, a tendon was also damaged and one muscle was stretched.
He laughed and took a sip from his glass.
- This incident was filmed. One of those photographs perfectly illustrates the expression of fear in wolves.
In this situation, a well-trained and knowledgeable person gave the wrong signals, which provoked the attack. Fortunately, he knew the canine language well in order to explain to the attackers in time that the incident was a mistake and he did not intend to challenge anyone to fight or threaten anyone. This is what saved him from real reprisals.
How well we get along with the dog depends largely on our ability to understand its language. If a person knows how to speak a dog's language, then he will be able to translate what the dog says to him, to correctly understand all its signals. Unlike human language, which can be learned, much of the canine language is programmed into the animal's genes. True, the dog itself is able to learn a lot of the human language, which makes it easier to communicate with it. However, before we can talk to our pets, it will be helpful to learn a thing or two about their language as such.

Dogs are special creatures. All dog owners know about it. Most of them feel as if the dog understands their every word and their actions. Research over the past 20 years shows that dogs can understand human communication better than any other animal. New research confirms that if you want to train your puppy, you must speak to him in a specific way to maximize the chance that he will understand you.

There is already quite a lot of evidence that we communicate with dogs differently from other people. When we speak to dogs, we use "dog speech." This means that we change the structure of sentences, shorten them and simplify them. We also usually speak in higher notes. We use these same techniques when we are not sure that we are understood, or when talking to babies.

New research shows that when we talk to puppies, we raise our voice even more, and that this tactic really helps animals with concentration. A study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that talking to puppies using "dog-speaking" helps them respond better and increases their attention to the human instructor.

For verification, the researchers used experiments with the so-called. "Reproduction". They recorded people repeating the phrase: “Hello! Hi handsome! Who is the good boy? Go here! Good boy! Yes, come here, my sweetie! What a good boy!" Each time the speaker looked at pictures of puppies, adult dogs, old dogs, or did not look at the photo at all. Analysis of the recordings showed that the volunteers did change their speech patterns depending on the dog.

The researchers then played back the tapes to several puppies and adult dogs, and recorded their responses. The puppies were found to be more responsive to notes made when subjects looked at pictures of dogs (speaking to dogs).

The researchers found no similar effect in adult dogs. But other studies that have recorded how dogs respond to human voices in live interaction indicate that “dog-speaking” speech can be useful for communicating with dogs of all ages.

It has also been proven (as most dog owners will tell you) that gestures can be used with dogs. From puppyhood, dogs respond to human gestures, such as pointing, in a different way from other creatures. The test is very simple. Place two matching cups covering two pieces of food in front of your dog, making sure he is not seeing the food or knowing what is under the cups. Now point to one of the two cups while maintaining eye contact with the dog. She will follow your gesture to the cup you have lent and will examine it, expecting to find something underneath.

The dog understands that your actions mean an attempt to communicate. This is surprising, because even the closest relatives of people, chimpanzees, do not understand that in such a situation people tell them their intention. Wolves - the closest relatives of dogs - do not understand this either, even if they were raised like dogs near people.

This gave rise to the idea that the skills and behavior of dogs in this area is an adaptation to the human environment. Living with humans for 30,000 years has resulted in dogs evolving with communication skills comparable to those of children.

But still, there is a difference between how dogs understand our communication with them, and children. It is believed that dogs, unlike children, view the pointing gesture as a form of loose command that tells them where to go, rather than simply conveying information. When you point at something to a child, they think you are informing them of something.

The ability of dogs to recognize spatial cues would be an ideal adaptation for living with humans. For example, for thousands of years, dogs have been used as a social tool to help graze and hunt when they needed to be manipulated from a great distance using gestures. Recent research supports the idea that dogs not only have developed the ability to recognize gestures, but have developed a special sensitivity to the human voice, which helps them understand whether they need to respond to what is said.

In the Lola Ya Bonobo Nature Reserve, where Vanessa and I study primates, lives a dog named Mystic. During the day she is affectionate and shy, but at night she is completely transformed. The mystic guards our home, barking menacingly at those who come close enough. In the Congo, they know that it is always better to be extra safe. The only problem is that our house is located on the main path in the reserve, along which the night shift workers constantly walk back and forth. The mystic regularly barks at every passer-by, regardless of whether she met a person yesterday or has known him all his life. Finally, we just learned to sleep with this barking. But I'm thinking: and if a serious danger arises - for example, a stranger approaches with a gun - will the Mystic bark in some unusual way? So that we understand: there is something strange and alarming in a person approaching a house.

