Collins Good Dog Behaviour: An Owner’s Guide. Gwen Bailey

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СКАЧАТЬ well than humans. They can see colours but not as well as we can, and they cannot differentiate easily between certain colours, such as red and green. A dog looking for a red ball, for example, on green grass is more likely to be using his nose than his eyes.

      They do, however, see better than us when less light is available. A reflective layer at the back of their eyes allows them to make better use of the light entering the eyes by trapping and reusing it. This is why their eyes shine eerily when they are caught in car headlights or a torch beam.

      While we are able to make out static shapes easily and can quickly differentiate between two objects, dogs see things better as soon as they move. They can detect movement on a very small scale, helping them to be efficient hunters. In our world, it enables them to notice subtle body movements, which allow them to detect, a fraction of a second before we have said anything, that we are about to take them for a walk.

      IMPRESSIVE HEARING

      Dogs can hear better than we can. Firstly, they hear sounds more acutely. For example, a sound that can just be heard by a person 100 metres away, can be heard by a dog for up to 450 metres. Secondly, dogs can hear sounds of a higher frequency. Our range is up to about 20 kHz whereas dogs can hear sounds up to at least 35 kHz, allowing them to hear in the ultrasonic range. They also seem to be able to discriminate between two sounds that appear the same to us. It is probably this sense more than any other that has led people to believe that dogs have a ‘sixth’ sense. Because of their superior hearing, for example, dogs may become aware of the arrival of their owner long before a person sitting in the same room. A dog can hear things that we cannot, such as a ‘silent’ dog whistle, and may alert us to the presence of intruders or other noises in the environment long before we have heard anything.

       SOUND SENSITIVITY

      Dogs that were once used for herding, such as Collies, have very sensitive hearing and, as a result, are more likely to find it difficult to live in very noisy environments and are more prone than other dogs to developing noise phobias.

       Dogs with long, fluffy ears, such as Cocker Spaniels, are likely to be less good at sound detection and location.

      MOVABLE EARS

       Dogs are able to pinpoint the location of a sound source more accurately than us. This is achieved by having ears that can be manoeuvred into a position that allows them to catch sound more efficiently.

      DIFFERENT METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

      Everyday communication between adult dogs relies mostly on body posture and scent exchange with very little in the way of vocalization. In comparison, we rely very heavily on the spoken (or written) word and only use body signals and scent in very subtle and secondary ways.

      BODY LANGUAGE V. SPOKEN WORD

      Knowing no better, dogs will assume that our methods of communication are similar to their own and will attempt to communicate using body postures and signals. Owners need to know what to look for so that they do not miss these vital signs from their pets.

      In addition, dogs will also watch our body language to try to find out what we want them to do. This is why dogs learn hand/arm signals so much more quickly than they learn spoken commands. Pointing out the direction you want your dog to take, using an obvious arm and hand movement, is surprisingly effective, and especially so once he has become familiar with the signal. If your dog, for example, has just brought a recently unearthed bone in from the garden and is about to drop it on the carpet, shouting at him to go out may not be effective. Asking him to go out, leading the way and pointing out the direction you intend him to take with a clear hand and arm movement, will give him a much more obvious message about the action you require him to take.

       PLAYBOW

      The universal invitation to play. A sudden drop into this position usually results in a frantic bout of tag between two playful dogs. If directed at a human, the dog is asking if you would like to play a game.

       The playbow is an obvious invitation to play.

      FEARFUL DOG

      Frightened dogs will have a lot of their weight on their back legs ready to run. Their head is held high ready for a defensive bite if necessary. They hold their tail low or tucked in, ears drawn back but not pinned flat against the head. They will often pant in short, sharp breaths and may yawn a lot. In extreme cases, or if the dog is afraid for too long, they may begin to shake or tremble. The whites of their eyes can be seen as their eyes are held as wide open as possible. The pupils are often wide open and consequently the eyes may have a reddish tinge to them. If the eyes appear red and glassy, the dog is very fearful and should be approached with caution as he may well bite in self defence. The hair along the back of the neck (the hackles) and along the spine may also be raised, especially if he is fearful of other dogs. These make a dog look larger than he really is and help to reduce the chances of him being attacked.

       This dog’s tail is lowered and his ears are drawn back in a fearful posture.

      Dogs that are anxious but not yet very fearful will exhibit some or all of these signs in varying degrees. Watching for subtle clues that your dog is ill-at-ease can help you to take the appropriate action sooner rather than later and may help to prevent your dog from becoming scared or aggressive.

       HAPPY DOG

      A dog that is pleased to see you will wag his tail, sometimes the rear half of his body as well, press his ears back to the sides of his head and pull the corners of his mouth back in greeting.

      Happy dogs appear relaxed and their bodies will be soft and not tense. They will eat readily and will be happy to play games and be handled. A pet dog should be relaxed, calm and happy most of the time.

       A happy greeting from your dog involves vigorous wagging of his tail and rear end.

       CONFIDENT DOG

      A confident dog will hold his head and tail up and his body erect, proudly displaying his strength and purpose. He will often have a ‘presence’ which encourages you to pay attention to him and will appear to be very self assured.

      Very confident dogs rarely use aggression to get their own way since they are sure of their ability to do so without using force. Less confident dogs, however, are less sure of their abilities and may resort to confrontation if they think they will СКАЧАТЬ