by Laurie Leach

Most dog lovers would love to have one short conversation with their dogs, a brief window to hear what he thinks about his life, his world, and of course us. Given our inability for such a tête á tête, we tend to assume our pups perceive just like we do.

Bad news. Dogs are a different species. They certainly share certain characteristics with humans, but they are not people in fur coats. While they may complete us, they are not the same as us. When we project ourselves onto our dogs, we limit our understanding of how they truly function and how we can meet their needs. And we also impose unreasonable expectations on them.

All of the things I will share with you are drawn from a variety of authors who have studied dogs. As a fan and a trainer of dogs, I have chosen to share only those things that ring particularly true to me. In the 1990s, experts commonly believed dogs did not learn from one another. Having watched my own dogs learn good and inappropriate behaviors from each other, I knew this was off the mark. Current authors acknowledge that dogs learn from both humans and canine pals.

Communication is context

Dogs do not understand language. Our words flow over them like a river. They can of course learn specific words or phrases, and they undoubtedly enjoy the sounds of our voices. You probably nod when you read this, but have you ever repeated commands to your dog as if she did not hear you the first time? It is easy to test your dog’s genuine understanding of language. Pick a word such as "sit," or a command you believe your dog knows. Now lie flat on your back on the floor and give your command. Odds are very good your dog will not recognize the command since the body language cues and context in which you usually give him the command are changed.

Sniff first, think later

As you might guess, dogs do not think in words. Their thoughts are coded differently. When they think, it is probably like a set of pictures. Right now your dog is probably picturing a favorite toy in hopes you will play with him. Dogs’ pictures are most likely drawn from their heightened senses and their life experiences.

Canines receive information about the world differently than we do. We see the world with our eyes and then we hear or smell things. A dog smells and hears his world first. Then he takes a look to see if his nose and ears have given him the right news. His nose is a stunningly powerful organ. It allows him to distinguish every dog who has piddled on the curb in front of your house and whether they are friends or foes. Do you know that some dogs have been trained to sniff for skin cancer? If your dog takes a special interest in a mole on your skin, you might want to have a doctor take a look at it.

Dogs’ eyes record a world that bears little resemblance to ours. Although dogs can see better than humans in low light, their daytime vision is quite grainy and less focused at certain distances. Have you noticed that your dog sometimes gets startled when you enter the house a different way or wear a hat he has never seen? If he does not catch your scent, he may not recognize you, since his vision is simply not keen enough to identify you. Although dogs are not color blind, they don’t see as many colors as you. Their world is mostly a combination of yellow and blue. They aren’t being stubborn when they don’t retrieve red or orange toys: they simple cannot see them.

Hey, man, that’s just the way I am!

All dog breeds come hardwired with their own specific behaviors. Herding dogs round things up, even children. Beagles sniff a lot. Terriers dig. Labs want to carry your socks around. Often we get grumpy when dogs act in a way that is specific to their breed. It is not fair to expect a dog to become a different being when we bring her into our home. We can of course train around behaviors but we cannot make them disappear.

In addition to breed-specific behaviors, three aspects of canine behavior that are common to all breeds are digging, chewing, and a need to move. Modern dogs are descended from ancestors who hunted for hours, buried food to keep it handy for a snack, and used their teeth to rip muscle and chew bone. When we meet these needs, our dogs are more contented and better behaved. On the flip side, many behavioral problems arise because our dogs have excess energy and try to entertain themselves in ways we wish they wouldn’t.

Dogs do not react to pain in the same way as humans. In the wild, appearing weak would have made a canine vulnerable to an attack. As a result, the species has learned to suppress signs of pain and appear to be in control. This stoicism makes it very important that dog owners intimately know their dog’s behavior so that a painful condition, indicated by a subtle behavioral change, can be addressed.

Show me the cookie!

Both dogs and humans share one very important characteristic: we repeat behaviors for which we are rewarded. For example, when humans go to work, they get paid and as a result, go back the next day. A dog who gets a treat after he sits will probably want to sit again.

For dogs, reward takes several forms. The favored reward is food. Praise, touch, and play can also be rewards for a dog.

There is an ongoing controversy about whether to use food to reinforce behavior in dogs. Some folks maintain it is bribery and creates dependence on food. This is silly. Author Stanley Coren reminds us that dogs originally teamed up with people who lived in caves in exchange for scraps. He wrote, "It might not be far-fetched to say that the contract we humans have with dogs to obtain their loyalty and assistance is signed in food. By giving our dogs food treats for their obedience and their service, we simply honor that ancient contract."

Just to the right a little, ahhhh

Well-socialized dogs love to be touched by humans. Touch is a wonderful way of cementing your relationship with your dog. Dogs like it best when they can lean on you while you give them a muscle massage. They also love it when you scratch those spots they cannot reach.

There is, however, a type of touch that dogs do not like. Dogs dislike being hugged. This fact is difficult for many dog owners to accept. Humans love to wrap their arms around each other, and believe this behavior works well with their canines. Dogs engage in no behavior that is equivalent to hugging. Most dogs behave when you hug them, but before you insist that your dog likes it, have someone take a picture of your dog when you are delivering a hug. Look carefully at her body language and eyes; you will see an animal who feels trapped.

An angel on both shoulders

Another fact that is often hard for dog owners to accept is that dogs do not have consciences. A conscience requires the ability to think through implications of a future or past action. Dog brains cannot do this. Imagine the following scenario which is closer to reality.

You leave your dog to go out to do errands. He would like to go in the car with you, but you think the car would get too warm, so you tell him to be a good boy and then leave, giving him the run of the house. As your car pulls away, he feels anxious. He looks out the window, wanders for a bit, and then climbs up on the sofa where you usually sit. The television tuner is lying on the pillow. He nuzzles it. It is filled with your smell. He licks it several times and then starts chewing. Chewing always calms him down. Finally he is relaxed enough to take a nap. An hour later you come in and see him surrounded by the plastic bits of the tuner. You wake him up by yelling, "You know better!" He leaps off the sofa and races into the living room. You think he looks guilty. "What a bad dog you are," you add to emphasize your point. He hides behind the sofa. He is afraid of your expression and loud voice. He has no idea why you are so upset.

Some dogs, of course, do not feel so anxious or have such a strong drive to chew. Examples of such dogs lead us to believe all our dogs can handle total freedom. If your dog is one of those, great. If not, a crate and a nice chew toy might avoid household damage and keep your relationship intact.

Ultimately you have two choices. You can project your thoughts and feelings onto your dog or you can let your dog be a dog and respect his true nature. When you accept the latter, it allows your relationship to blossom and your communication to deepen because your relationship is built on reality rather than fantasy. Understanding that your dog is a different species with a different way of living in this world does not mean in any way that your relationship is any less important. When you let your dog be a dog, it allows you to enjoy and celebrate the ways in which he is different from you, and yet not give up the ways he is like you. What better way is there to balance our two worlds and get the most out of our precious relationships with our wonderful canine companions.