Tactile interactions
Research into tactile interactions in dogs is minimal , but the ways dogs touch each other can have meaning , as dogs establish and maintain social bonds through close contact when sleeping and mutual grooming [ 22 ] . Dogs can also use their bodies against other dogs purposefully , to influence another dog ' s movement in response [ 22 ] – for example , placing their head and neck , or paw , over another dog ' s back to encourage it to remain still . Dogs might also engage in ritualised ‘ aggressive ’ behaviour during play , such as jaw-grabbing and pouncing on each other , or inhibiting a penetrative bite , which might be a way of communicating physical ability and intention [ 20 ] .
Tactile communication in dogs has been observed to occur in short-lasting , context-specific bouts , unlike human – human interactions , which are often tactile in a variety of contexts [ 23 ] . Dogs can learn to accept and enjoy human interaction , especially when experienced positively in early life . However , for some dogs , unsolicited physical interaction by other dogs and / or humans can be associated with anxiety and a desire to withdraw [ 24 ] .
Domestication has resulted in canine communication being adapted so that certain elements have become distinctly dog – human [ 23 ] . For example , dog – dog eye contact can be perceived as confrontational , so dogs often blink or turn their heads to avoid direct eye contact with other dogs ; by contrast , dogs that have positive early-life experience of making eye contact with humans ( Figure 3 ) readily find it reinforcing [ 25 ] , particularly when it becomes associated with positive outcomes such as being fed .
Figure 3 . Dog – human eye contact is something many dogs learn to experience in a positive , pleasurable way .
The reaction of a dog to human handling will depend on a multitude of factors , including genetics , earlylife experience , previous interactions with humans , its physical and emotional health [ 26 ] , and the area of the body being handled or interacted with [ 27 ] . Dogs that have been inadequately or inappropriately socialised with humans may be at risk of interpreting human approaches to physical interaction as agonistic communication [ 28 ] .
Canine communication for VNs
Many of the ways in which the sights , sounds and smells in a veterinary practice affect dogs ' emotional states are beyond that experienced by humans . Given the incredible olfactory , visual and auditory ability of the species , it is easy to appreciate why the veterinary environment can be challenging for dogs .
A dog might be able to hear much smaller animals , such as hamsters and guinea pigs , even when they are in different areas of the practice , which might induce excitement and / or anxiety in the dog . Likewise , the scent emitted by other animals and people experiencing negative emotions while in the practice could also effect the way a dog feels and behaves in response . While people might tell one another they are fine , a dog ' s expert ability to interpret scent and human body language means it can sense when this is not the case !
A dog can associate sights , sounds , smells – and even the texture of different surfaces , such as rubber , linoleum and bedding material – with the emotions it experiences in a veterinary practice . For example , an injured dog that experiences pain when it is physically examined while standing on a rubbertopped examination table might associate that negative feeling of pain with the smell of rubber and the interaction with someone in uniform . This strong negative association can mean that the next time the dog smells rubber it may anticipate pain and respond by becoming anxious and withdrawing or trying to hide . This , alongside similar associative learning , helps explain why some dogs hide beneath waiting-room chairs or refuse to enter a veterinary practice and require additional understanding and support in order to receive veterinary attention .
The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body to address perceived threat , which causes some dogs to urinate and / or defaecate in the veterinary clinic . Even after cleaning , dogs are likely to be able to detect the residual odour of urine / faeces and emptied anal gland secretions . Some dogs will scent mark by urinating over sites previously eliminated on by other dogs – commonly the reception desk – resulting in owner embarrassment and frustration , which can further heighten any negative emotions associated with being in a veterinary practice .
18 Veterinary Nursing Journal