Dogs are Not People

Is anyone confused by the title? Did it really take a Harvard University study to prove that dogs understand that people aren't dogs? Why is it so difficult for people to understand that what makes a dog a dog and not a child, is exactly what's so special about dogs?

Granted, most people consider dogs to be members of the family. But unlike our children, dogs cannot tell you when they are feeling scared or confused or threatened. People need to learn to read the subtle signals dogs use to communicate their intentions. Do you know what a dog is showing another dog when he yawns? Or flicks his tongue or blinks his eyes as you or another dog approach? He is signaling his concern about their interaction and is communicating that he is not interested in conflict. The other dog immediately responds by giving him the space he needs. People, on the other hand, confuse their dogs many times daily.

Dogs live in the present whereas, people are generally thinking about the future, be it five minutes or five days from now. This difference causes problems for both dogs and people. Because we are often not paying attention, we leave dogs to react to circumstances as their instincts dictate.

The differences in human and dog greetings illustrate this point well. We reach for, hug, kiss, shake hands and look each other in the eyes. Dogs, however, perceive all direct eye contact and approaches suspiciously; as potential challenges or even all out confrontations. Isn't it easy to see how quickly a dog's instincts can get him into trouble with people? Dogs can only see the world from a dog's point of view.

To complicate things more, people make generalizations about dogs every day. Consider the following well known phrases and assumptions regarding dogs:

          Most people think that 'a dog is friendly if it is wagging its tail'. Nothing could be much further from the truth. There are many different types of tail wags and all have different meanings. It would be better and safer to assume that it is a warning.

          "His bark is worse than his bite" was first said by someone who was obviously never on the receiving end of a dog bite!  Barking communicates 'go away' rather than 'come here' (except for those attention seeking dogs). Dogs do not always growl before they bite, either.

          Unfortunately, parents of young children learn the reason for the warning, "let sleeping dogs lie" the hard way. And, the family dog usually loses its life for responding reflexively and defending itself in the midst of REM sleep.

          It is usually assumed that a dog is acting jealously when it barks, jumps up on or tries to get between people who are hugging. It is much more likely that your dog is trying to keep the peace by splitting you up, because he thinks you're having a fight. (Watch out when you are!)

It is dangerous to assume that any one behavior has the same meaning for every dog in every situation. Consider these examples. When a dog rolls onto its back, it is not always soliciting a belly rub; it is just as likely that you will be bitten, especially if you are not known to the dog. Not all jumping up behaviors are friendly greetings. Dogs that growl when you approach or try to take a bone, toy or other object away are not playfully teasing you; it's serious business and often leads to a bite. These are but a few of the many misconceptions that lead to miscommunication and the breakdown of relationships between people and dogs.

Of course, people know that dogs are not people! Yet many people treat their dogs as if they were children. As with one another, trying to make a dog into be something he is not is impossible. Dogs will, and can only be dogs.

Vera E. Wilkinson - written in February 2006