Calming Signals

At one point in Open agility, Tri-ing and I seemed to hit a wall.  When I started using calming signals with him, he finished his open titles and went on to achieve his excellent titles too.  The problem with him, is that he would get soooo excited to be out there and then he'd run amuck.  If I could do a quick yawn right as I saw him "compress" (he was like a spring, you could sort of see his body compress right before he'd go zoomie), I could get him to hold it together until the end of the course.  So, yes, I'm a calming signals advocate.  I have the book, then got the updated book and the VHS tape.  I'm waiting for an updated tape (haven't heard she is doing one, just think she should).  I really liked the updated book.  I haven't watched the tape in a while, so I'm not sure if I could recommend video versus book.

Thank-you!  I think I will get the new edition of the book to start off with then!  I really appreciate you sharing your opinion! I am hopeful that Dodger and I will find success with this too![]

Just be prepared for strange looks when people ask you for advice and you reply "Just yawn at your dog."  [8D]  After you read the book, go watch dog behavior. 

I have tried displaying calming signals to my dog but they didn't seem to have an effect... maybe I wasn't doing them at the right time. He yawns a lot but seemingly not in the capacity of displaying calming signals - usually it's while we're riding in the car or lounging in bed and he's sleepy, yawning as a human would yawn.
 
However, there was one time that Russell got in a fairly nasty squabble over a tennis ball with another dog at the park (a dog he's known for many months). The next time he saw her was again at the park a few days later... we were hanging out when she came barrelling in towards him. I was watching this meeting from about 6 ft away and I saw him display a very clear set of calming signals - ducking his head, glancing to the side, licking his lips quietly. It was an obvious message, "I don't want any trouble with you today." And so she waltzed off to do something else. It was pretty fascinating to observe.

I find the topic of calming signals very interesting. I can definitely see how my terrier yawns to calm and/or reassure himself when he gets over-excited, but the times I've tried to do it to calm him he's looked at me like I was crazy. No reaction whatsoever. When I mentioned it to our trainer, she said not to take it personally. She said that calming signals are a very specific dog language, and I was probably speaking it with a very bad accent. []


 

ORIGINAL: simcoe

I find the topic of calming signals very interesting. I can definitely see how my terrier yawns to calm and/or reassure himself when he gets over-excited, but the times I've tried to do it to calm him he's looked at me like I was crazy. No reaction whatsoever. When I mentioned it to our trainer, she said not to take it personally. She said that calming signals are a very specific dog language, and I was probably speaking it with a very bad accent. []

 
Ha ha!

I think calming signals are fascinating and would love to learn even more.  I have used the yawn to calm both of my dogs, and I honestly think it has had helped a little.  What's been most interesting to me though is to watch the signals used between the 2 of them. These girls have had some very serious fights, especially in the beginning, and you can really spot when one of them is using a calming signal to diffuse a situation.  If my younger lab is in a very hyper mood, the older lab will actually run away and then sit down quickly and start scratching her ear.  It works perfectly every time.  I guess there's a courtesy among dogs that you don't pounce on someone who's busy itching a scratch []

I've watched dogs do both yawning and ear scratching.

Simcoe, if your avatar is any indication (I LOVE the little vibrating head!! LOL!!) I guess I can see why you wanted to get Calming Signals!

Ha ha, you got it! That's Toby if he even suspects there might be food or a walk in his near future. Food and a walk, food and a walk, food and a walk... I can practically hear him chanting it every time he looks at me.

VERY interesting!  Thank-you all very much...I will definately get the book...  I am also fascinated by dog behaviour but I am quite ashamed that I can't understand it better![]

Another great calming signal I see at the dog park sometimes is the sudden sniffing-the-grass routine.

Ah - yes - the "sniffing the grass" routine.  I've seen it in agility class when the dog is probably thinking "Aw come on, Mom, do you really want me to do that for the 10th time? Let's just give it a rest"[]

I do yawn and lick my lips and I can see by her expression she understands.