It might seem that canine vocalizations are pretty straightforward. Raymond Coppinger has pointed out that most canine sound signals are barking and that barking does not appear to be differentiated in any way. Coppinger tells the story of a dog who has been ordered to guard free-grazing livestock. The dog barked continuously for seven hours, although there was no other dog within a radius of several miles. If barking has a communicative component, then the dog would not bark when no one hears it. Coppinger believed that with the help of barking, the dog was simply throwing out some kind of internal irritation. This “irritation pattern” means that dogs have little control over their barking. They don't consider whether anyone is listening to them. The sounds themselves do not carry practically any information, but only express the emotional state of the dog.

Perhaps the ability to bark is another by-product of domestication. Unlike dogs, wolves rarely bark. Barking makes up less than 3% of wolf vocalizations. By the way, experimental foxes, which we studied in Russia, bark when a person approaches, but control foxes do not. Active barking when irritated is probably another consequence of selection against aggressiveness.

However, recent research suggests that barking is possibly more complex than we have previously thought. Dogs have very flexible vocal cords, or "modifiable vocal cords". Dogs are able to subtly change their voice and make quite a variety of sounds with different meanings. Perhaps dogs are able to change voices in such a way that these variations will be distinguishable for other dogs, but not for humans. When scientists filmed spectrograms of a dog's bark, that is, they tried to visualize it, it turned out that barking is different even for the same individual. Depending on the context, barking differs in duration, pitch, and amplitude. Barking is likely to have different meanings.

I knew two Australian dogs - Chocolate and Sina - who loved to play throw-and-fetch on the beach. After each toss of the ball, they dashed across the surf, chasing a magical rubber sphere. If Chocolate catches the ball, then Sina tries to snatch the toy out of her mouth, even when Chocolate grumbles loudly. These friends love to eat together, but when Sina tries to do this trick with the Chocolate treat, the result is completely different. Chocolate drives away the freeloader with a quiet but menacing grunt.

It is difficult to understand how Sina guesses in which cases it is possible to pull something out of Chocolate's mouth, because in both the first and second situations, Chocolate grumbles when she is annoyed and does not want to share. In any case, Chocolate grows louder and, it would seem, is more terrible precisely when playing, and not during a meal.

Experiments show that dogs use different barking and growling patterns to communicate different information. In one experiment, the researchers recorded the "dinner growl" that a dog makes over food, and a "growl at a stranger," which signifies the approach of a stranger. After that, the scientists played these variations of growling to a dog that was approaching a juicy bone. Dogs were noticeably more nervous if they heard a "dinner growl" rather than a "growl at a stranger."

In another experiment, "lonely barking" and the barking with which the dog tries to scare off an approaching stranger were recorded. After the researchers played three "alone barks" to different dogs, the animals paid relatively little attention to the sounds. But when, after this, the fourth fragment was played, "barking at the stranger," the dogs quickly became alert. A similar situation was observed when playing records in reverse order. Thus, dogs clearly distinguish between two types of barking. A similar test also made sure that the dog was good at distinguishing between the barking of different dogs.

How well do we understand what the dogs are trying to tell us? Scientists invited a group of people to listen to several recordings of dog barking. Most of the subjects, regardless of whether they had a dog, could correctly determine by barking whether the dog was alone, whether a stranger was approaching it, whether it was playing or showing aggression. Unlike dogs, humans were not very good at distinguishing the barking of different dogs. The only option in which a person coped well with this task was in the case of "barking at a stranger." It is in this situation that it is most important for the dog owner to understand the meaning of barking, as a stranger can be dangerous.

These primary studies demonstrate that barking and growling patterns can have different meanings. They are well distinguished by dogs, and in some cases by humans. This turns out to be quite unexpected, but not for dogs. I am sure that for Chocolate and Sina, all these things are obvious. But we still don't know much about canine vocalizations.

A group of people participated in an experiment at Duke University's Canine Cognitive Research Center. A similar study was conducted online at www.cultureofscience.com. According to the data obtained, 86% of the participants have ever felt that a barking dog was trying to tell them something.

It's not just that we understand some of the communicative signals of dogs. Dogs seem to be able to tell if we hear them or not. So, our Australian four-legged friend, Chocolate, loves soft toys. When one of my friends gave my daughter Mala a plush Santa Claus for Christmas, this toy did not make anyone as happy as Chocolate. Santa Claus creaked if he was crushed, and the dog came from this sound in indescribable delight. We immediately understood what danger Santa was in. After a few strict commands "Fu!" Chocolate reluctantly dropped the toy.

