Dogs are restricted in the methods they have to communication. This can make the process of learning how to train a dog difficult. Just like humans, they can alter their volume or tone of “voice”, but their main form of communication when trying to get through to humans, is body language.
It is often easier to understand what a dog is trying to communicate when it barks, rather than when it tries to tell us something with body language. For example: If the dog is barking out a window when the mailman passes, it is trying to protect it's “home” from an invader.
Body language, on the other hand, can be difficult to translate. Here are a few of the most common forms of body communication dogs use.
1. When a dog starts pulling the handler when it is being walked on a leash, this is an expression of dominance and can be a dangerous sign. It means that the dog does not aknowledge the handler as “pack leader” or “alpha dog”. This can lead to dogs being challenging and aggressive.
2. The opposite of this is a dog rolling over on it's back, exposing it's belly. If a dog rolls on it's side or rolls on it's back, the dog is showing you that it means you no harm. The dog recognizes that youa re in command. It is a behavior that is expressed o avoid conflict and confrontation.
3. If a dog crouches and has it's legs are pushed out in front, with it's rear end up and it's head near to the ground, it means the dog is in a playful mood. This is a standard and is universal throughout all breeds of dog.
4. If dogs start scraping the ground, they are marking their territory. This can occur after a dog has gone to the bathroom, but can also occur at other times. Dogs have small glands on the bottom of their feet that give off a scent that is unique to each dog.
5. If a dog places it's paws or head gently on another dog, it is used to gain information. The dog wants to know where it stands in the pack hierarchy. This is a way of dogs finding out if they are the “Alpha” dog.
Paying close attention to how a dog acts can help you to better understand the dog's needs. This will improve the bond between you and your dog, and will make other forms of training progress much smoother. There are much more dog behavior patterns that can give much more information about what a dog wants. You should visit a dog training site like http://www.dogtrainingpro.info for a full list of behaviors that dogs can show, and what those behaviors mean.