Communicating With Your Dog
Your dog is telling you more than you think! Most of us know when our dog needs to relieve himself or is hungry, but your dog may be letting you know a lot more than that. White German shepherd dogs are among the easiest dog breeds to train, are affectionate and can form a strong bond with their trainer – not surprisingly, communicating with them can be easy as well.
Dogs actually communicate with humans in much the same ways that they do with other dogs – by movement, scents and sounds and body and facial expressions. Dogs are a lot better at reading our body language than we are at theirs – our mood, posture and tone of voice are all giveaways. And if we come home with an unusual smell – perfume or cigarette smoke – a dog may be confused.
Your dog’s sense of smell is his most powerful means of communication – up to a million times stronger than a human’s. Not only can dogs detect scents that we cannot; they can also detect smells that are hidden by other scents. And white German shepherds have a better sense of smell than many other dog breeds.
To your German shepherd dog, the surrounding air can be full of exciting and strange new smells. When your dog raises his head and sniffs, he is basically checking all these smells out. And if your dog sniffs the back part of another dog – he is gathering all sorts of useful facts about the other dog – the sex and age of the dog, whether they are neutered and whether they should be considered friend or foe.
Human scents are extremely important to a dog. A white German shepherd values his owner’s scent the most as it indicates familiarity and safety. And a dog tends to file away the scents of everyone else he has met – the scent carries strong associations such as fear, friendship, etc.
Dogs use sound to communicate with other dogs and with humans although it isn’t as important to them as scent. Most of us are familiar with the sounds a dog makes and have some idea of what they mean – barking, growling or whimpering. However, if your dog barks it could mean he wants to play or he is warning you – after a while, you will learn to tell the difference.
Wagging the tail is another important way that dogs communicate – although even this can have different meanings. Research suggests that a dog’s tail wags more to the right when they feel positive or happy. If a dog wags his tail slowly, it is probably a warning sign; and a confident dog tends to keep his tail up.
The posture of your German shepherd can indicate a lot – a calm dog usually has a slightly open mouth with a relaxed tail and body; while a frightened dog tends to crouch with tail between legs. And your dog is displaying aggression if he leans forward, has his tail held high and has all his teeth exposed.
Most owners and trainers agree – owning a white German shepherd dog is a pleasure. Take the time to communicate with your dog and your experience of owning one of these beautiful animals will be even more rewarding.