At lunch we heard the muffled creak of Santa Claus. In general, Shokoladka loved to torment and gut her toys in full view of people. But this time, she dragged Santa Claus into a secluded bedroom, as far away from us as she could. Fortunately, Santa's squeak was enough to save poor grandfather. When we came running to help, Chocolate just had time to tear off the pom-pom from him. Perhaps the dog just wanted to retire with a new toy, but it is also possible that she was just trying to hide from people and do her dirty deed where we most likely will not hear it.

In one experiment, researchers laid two open boxes on their sides and fastened laces with bells strung on them in the holes. A treat was placed in a box, and in order to get it, the test dogs had to somehow get through the bells. The trick was that scientists removed the reeds from one of the bell sets.

After the dogs had mastered the "jingling" box and the "quiet" box, the experimenter put food in both boxes and forbade the animals to climb into them. Then the person stood between the two containers. In the case when a person looked at both the dogs and the boxes, the animals dragged the treat from both containers, but when he turned his back to the dogs, they did not climb into the box with jingling bells. What's even more interesting is that they did it on the first try.

So, even if it seems to us that dogs are barking regardless of who is around, experiments show the opposite. Dogs understand very well who is nearby and what those present can hear.

Usually, dog owners consider themselves the owners of their pets, and there is a certain logic in this.

Many people say they love their dogs and take care of them as if they were their own children.

However, some parents might say that there is one caveat in this relationship: the owner can love his pet and at the same time not understand him.

In the case of children, parents have an advantage: no matter how strange their child expresses himself, in general he still speaks the same language as his parents.

A pet is a completely different matter. Until a canine-to-human translator is invented, owners will have to master their pet's body language.

With this in mind, you should take a closer look at the 12 behavioral elements below that can tell their owners a lot.

1. Constant eye contact

In this case, a lot depends on how the dog looks at you. If, looking into your eyes, she has a completely calm expression, this can be considered as a compelling request for affection.

Interestingly, a group of Japanese researchers found a link between this type of eye contact and increased levels of the hormone oxytocin, which affects the expression of attachment.

2. The dog brings you things

From the outside, it may seem that the dog is thus hinting that it wants to play, especially if the thing brought to it is a toy.

However, in reality, the animal wants to give you a gift.

Most likely, this is the legacy of the dog's hunting instincts, which force the animal to bring the owner instead of killed prey what, in the dog's opinion, he may like.

3. The dog keeps one paw raised.

If the dog has taken this position, slightly lowering its head and assuming a concentrated look, it is better not to interfere with it.

This suggests that the animal is hunting and intends to pounce on any prey, usually a bird.

4. Hunches over and tries to look smaller than he really is

This speaks of fear. If you see a dog doing this in the absence of any obvious source of fear, the chances are very high that the animal has been abused.

5. The dog chews on furniture

This can be interpreted depending on how the animal was raised. This usually indicates that the dog is concerned about separation.

If the pet has been taught from an early age not to worry about this, then he is probably just bored. Try to keep him busy.

6. The dog sat on the owner's feet

There may be many reasons for this. If the dog has a dominant character, it may try to raise its status in this way.

If she is afraid of separation, then with the help of such maneuvers, she will try to calm herself down, settling herself closer to the owner.

If the dog has a possessive instinct, this gesture can show other animals or people that you are his "property."

But if your dog does not fall under any of these descriptions, then most likely, she just loves you and wants to be around.

At times, many of us are amazed at how smart our pets can be - dogs. This is reflected in their behavior, and in their habits, and in many other things. Sometimes they seem to understand us. But do we know them well? How to understand the language of dogs? What do these or those of the pet mean? What does it mean if the dog flattens its ears or wags its tail? We will consider all this in the article.

The non-verbal language of dogs has been formed for thousands of years within the purely canine collective, as a means of communication. Therefore, any state of the dog today can be very easily determined by its behavior, body language and other non-verbal signals that our four-legged pets show not only among themselves, but also in the human family. Many signs of conditions can be easily understood thanks to the translator from the canine language.

Satisfaction

Contentment is the most common state of the dog. All parts of the body are relaxed, ears are not flattened. The dog does not behave in any unusual way. The mouth is closed or open for breathing.

Often the dog wags its tail when it feels calm, or keeps its tail in its usual position. It all depends on the breed.

Aggression

An aggressive dog becomes very dangerous. Signs of aggression appear in the fact that the dog begins to growl, bared its teeth, takes a position, as if it is about to attack, pushing its ears and body forward. And indeed it is. It's just that the animal is waiting for the right moment to attack. If the victim (another dog or person) makes a sharp movement that the dog perceives as a real threat, then he can attack.

Often, this reaction occurs along with fear. It manifests itself as aggression. Only the dog does not attack if possible, looks away. In this case, the muzzle is wrinkled with a grin and fangs are bared, but the body is compressed, and the tail is pressed.

