Canine Sign Language
Chris Jones
You know your dog doesn't always understand your every word but
he is very perceptive of your intonations and body language. Many
dogs have an extensive vocabulary of words they seem to
understand. Eye contact has been long known to be one of the ways
dogs communicate with each other and with mankind. But did you
know that one of the most important ways you communicate with
your dogs is with your hands? Obedience people have known this
for a long time. Often trainers start with vocal commands and
later use only hand signals to evoke the same responses.
What do your hands say for you? How your puppies learn to
communicate with other humans in the future may be conveyed by
your hands today. For example, if you only pick up your puppies
to put them into a crate or pen, they might come to associate
hands coming towards them as an unpleasant experience. If your
hands pull at the puppies or hastily yank them up, they may
become frightened of being handled.
We know you would never consider striking a dog or puppy. That is
never necessary if you teach your puppies signs of displeasure
they understand. This would be eye contact body language and
vocal intonations. An appropriate loud "no" and confinement is
probably the only correction you will ever need. Your puppies
want to please you. Even an independent puppy knows you are alpha
dog or leader and will follow your lead. Most people know that
rough handling or corporal punishment can make a puppy
"hand-shy." Apparently, not all breeders subscribe to that
promise. One breeder confessed that her young puppy had a
permanent head tilt due to a smack she had given him for some
annoying behavior. (I believe it was barking.) Wouldn't it have
been so much more sensible just to pick that puppy up and love
him or distract him with a toy? The same breeder also stated she
had the cure to stop stool eating in her kennel. I asked her what
that secret might be, as a lot of people would really like to
know what the cure was. She then told me she "hit them (the dogs)
over the head with the pooper scooper." I waited for the
punch line. When there wasn't one, I shook my head in disbelief.
Even though stool eating is a gross and distressing habit in many
dogs, the extended hand signal was the pooper scooper in this
case. Wouldn't it be better to loudly say "no" and confine the
puppy/dog instead of striking him with a hand or an object that
could cause harm? Are these the type of messages we want to send
to puppies/dogs? What are the signals you are sending to your
puppy or dog? Do you want them to duck or flinch when they see
you coming? Are you inadvertently making your puppies hand shy?
Are your hands gentle and kind? Do you slowly reach for puppies,
supporting their body weight as you would with a baby? Puppies
need support for their heads and bodies. We often see people use
a tail or even a chin as a handle to pick young dogs up. If you
must do this, always have one hand under the chest to avoid a
broken tail or jaw. We have personally witnessed a young dog
being admitted to an emergency clinic with a dislocated
elbow/shoulder due to incorrect handling. The youngsters in the
family had used the dog's forelegs as handles and the dog was in
excruciating pain. Always use your open hand to grasp the dog
just under the ribcage behind the elbow to help distribute the
body weight. This method is much preferred if you must lift a dog
by the front end. Remember to either grasp the upper foreleg
where it connects into the chest at the elbow and hold securely
against the ribs or put your thumb and hand just behind the front
legs for extra support when lifting. Then as quickly as possible
hold the dog close to your body or provide as much undercarriage
support as possible, so as not to injure elbows, legs or
shoulders. Children should be taught the correct methods of
lifting and holding pets.
Are you always in a hurry? Do you reach abruptly for the nearest
appendage? Do you grab him and jar him onto a table top? Do you
toss him casually onto the floor or into a pen when you are
finished with him? Have your puppies become accustomed to harsh
treatment or rough handling? Do they cower from human contact? Do
they run from people instead of towards them? Do you have the
time and patience necessary to raise and train well-adjusted
puppies? (If not, consider buying an older trained puppy, or
maybe possibly another pet, such as a cat, who is not as
dependent on human interaction.)
Some breeders and exhibitors proclaim their love of their breed
with words but their actions speak much louder than they do. Next
time you are at a dog show, observe how people interact with
their dogs. Go behind the scenes, to the grooming areas and see
people's set-ups. You will see another side of many people.
Whereas at ring side you see the best "salesman face," you may
see first hand just a glimpse of how the puppies are treated at
home. Are puppies/dogs treated with respect and kindness? Are
they regarded as "inventory?" How a puppy ultimately matures and
responds to people can readily be traced to early experiences in
many cases. Bonding between puppy/dog and humans is facilitated
by a soft touch, soft voice and a lot of patience.
Shelties are sensitive and perceptive creatures, you can bet they
know exactly how and where they stand with their breeder-owners.
In most instances, it can be readily observed that dogs/pups
establish their own place in the pack or pecking order of the
house/kennel. Puppies should be held close and of course they
need as much cuddling and love as you can provide, also.
Do your hands tell the dogs that they are only there for your
whims and pleasure? Do your moods and schedules come before the
needs of the puppies/dogs? Do they only get out of their pens or
crates to get on the grooming table? Do they only feel a pat when
they stack correctly? Are your puppies getting adequate hands on
attention?
Do you ever take time to massage ears? Or do you only look at
ears if there are any signs of trouble? Do you only probe bodies
for fleas or ticks or do you take time for massaging and stroking
dear old friends? Do you take time for routine health and skin
inspections or do you only handle your dogs to demat or bathe
them?
Do your eyes tell your dogs you adore them? Do your words tell
them you love them? Would you like them to? Make a little extra
time each day. As little as 15 minutes per day per dog. Do some
"one on one" bonding. If you have a puppy, gently turn him over
every day in your lap. Do this until he likes and accepts it.
Then open his mouth daily. Feel all of his toes. Pet his tummy
and gently stack him on the floor at first. Later, a few minutes
at a time, on a table is enough. Remember to make your puppy feel
loved and secure. A confident puppy is a well adjusted puppy. Too
much too soon has ruined many a promising puppy. Don't be a stage
mother and push puppies. They develop at their own speed, not
yours.
Take time to analyze your approach towards puppies/dogs. Perhaps
touching and handling of your dogs and a little TLC will possibly
save you time and effort in the long run. What does your dog hand
language say to your dogs? What does your dog hand signs say
about you? Remember, a gesture is like a picture, it is worth a
thousand words! Let your sign language speak for you and also
speak well of you!
Please Visit: Sheltie International
http://www.sheltieinternational.com/index.html
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