Dog Communications Continued

We are learning even more about communicating with our dog. We have learned about different types of behaviors, and trying to understand the purpose of communication.

The types are: Maladaptive, Conditioned, Learned, Displaced, and Calming.

We tried to go to the dog park to exhibit the behaviors that she would have with other dogs. Unfortunately the dog park was closed so we couldn't do that, but there were tons of behaviors anyway. It was very interesting.

Learned behavior is when she learns that a behavior gets her her way. An example is when we were in the car our dog whined a lot. Usually she gets to sit in our lap if she cries. Another behavior type we observed is Displacement. Displacement is when a dog or person does a perfectly normal behavior at an extremely abnormal time because they are nervous, scared, or they sense something. Our dog sat down refusing to walk, so we had to pick her up and carry her, because she was nervous about walking over a bridge we had to cross. A human example of Displacement is when someone goes to their room and lays down on their bed because they are trying to avoid doing what they need to do. Conditioned Behaviors are like Learned Behaviors except a Conditioned Behavior is something that has been learned so much it just comes to mind in just a second, and a Learned Behavior the dog makes a choice. When our dog saw people walking she went up to them and gave them those, "puppy dog eyes," because she wanted their attention.

A funny story that happened while we were out, is that Bella (our dog) was going around in the backseat and her paw accidentally pressed the button that makes the back of the seat go forward. It scared her, and I felt bad, but I was laughing!