There is aggression dominant of the pack, when the dog by its behavior shows its leadership and influences other members of the pack. Usually such dogs put others in their place by growling, direct gaze, bared teeth and raised ears.

The dog wants to play

When the dog wants to play, he tries with all his might to attract the attention of the owner: runs up, jumps, nudges, licks. Some dogs, if they like to play with toys, can take a ball or other object and bring it to the person.

Another signal of a dog's playfulness is his approach and distance from you or from another dog. This usually alternates with jumping. When the pet jumps back, it seems to lie down, dropping on its front paws, and then bounces again. All the muscles of the animal are at the same time relaxed, and the tongue sticks out.

Love, joy

Rejoicing dogs, as a rule, wag their tails, fuss, sometimes jump to the owner or spin in place. Love also often manifests itself in licking. The dog can lie on its back to show its trust.

In such conditions, the muscles of the body and muzzle are as relaxed as possible, since the dog feels comfortable.

Obedience

The manifestation of signs of obedience in the language of dogs is necessary in order to observe the hierarchy in the pack. A weaker dog shows a stronger one that it is not dangerous and is not going to attack.

Domestic dogs, too, often show submissiveness to people who are treated like older brethren. They lower their head and tail slightly, their ears are pulled back, look sullenly and avoid direct eye contact. Pets still use a similar position of the body and muzzle when they want to reconcile or feel guilty. This happens when the owners scold the dog for something.

Very often, our tailed pets, when they feel a threat that they want to prevent, or show their trust in the owners, lie on their backs.

Sadness

The so-called canine sadness can manifest itself when the pet misses the owner. He begins to whine and may even howl a little. As a rule, when dogs are in this state, they behave very passively or lie down.

When annoyed, melancholy, dissatisfied, the tail and ears, as a rule, are pressed to the body, and the muscles are relaxed.

When dogs feel sad about loneliness, they try to lick their owners' attention.

State of fear

Fear in dogs cannot be confused with any condition. They begin to press their ears and tail, the fur can stand on end, and the body itself can take an unnatural pose. The body seems to bend, as if the dog is trying to appear smaller. The muscles are all very tense. The dog may try to escape if possible.

Let's summarize what has been said

So, to summarize:

• Tail wagging usually means joy or contentment. Dogs do this when they meet their owner or get tasty food. And also dogs wag their tails if they feel calm and well. But this should not always be taken as a good sign, since the animal may wag its tail slightly when aggression or fear.
• Growling appears as a sign that the dog is aggressive, anxious or annoyed.
• When a dog jumps, it is happy, wants to play, or begs for something (for example, food that the owner holds in his hand). Often pets jump before walking. An animal can be weaned from this habit if it is stopped with a firm voice and a subsequent reward.
• Eyes and gaze also play a big role in the language of dogs. But correct interpretation depends on other non-verbal cues. So, in a dog, during aggression, his eyes are very open and his gaze is motionless, but not directed into the eyes of the enemy. But if the dog, on the contrary, looks at you and slightly lowers his head or, when meeting you with his gaze, looks away, this means that it is submissive to you and is well-tuned.
• The position of the body can also change: the dog is trying to either huddle up in a ball, lower its head if it is scared or feels humiliated, or, conversely, stand on tiptoes, proudly lift its head when the dog shows that it is in charge here. That is, the dog says that it does not pose a threat, when it "decreases", shows humility. He shows his dominance or aggression when it seems more than usual.
• Our tailed pets press their ears when they are afraid or express their obedience, but rise up in their usual state or when the animal is curious, surprised, enthusiastic.
• Biting pets usually show their melancholy and how they miss their owners. By doing so, they want to attract attention. Sometimes animals also whine when they are scared.
• Licking is also a way to get attention or get a treat. But mostly, dogs lick their owners after they meet to show their love and how much they missed them.
• Barking is the most ambiguous sound in animals. They may bark when fearful, aggressive, attention-grabbing, or playful. Usually, animals use high barking when they are afraid, and low barking when they are experiencing aggression.

There is no doubt that dogs are very intelligent. Animals do not understand human speech. However, tailed pets are very sensitive to any changes in intonation and volume. And they also have a very developed memory. Therefore, a good ability to train and memorize commands can be explained. Dogs can learn many commands and words, but this is due to the fact that they memorize a combination of sounds and a certain intonation. They are also incredibly sensitive to human emotions.

And also dogs can understand what is required of them at the moment. Often, pets understand very well those people they know, that is, their owners. So we can conclude that dogs understand us as much as humans understand the language of dogs.