Loving gesture or threat?

Werner wonders why the husky always backs away from his girlfriend when he leans over him lovingly and wants to stroke his head. "Our gentle Labrador has suddenly become aggressive! He has to leave, "says the parents of little Laura. The four-legged boy caught, when the child wanted to hug him. What goes wrong with these two human-dog relationships is communication. The human says "I love you", the dog understands "help that threatens me". From a dog's point of view, many supposed love expressions represent one big threat. Most misunderstandings between humans and pets are caused by incorrect body language. Body language is also of great importance in interpersonal relationships; in animals it dominates communication even to almost 100 percent. "The brain area for verbal language in dogs is about the size of a pea, the area for body language, however, is vast," said the vet and behavioral therapist Dr. med. Nora Marx-Dawid.

Show the dogs more respect!

Dogs read our body language continuously, "confirms Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kurt Kotrschal from the Department of Behavioral Biology at the University of Vienna. "Just recently, a study by our Clever Dog Lab has proven that dogs can even read from our countenances whether we're happy or angry." However, our body signals are often in sharp contrast to what we want to communicate with a loving tone of voice. For example, if we praise the dog in a joyful voice and bow to him at the same time, which means four-legged friends a threat gesture. "The dog then considers us schizophrenic, but nevertheless strives to understand the human being," Dr. Marx-Dawid. Not always successful with strangers. Prof. Kotrschal therefore pleads for more respect for our four-legged friends. "The same rules of courtesy apply as in interpersonal contact. For example, it is absolutely unacceptable for a human to rise above a recumbent dog. Many dogs accept that, but not all are so tolerant and endure this blatant rudeness ".

Dog does not follow? Maybe you are wrong

What specific effects do our gestures have on the four-legged friend? If a person grows tall, takes on a tense posture and speaks in a deep voice, he conveys dominance to the dog. Something that is not necessarily desirable. Prof. Kotrschal expressly warns against showing such macho posturing to a normally socialized dog. Although the human being has the leading role, but for consistency and consistency in unclear situations and a calm and secure appearance. You are surprised that your dog never comes when you call him? Maybe you are just wrong. Dr. Marx-Dawid. "It is counterproductive if we stand in front of the dog in front of the screen and then call him". How to lure your dog but on the other hand right: They stand sideways and point or look in the direction in which you want to go with the dog. This is also what Papa Wolf does when he goes hunting with his offspring. Friendliness is signaled to a strange four-legged friends, by approaching him not in a frontal, but in an arc, the head and the look sideways turned away and the dog does not staring directly, while chatting with him relaxed. The "vocabulary" with which you give safety to an anxious dog during a walk is "relaxed walking". In particularly critical situations (postman goes by) you just stay calm. In human eyes a little clownesk could be the appropriate play challenge for your pet. Since we usually do not want to (or can not) take a dog-like body deep, the human alternative is: knock on the thighs and playfully swing away sideways. Many mistakes happen on the first rendezvous. Of course, when visiting a dog household, one is tempted to greet the four-legged resident, to pet him. But what if the dog behaves suspiciously and waiting? Then you should ignore it for now. As hard as it may be, do not lure it and do not vie for its attention, but focus your gaze on something else in the room. If after some time he wants to contact him, he can be offered a treat on the flat hand with the consent of the dog owner. That's how many a friendship started.

Absolute taboos

The following "vocabulary" of body language is interpreted by dogs as threatening gestures and should therefore be taboo:

* Bend over the dog!
* Run towards him screaming head-on
* Staring at the animal

* Tense muscles, as is often the case with people who are afraid of dogs. Contrary to widespread opinion, the animal does not feel the fear, but feels threatened by the human posture.

* Hug the dog tightly.

"Dogs basically do not like hugs, because that means fighting in their world," warns. Marx-Dawid. "But they allow the owner to partially." However, caution is advised in children. If a child embraces the dog and then turns away his head and eyes, he signals that he does not like it. Children usually do not recognize this defensive attitude, but continue in the embrace. Then it can happen that the dog switches to the next defense and snaps easily. As a result, children usually start to scream, which irritates him completely, and he may bite.

However, such situations can be prevented. Because it happens again and again that inexperienced people show our dog their admiration and affection by bending over him with a "Soo dear" and stroking his head. Or children spontaneously embrace a dog. Through targeted training you can get used to the quadruped to this wrong body language and signal to him that the "threatening gesture" is quite affectionately meant. The veterinarian advises to bend over him while leashing your favorite and to reward him for his tolerance with a treat. "After 1000 to 2000 repetitions, he is so far that he forgives strangers this mistake." In the interest of the safety of our and foreign children, it is even more important to get used to the dog's hugs. Keep hugging him and reward him for his patience! However, you should not leave such a well-trained dog alone with a small child!

Sometimes he smiles ...

But when dealing with our four-legged companions, it is not only important to avoid misunderstandings, but also to show them our love in the right way unequivocally. Go for it on the level of the animal, gently stroke and massage the dog all over the body (not necessarily on the head, if he does not like that) and talk to him in a friendly high pitched tone. By the way, dogs are happy when we smile at them. As already mentioned, they can distinguish happy from angry facial expressions and interpret our smile correctly. If you are lucky, your four-legged friend even smiles back. This dog smile - often with full tooth splendor - is an award that is only part of us humans. Because in dealing with each other animals, the "vocabulary" smile does not exist. Like so many, they have copied it from us humans.