# On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals



## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Here is good article about Turid Rugaas and her methods:

http://diamondsintheruff.com/calmingsignals.html


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## historicprim (Nov 24, 2007)

LibertyME said:


> On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, Turid Rugaas.
> 
> I am re-reading some of my books and read 'Calming Signals' last night...
> 
> ...


Havent read the book but it sounds very interesting.
20 plus years ago when my husband and I were involved with german shorthaired pointers I witnessed an amazing incident.
We were at a club splash in, a gentlemen had 2 males who were raised together and very close. One of the males started having a seizure and the owner put the other male in the xtra large crate with him. The healthy male licked the poor guys ears and mouth till he came out of it. It literally brought tears to your eyes.


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## MelissaH (Jul 27, 2007)

wow...just checked out some info on this. very interesting and insightful.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Sounds very similiar to the book I am reading "For the Love of a Dog," by Patricia B. McConnell, PH.D. Very good book, although the first chapter was a bit tough with all the background of animal behaviorists. Now that I am into the meat of the book, it is much more interesting. Her pictures comparing human faces to dog faces expressing certain emotions, like happiness, are uncanny. Lots of stories about dogs and owners she has worked with as well. Definitely recommended.

One other thing she mentioned is that dogs don't like to be hugged. Surprise to me, but if you look at the picture she has of a child hugging a dog, the child is as happy as could be, and the dog looks very, very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Anyone ever observe that in their dog when it is being hugged?


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Phillyfisher said:


> One other thing she mentioned is that dogs don't like to be hugged. Surprise to me, but if you look at the picture she has of a child hugging a dog, the child is as happy as could be, and the dog looks very, very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Anyone ever observe that in their dog when it is being hugged?


NO WAY.... Sam loooooves being hugged... when i come home from work, i'll sit on the couch and Sam will put his front paws up on the side of me and nuzzle close to my neck and DEMAND his hug lol i have never sensed him being uncomfortable at all with hugging, and we give him hugs all the time.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

My dogs do not like hugs from anyone but me... but they love them from me.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

I was surprised as well, she said hugging means something different to dogs in her book, but did not elaborate on what it meant. I had a GSD growing up that I hugged all the time, now I feel kind of bad that it may not have meant the same thing to him...


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Face to face stuff in dogs is typical of confrontation. That's why dogs are generally uncomfortable with hugging. Most even-tempered dogs, however, can easily be taught that hugging, at least from their primary caregivers, is a good thing.


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## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

Interesting book I will have to get it.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Phillyfisher said:


> Sounds very similiar to the book I am reading "For the Love of a Dog," by Patricia B. McConnell, PH.D.
> 
> One other thing she mentioned is that dogs don't like to be hugged. Surprise to me, but if you look at the picture she has of a child hugging a dog, the child is as happy as could be, and the dog looks very, very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Anyone ever observe that in their dog when it is being hugged?


I remember reading that same thing so I went to see if that's the book that I have. It's not but I have another one by her called, "The Other End of the Leash". She explains that most humans/primates express affection with chest-to-chest and face-to-face contact, hugging one another and patting others behind the head or on the shoulders. 

She further explains that the only time dogs "hug" each other is when the male clasps the female during sex or when a dog (male or female) mounts another dog in a dominance display or in play with familiar dogs. If one dog reaches a paw over the neck of another in the first seconds of their initial greeting, he's pushing the socially acceptable boundaries of canine good manners.

She also said that she loves to hug her dogs and her dogs tolerate it because they are not strangers plus they are willing to put up all kinds of foolishness to get her attention :.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks for the clarification! I kind of thought it was a dominance thing. Just today we were at a local pet store that had some puppies and dogs from a local lab rescue. Hard to leave without one, but ours will be here soon enough. Luckily it looked like they had a lot of people signing up to adopt. 

It was fun watching them interact and watching their body language. There was one pup who did not know his manners, as he approached one dog there head on, and got snapped at. It is really interesting watching them on a different level. Glad I have been reading so much and learning what to look for.


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## Sunny Delight (Mar 10, 2007)

To be superficial, we watched the calming signals video at our "foster workshop" last May and we just couldn't help laughing at her name!! (and her hair- those long braids!!)


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## Sunshine Goldens (Oct 31, 2005)

Sunny Delight said:


> To be superficial, we watched the calming signals video at our "foster workshop" last May and we just couldn't help laughing at her name!! (and her hair- those long braids!!)


Why Karen, whatever do you mean?? The foster workshop was nothing less than the ultimate in professionalism! I cannot imagine who could have started those kinds of shenanigans but they will not be tolerated this year!


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

LOL i totally just google'd "turid rugaas" and started laughing too... the braids!!


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