Forms of communication in the dog
There are various ways that dogs communicate with each other and with other species such as humans. Three basic ways include vocal communication, postural communication and scent communication. Each of these involves a different sensory system used to detect the signals – audition, vision and olfaction. For dogs, communication is fundamental to maintaining affiliations, reducing competition, and identifying individuals. These factors are critical to the highly developed social behavior of dogs. (Simpson, 1997)
Vocal communication uses the sensory system of audition to detect signals. Vocal communication is often used when visual communication isn’t available, such as when it is too dark to see, or to communicate over a great distance when there are visual obstructions between the sender and the receiver. Vocal communication can include yelping, whining, howling, growling, or barking, in addition to other diverse sounds. Yelping is often associated with a dog in pain, while whining is usually to communicate a need, such as attention seeking. Whining may also communicate submission, or pain. A wolf’s howl was used to mark territory and communicate across great distances with other members of the pack. Today certain breeds such as Spitz breeds are more likely to howl than other breeds, and it is sometimes used as a way to reestablish contact with humans or other dogs. Growling is often used to communicate aggressive signals, to increase distance and warn others to stay away. Barking often has the most varied signals, as a bark can be used to signal greeting or play - affiliative signals, as well as warning or defense – aggressive signals. (Serpell, 1995, p. 117)
Postural communication uses the sensory system of vision to detect signals. This is the primary form of communication used by dogs, and it includes affiliative signals as well as agonistic signals. Affiliative signals, which as used as approach-related or distance decreasing signals, can include play signals or may include other less aroused affiliative signals. Play signals are signs given by a dog as an invitation to play. They include a play bow, where the dog bows the front of his body to the ground, as well as eye flashing, sneezing and panting, and a lumbering gait to signal their playful intentions. If a dog wishes to communicate affiliative signals without initiating play, he will do so by showing a relaxed posture, tail and ears in their normal position, and mouth open. (O’Heare, 2007) Agonistic signals are given to communicate acts of attack, escape, threat, defense or appeasement. These agonistic signals can include passive appeasement signals such as rolling over to expose the dog’s belly, holding the ears down and back, flat against the head, and holding the tail down between the legs. These all represent a lack of confidence and communicate the desire to avoid hostility. Active appeasement signals also communicate this, but by using a more active approach such as engaging the other dog or person’s personal space and utilizing a crouched posture, while pushing his muzzle into the nose or mouth of the other dog and licking repeatedly. Another type of agnostic signal is known as an aggressive signal. These are used to communicate threat or imminent attack. Aggressive behavior can function to allow access to stimuli, or to allow the dog to avoid or escape aversive stimuli (O’Heare, 2007). Aggressive signals include a dog making himself look as large as possible through leaning forward, piloerection, stiff posture, and direct eye contact.
The third way that dogs often use to communicate is through scent. Scent is often used to communicate through distances, or through time. Dogs can leave behind a scent as a message for other dogs to “read” when they pass by the same area at a later time. Scent is secreted by apocrine glands, which are sweat glands that carry pheromones which give information about an animal’s age, sex, health, and even emotional state. (Coren, 2004) Pheromone scents allow dogs to understand the status and feelings of another animal. This is true not only for dog-dog communication, but also for dogs to gain information on other animals or humans. Dogs will also use scent to communicate directly with each other when first meeting. A dog will often sniff another dog around the mouth and nose, and then around the genital area, to determine basic information about the other dog. This can include not only facts such as sexual status (neutered/spayed vs. intact) but also can give information on if the other dog considers itself dominant or feels fear or aggression. Sometimes dogs will initially seem fine together but as they come together and begin to sniff each other, it can cause one of the dogs to take offense or feel threatened by another dog and they react accordingly. It is also common for dogs who live together to occasionally sniff each other, to determine the other dog’s mood. (Coren, 2004) In many cases, if dogs who live together are separated, and one leaves the home and returns later, the first thing the dogs will do upon meeting again is to sniff each other – as their way of inquiring where the other dog has been and how it is doing. Dogs will also use scent to leave messages by urine marking. Since size is an indicator of dominance, some dogs will try to communicate by lifting their leg to leave their urine in a vertical pattern, as high as possible. This not only tells other dogs that they are more dominant by leaving their mark higher, but it also causes the scent to remain longer because it will not be marked over by other dogs. Some dogs will also mark over the urine of another dog left on the ground to communicate dominance in that manner.
Dogs have a wide range of ability to communicate with each other as well as with other species. Whether using scent, vision or hearing, or some combination of those, dogs will be able to communicate their intentions and desires to others who are willing to learn the signals they use.
References:
Coren, S. (2004) How Dogs Think. New York: Free Press.
O’Heare, J. (2007) Aggressive Behavior in Dogs. Ottawa: DogPsych Publishing.
Serpell, J., Barrett, P. (1995) The Domestic Dog: its evolution, behaviour, and interactions with people. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Simpson, B. (May 1997) Canine Communication. The Veterinary Clinics of North America Small Animal Practice. 27(3), 445-464.
