Thirteen puppies! A full baker’s dozen! How fortunate, and oh, how stressful!
“How will she possibly take care of all of them?” I asked my wife as we walked out to check on the new mother and her litter. As we peered into the whelping box, I was surprised to see that the mother had the pups divided into two groups: one of seven, and one of six. The six were lying quietly under the heat lamp, and the other seven were lined up eating. It was so organized and peaceful. This became the standard for the next few weeks. They were always organized, calm, and well fed. I found it fascinating to watch as their mother would use her muzzle to guide the puppies to food and then guide them back to their sleeping littermates. The mother would also turn the pups over with the light nudge of her muzzle so she could clean them up.
From the moment puppies are born, their mother begins to communicate with them through physical touch. Later, in their second week of life, a puppy's eyes open and they begin to receive information and communication through what they see. Lastly, their ability to hear develops; this happens around the 14th day of life. These three senses—touch, sight, and sound—are also the primary ways we communicate with our dogs. I refer to these lines of communication as physical, visual, and verbal.
Mother dogs use physical communication with their puppies from the day they are born throughout their lives. (Photo courtesy of Tanner Smedley) How to Use Pysical Communication During Training I believe the physical form of communication is one of the most overlooked ways that dogs receive information from us. Often, people are unaware of what their physical contact is telling their dog. When someone complains about their puppy biting, the first thing I want to see is how they pet and interact with their puppy. It's very common that they pet with quick short motions, mainly focused around the head and ears. If the puppy moves its mouth toward their hand, they quickly pull their hand away.
These motions are very similar to the way puppies will play with each other, mouthing the ears with quick little motions. From the puppies’ point of view, they are playing with each other. Using our hands in this manner promotes a playful response from the puppy. In contrast, long strokes from the ears down the shoulder or body of the pup are similar to the mother’s licking motion, which will calm and relax the puppy. This is one common example of how we communicate through physical touch.
Another great example of physical communication is the information the dog gives or receives through the leash. The most common communication through the leash is actually coming from the dog. Many dogs have learned that if they lean into the leash, the human will follow. This may begin as a puppy moves to sniff something. They naturally lean into the leash in an effort to satisfy their curiosity. The handler then follows, and the training has begun. Soon the puppy has learned to lean into the leash to communicate its desire to move in a direction. Less common is the owner who has learned to communicate their desires through the leash.
For me, the leash is a very useful form of communication. I use it to communicate direction and speed of travel, to ask the dog to sit, lie down, come closer, to get on to something or off of something, and to stop and stand still. When the dog understands how to follow this light communication, it becomes easy to walk with slack in the leash; this greatly increases the pleasure of our walks.
Hand Signals are a common example of visual communication in dog training. (Photo courtesy of Tanner Smedley) How Dogs Communicate Visually As a dog spends time in an environment, it watches for predictors and patterns, things that can warn it of what is coming next. As it learns the repetitive patterns, it alters its behaviors accordingly. If you call a young puppy as you walk toward the front door, it might eagerly meet you at the door expecting to go on a walk. If you call the same puppy while walking toward the crate where it sleeps, the puppy may refuse to come in an effort to avoid being put in the crate. The puppy’s response differed because of the visual predictors it noticed. What you said and how you said it may have been the exact same, but your actions relayed your intentions to the dog, and the dog altered its actions accordingly. Its desire to go for a walk caused it to come promptly when called, while its desire to avoid the crate caused it to refuse to come when called. The puppy predicted your purpose for calling it by observing your actions.
In the field, Whistle commands are another example of verbal communication. (Photo courtesy of Tanner Smedley) How we should Communicate Verbally when Training a Dog Verbal communication, whether voice or whistle commands , is the “go to” communication for humans with their dogs. It is the primary way that people communicate with each other, so naturally, it is the primary way they try to communicate with a dog. Dogs, on the other hand, only do a small amount of communicating through sounds. When they do choose to use sound, it is generally after they have tried to communicate through visual cues or body language. For instance, a dog may go to the back door to be let out. If no one notices or responds, the dog may resort to whining or barking. People are often surprised when they realize that the dog first tried to communicate with them through its body language before it began to communicate vocally.
Another interesting realization is when a handler believes that their dog is reacting to the verbal command that was given, when the dog is actually reacting to a visual cue that the owner does not even realize they gave.
For example, in our small group classes at T's Doghouse I will occasionally have a handler try the following experiment. First, I will have them ask their dog to sit using the verbal cue. Next, I will have them stand perfectly erect and look at an object on the wall. Without moving, I will have them verbally ask their dog to sit again. In most instances, the dog will not react to the verbal cue if it is not accompanied by the visual cue. The handler is generally unaware that they are giving the visual cues. The handler thinks the dog is obeying the verbal command; however, it is actually what the dog sees that it is reacting to.
Using multiple types of communication in your dog training will ensure your dog understands what is being asked of it. (Photo courtesy of Tanner Smedley) Training a Dog in Multiple Lines of Communication Our puppies depend on our communication. They receive this information through their senses. We have the greatest ability to communicate with them through what they feel, see, and hear. I refer to these three lines of communication as physical, visual, and verbal communication.
I have found that when I refer to these three lines of communication people generally think of three things. Physical communication brings up thoughts of harsh physical treatment. Visual communication brings up thoughts of giving a dog hand signals. And when I refer to verbal communication, people naturally think of words like sit, stay, and come. These thoughts, though correct, are very limited. The amount of information our dogs receive from us is so much greater than we are conscious of. As we become more aware of the information we are sending, and begin to communicate on purpose and with purpose, we can take a greater part in our dog’s world.
