Mary Allen
Turid Rugaas coined the term appeasement signals. The dog uses them to signal to the other person: I have good intentions – and you? A distinction must be made between soothing signals per se and those that can be used to soothe.
When our dogs communicate with others of their kind, but also with other animals, people, or even things like cars, they use a variety of (often overlooked) signals designed to send the message that their intentions are peaceful, at least while that’s possible. A typical situation in which calming signals are used is a dog encounter. A conspecific becomes visible and suddenly our dog slows down, sniffs the side of the path with great interest, looks in a different direction or back, and makes a polite arc. Nothing happens by accident in the dog world! The fact that they are sniffing intensely right now, perhaps marking, hesitating, looking elsewhere, lifting a paw – all of these behaviors are due to the message to the approaching dog: I have good intentions! Now, if we keep tugging our dogs, we’re also forcing them into an unfriendly quick approach, which sends a very different message than a polite bow, which our peaceful dogs prefer when approaching. This is how dog encounters can tip over – simply because people subconsciously suppress many polite signals.
Dogs also use soothing signals toward people. If a sensitive dog is called with too much severity, it often walks deliberately and slowly. This is supposedly interpreted as a protest or a lack of will, although the dog only reacts to the irritated mood by de-escalating and thus approaches slowly and in a non-direct way, sometimes blinking, yawning, and looking away. And no: yawning does not mean that the dog is bored. It is used to de-escalate and is a friendly message, by no means a declaration of war!
Calm Down
Examples of behaviors the dog will exhibit with or without a soothing message include yawning, stretching, blinking, etc. These behaviors may or may not include a peaceful message. For example, yawning can mean tiredness, a
skipping action that is attributed to gaining time and a better reaction, or even a calming signal. In the same way, stretches can
serve physical fitness, circulate tired limbs, or be used as a calming signal so that the other person notices that good intentions prevail and can calm down. Dogs also use friendly signals towards inanimate objects. The attentive observer can perceive, for example, that dogs can also yawn when cars approach, sniff politely or blink and react by shortening their gaze (gazing into emptiness). The message here is also: I am peaceful.
Real Signals
Three so-called real calming signals have their origin in socio-infantile behaviors. Making yourself small, licking the corners of your mouth, and patting your paws are real appeasement signals with an exclusively peaceful message character. paws coming
from the milk kick, which stimulates the flow of milk. Even later, the dog keeps raising a paw to calm him down. Puppies use licking or muzzle-licking to beg for food. In the event of possible danger, they make themselves small and protect the injury-prone region around the neck and abdomen with a rounded back. Later, this is also used as a signal of peacefulness to ward off stress and conflict. The dog, which licks its nose and lips, lifts its paw, lies down in slow motion, and shows its belly, signals very nicely that it doesn’t want to be provocative. Unfortunately, the much finer, only hinted signs are overlooked far too often! If we all sharpened our eyes
for it, stress, fights, bite injuries, and incorrect reactions of our four-legged friends could be avoided as far as possible…
Everyday tips
- Our dogs never want to annoy us, but they often want to calm us down. Responds kindly!
- Licking, ducking, and pawing are originally socio-infantile behaviors that are considered real
calming signals. - Dogs don’t do things just like that: watch out for slowing down, hesitation, arcing, etc.
- Blinking, turning your head, shortened gaze, etc. – give time, space, and take the pressure off!