Canine Sign Language - By 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 independant
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 punchline.
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!