by Gary Wilkes
IN ONE EPISODE OF THE TELEVISION NATURE SERIES WILD AMERICA, the focus was on the relationship between predators and prey. The setting was a North American forest, where wolves and deer live together in violent harmony. Amid the backdrop of rocky crags and dense forests, the camera was focused on several wolves, obviously on a hunt for food. The predators scented a doe and pursued the scent with a grim purpose. As they neared their hidden prey, a doe broke from cover and bounded frantically away. The wolves spotted her and quickly redirected their chase. Soon the doe was forced into a small, rocky cul-de-sac. She quickly saw that she could not escape and turned back-toward her pursuers.As the doe turned to flee, the lead wolf entered the clearing. As he broke through the trees, the doe bunched her muscles and dropped her front end, prepared to leap either left or right. Her posture was unmistakable - to the wolf. It was a posture he had known since his earliest days as a pup. She had her tail up, front legs close to the ground and head moving from side to side. That could only mean one thing-she wanted to play. As the wolf recognized the invitation to play, he returned the posture. He dipped his front end and waved his tail in the air. A slight "grin" showed on his face.
As the wolf froze for a second in his playful stance, his would-be-dinner saw her opportunity and quickly bounded off into the brush. By the time the other wolves reached the clearing, the doe was long gone. They had lost their chance for a meal because of a simple misunderstanding.
While the doe's accidental miscommunication may seem miraculous, it is not. Many wild animals are capable of inadvertently imitating the appearance and behavior of other species. Rather than waiting for a television special or a coffee-table book to illustrate this process, you need only look at your own dog to see more of this phenomenon.
Every day, your dog experiences inter-species communication -and miscommunication. The frequent exchange of signals between owner and dog happens on a moment-by-moment basis. A few of the signals are those that we teach, such as "sit" or "fetch," while some communications are unplanned and not the result of training or learning.
Sometimes the signals exchanged between species are harmless. A common exchange between humans and dogs occurs when an owner offers a play invitation to his dog. The owner may not be aware that standing on his hands and knees dipping his front end is a direct invitation to play. The dog's reaction (returning the posture and then racing madly around the room), is a natural recognition of the signal, just as the wolf "recognized" the doe's body posture. Even if the owner is not aware that he is speaking the dog's language, the dog will respond to the signal.
While an invitation to play is a pleasant and natural type of communication, some types of "conversation" can lead to more serious consequences. When you stare intently into your dog's eyes, you are probably trying to communicate love and affection. It might surprise you to know that dogs instinctively perceive direct eye contact as a challenge or threat. The fact that your dog gets used to your eye contact does not mean that a stranger's gaze will not be recognized as a threat by your dog. You may find that your neighbor's dog also interprets your stare as a challenge.
Another example of a potentially harmful situation that can result from "talking" to a dog starts with a common gesture-a nice pet on the head. To the human, this gesture is a friendly sign of love and affection. For the dog, this signal is subject to interpretation. When two dogs meet, they often feel compelled to establish which is the boss. One of the goals of the more dominant animal is to place his paw, neck or body on the head, neck or shoulders of the other dog. A dominant dog is unlikely to welcome this type of contact from a stranger. Your own dog learns to accept this type of touch from you as it grows to adulthood. If a strange human attempts to offer the same touch on your dog's head, and if fido has learned to forget his instincts, the gesture may be tolerated. However, dominant, fearful or poorly socialized dogs may assume that a touch on the head is a threat-and respond by biting. Curious, well-meaning children are often the victims of this cross-species communication gap.
Another form of inter species confusion occurs when signals have multiple meanings, depending on context. If you watch a dog move its tail loosely from side to side, you are watching a sign of general happiness called wagging. If the tail starts to move more rapidly, in shorter strokes and elevates to a higher angle, it takes on a whole new meaning. This behavior is a sign of potential aggression, called flagging, as it resembles the way people wave small flags on the 4th of July. To an uneducated human, this sign of aggression may be mistaken for a friendly wag from an approachable dog. In reality, the dog is displaying an obvious threat-obvious to the dog, that is. If the human does not read the signal correctly, aggression will likely be the result.
In the same way that humans may misinterpret something as subtle as tail position and movement, dogs often mistake the meaning of a friendly human smile. While we assume that a smile is friendly, the dog may interpret it to mean that you are baring your teeth as a threat. If you put a smile on your face and bend over to "pet the nice doggie," be prepared for a misunderstanding.
Communication with dogs is a common and desirable side effect of pet ownership. We often imagine that our desire to communicate is the only ingredient necessary to allow us to "talk dog." For real communication to occur between your and your dog, you need to know exactly what you are saying and how it will be received by your dog. In a world where animals and humans coexist, it is important to realize that ignorance of their language is no excuse.
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