Taking a body language lesson from Conrad

Isn't it funny how subtle the cues can be?  Just a tiny lift of the head, or a look and the whole message changes.  My dogs are quick to show their teeth during play, but when they are serious the rear part of their lips is a bit different and the ear posture is different as well. 
 
But you're right, the way that dogs can calmly evoke leadership is something to be envied, and learned so that we can effectively do our jobs.

There was a book by Patricia McConnel that spoke a lot about canine body language, how we should read it better, and how a lot of our actions can be interpreted incorrectly by our dogs. She also described how watching a pack of wolves and how they communicate can tell us a lot about what our dogs do,
For example when teaching a dog to "come" its best to give the command and turn away from the dog and start moving in the direction awy from them. She says this because dogs look more towards our body language then actual verbal signs. If you are facing the dog saying "come" our body isnt dispalying our intent. When you see a pack of wolves the leader will just turn and walk in one direction and the pack follows. This is also because a pack mentality is that if you are left alone without the protection of your pack your as good as dead. Try it, next time your dog is off leash and is a distance away just give a whistle and head in another direction and they'll surely follow.

Another thing she pointed out is that when we give certain commands we subconciously use the same body language. Think about it, when you give a "sit" command a lot of us straighten our posture and even sometimes use a hand gesture. Or when we tell them to stay we may hold our hand up like a were giving a "stop" command. This had reminded me that in puppy class we had used hand signals in conjunction with verbal commands but presently I hadnt been aware that i still slightly used them when I gave Rory commands. Sooooo after reading this I went out in the yard and tried giving Rory commands with typical body language I display but without verbal commands. WOW, she has them down pat, it was crazy!

Other pack mentality that pertains to our dogs is that we are supposed to eat dinner first just like a alpha dog eats first and then the rest of the pack gets leftovers. I eat eofre Rory, its just one more signal to show her who's boss.
Also I let her greet me when I get home, I dont run in and shower her with love. If you watch a pack of wolves you never see the alpha greet the babies first. I only hug and kiss her if she greets me in a calm manner which is 99% of the time because she has learned that acting crazy when I get home will get her no attention.
Also when she paws at me for attention, I turn my head away from her and put my nose in the air. You've all seen your dog do it to you when you they are displeased with you, ie trying to give medicine, wehn they deny a yucky treat, or when they are being stubborn. If you watch a pack of wolves you'll see older pack member do it to their young to show disapproval.

Sorry for the rant, I could list examples all day, bottom line, i know what you mean, he he!
 
edited for grammatical errors

I love to watch dogs communicate too... it is fascinating when you know what to watch for. Russell's an only dog but when we stayed for 10 days in my MIL's home he and her dogs quickly sorted out their roles. The big lab mix was the obvious low girl on the totem pole, just staying out of everyone's way and waiting at the back of the crowd for attention or treats. Russell was by far the most rambunctious, pushy, and in your face, but the little shih tzu girl was the alpha bitch and no question about it. For the most part she ignored his antics but if he got really rude about trying to nudge her out of my lap or steal a milkbone from her, I'd see her curl her lip and give him *that look* and he'd go away. That was it, no fighting, no fuss.
 
It's also interesting though how some dogs speak & understand their language better than others. Usually when I see Russell interact with other dogs it's at the dog park... sometimes it'll be like they're all speaking with a heavy accent and he just can't read them, which makes him timid and edgy and non-communicative. Other times I'll see him run through his play bows and calming signals with expertise.