VOICES AND NOSES

Did you know that dogs move in a similar way to wolves? This is called digitigrade locomotion and is a swift movement and of course silent.

Various breeds of dogs show a very close resemblance to their ancestor the wolf. Obviously the first part of the body we notice is normally the head and facial features, so this is where we will start.

The very first sound that tells us the animal we are hearing is a dog, is by it's bark. As a result of the domestication of dogs one of the signs of communication between dogs and humans is barking. A dog may often respond to its owner with a bark. However a bark may also indicate danger. I am sure we have all been annoyed by continuous barking dogs around our own neighbourhoods! This brings me to the next form of vocalisation...... howling. Some say that dogs howl at the moon? And yes it appears that they may, especially when you watch the position of the head being upright whilst howling.

Why do they howl?

From a simple perspective they may purely be communicating with another dog. When they are hunting they howl to signal location. Of course many may howl when they are left alone for a long period of time. Most of these are attempting to signal their families, hoping they will arrive home soon. Unfortunately for those within earshot they may find this frustrating especially if one dog's howl sets off a string of howls around the neighbourhood. Sometimes things beyond our control, like sirens can trigger the howling also.

So lets say you have a normal and generally well behaved dog and he barks occasionally. There are some simple things you can do to stop this quickly. However it does require some patience on your behalf and repitition. In my experience I never growl at Harley and Lily when they bark as there is normally a good reason why they are barking. The first thing you need to do is investigate why they are barking. Simply if you can share what they can see you will also understand what they see. If it is for a valid reason but you need them to stop just a few repetitive words they are accustomed to will do the trick. If you are in tune with your dog and they respect you this is very simple to overcome.

Example - a new neighbour has moved in with a dog 2 houses away but your dog can see him through the fence and knows he is new.

Go out to your 'barker' and say "It's alright, good boy/girl, no bark". Then in a firm voice repeat "No bark". If you can get close then pat them as well. This is still positive reinforcement even though you are telling them not to do something. The fact that you responded to their bark by seeing what they see is most important and this definitely works in our house. After all their whole purpose is to look after you so they are only doing their job, normally very well. HOWEVER on the other side of the coin is the continuous barking which is annoying! In our house this typically happens when Lily will wait to eat her pigs ear until Harley has finished his. Then he will stand over her barking because he wants hers. That when it's raw bone time! One each! This usually resolves the matter. However there are times whereby if you dig up some dirt and bury the bone or lay on it, there really is only one again!

I often ask myself, 'Do I have dogs or naughty children?' Human intervention may prevail in these cases!

Ok so not far from the voice box is the well respected and almighty sensitive NOSE.

Did you know that a dog's nose is ONE MILLION TIMES  more sensitive than humans? Hence dogs are used all around the world for search and rescue, drug detection, customs, police tracking and protection work. A scent can also be picked up from the whiskers as they are connected to the brain.

WELCOME TO HARLEY'S NOSE

HARLEY'S FAVOURITE SMELLS

That stinky contraption the humans call a barbecue. Irresistible to wolfhounds!
Cooked chicken meat. Actually any cooked meat, ohhhh bacon too.
Some flowers
Some fruit (I love bananas)
The Schmakos tin. And ohhhhh the livertreat lunchbox! Loved those livertreats
I like new smells in the air when I am out walking.
My mum, my dad and Lily's butt!

WELCOME TO LILY'S NOSE

LILY'S FAVOURITE SMELLS

Cooked chicken - my favourite. And bacon.
And ohhhh... the livertreat lunchbox!!
The Schmakos tin too.
Every blade of grass out walking, so you can
pee on it! You never know who was there
before you.
My dad
My mum (more than anyone)


ARE YOU PART OF THE WHISKERS PACK YET?????

Watch My Whiskers

Just like watching a dog's ears change due to changes in their surroundings, so too can the same be said about their whiskers! The scientific term for this finely tuned sensory structure is Vibrissae.  While the hairs don't actually contain nerve endings, their base is surrounded by erectile tissue and a rich nerve supply. Just like human eyelashes dogs whiskers are highly sensitive to currents and vibrations. They will react quickly when anything brushes against their whiskers. See for yourself!!

Canine whiskers are not only located on and around the soft velvety muzzle, but above the eyes, on the chin and they also surround the face. They are made up of special sensory stiff and coarse hairs that sense textures, such as rough, smooth or fine. Whiskers are an important tool for orientation and hunting for dogs. they use their whiskers as sensitive feelers, allowing them to sense their surroundings, any objects, their food and each other. For example, they can judge spaces and know exactly where to put their head in a bowl so they can eat.

Sometimes a dog's whiskers may twitch while he is sleeping meaning he is in a deep sleep. Also at times the hair surrounding the lips of young dogs are dark which appears to make them look like they are grinning. Whiskers may come forward and stand out straight. This can be due to awareness of something around them. For example, curiousity, excitement, alertness, friendly playfulness, or at times maybe even aggression. Most of the time your dog's whiskers will remain fairly flat against the muzzle. So next time your dog gets excited make sure you have a look to see how the whiskers are positioned!! 

 As all mammals have Vibrissae, here are some in action. And as you can see they are not always black!!!

This Bengal Tiger has pure beautiful long white whiskers.





To the right is one of Australia's native possums, a Ringtail Possum. Notice the length of the whiskers. These guys are totally nocturnal and even though their eyesight is excellent in the dark their whiskers assist them greatly while moving around in the Australian bush and rainforests.  

Born as an extremely intelligent member of the Canis family our domestic dog (familiaris domesticus) can exhibit some interesting forms of communication that we can all learn from. Probably the easiest for us as humans to see, in order to assess simple behaviour in our best friends we need to understand the visual signals they use to communicate. Like their ancestor the wolf, the dog is much attuned to the sounds, sights and smells that make up his world. They also use other forms of communication whereby they show facial expressions, alter body postures and movements. We are going to cover the five senses that contribute not only to a dog's communication but to it's body parts and body movements as well. I would encourage you along the way to stop and observe your dog and begin to understand him or her in a whole new light!

From birth, touching is a sense that remains extremely important throughout a dog's life. We know that patting a dog is rewarding to both dog and human. However when dogs play and communicate with each other, touch is of utmost importance. Closeness is often expressed by sleeping with their backs pressed tightly together, a paw on the next dog's back, or the head of one dog resting on the body of another.

Watching your canine and the signals they use to communicate can feed you an enormous amount of information. So even though this may play a small part in something that dogs "just do", you may very well have grasped the opportunity to be more in tune with your dog and be well on the way to 'reading his/her behaviour.

Still to come...... what the ears, mouth, feet, eyes tail and neck can tell you.

Also coming soon is a special introduction of HARLEY and LILY,our 2 VIP's of the 'Whiskers Pack'. You will be able to follow their day to day lives based on the five senses. Special appearances from their friends will also feature.  Check out the Vibrissae on Lily!