by Brian Dawson

This is part 4 of a 4 part series on puppy play.

Part 1: Finding the Headspace
Part 2: Types of Dogs and Puppies
Part 3: Biology – Veterinary Tips for the Human Dog

CANINE BEHAVIOUR, BODY LANGUAGE & EXPRESSION

The first goal of the would-be dog slave is to learn to emulate the behaviors of his canine cousin, and the absolute best way to learn what a dog does and why is through direct observation. The simple behaviors range from walking on all fours to wagging the tail, but for purposes of realism and identity the more complex behaviors are very desirable.

Dogs use a fairly limited range of actions in the sense that many of them can be classified under one of several categories. In combination with body language and tone of voice the K9’s range of communication becomes very well rounded and more than effective enough for communicating with humans under normal circumstances. The list below describes some basic behaviors the prospective dog/dogslave needs to master:

Barking

Dogs bark for many reasons, as a greeting, a warning, a threat, for attention, or even as a show of preference. The tone, volume, and body language during barking all come together to create a message for the humans or other dogs around. The critical thing in learning the body language aspect of barking is attention — what is the animal focused on? Attention, posture, and tone generally combine to give humans a clue as to the meaning of a bark.

Yapping

Yapping sounds when the pup is in need of attention or when trying to draw attention to something in its environment, although sometimes they do it out of sheer excitement. Yapping can also be a sign that the animal wants to play when combined with the right posturing.

Whining/Whimpering

Dogs will often whimper or whine when sad or distressed; for instance when hungry or being abused by their owners. Many dogs will whine at the door when in need of a walk.

Growling

Growling is generally a sign of aggression, extreme dislike or distress, or forcefulness. Dogs may growl to express a negative preference, warn an owner of a negative thing in the environment, or to warn another animal that it is considered a threat.

Pawing

A canine pawing at things usually wants something. Pawing the door means he probably wants to go out. When pawing the toys, he may want to play. When pawing his owner’s leg with an accompanying soft whimper, he’s probably feeling amorous.

Sniffing

A dog’s nose tells it a lot about the world and smell is one of its most important senses. An interested or curious pup will sniff at anything new, and frequently at whatever happens to be on his mind at the moment — toys, spots to go to the bathroom, etc. When meeting new people, a dog will usually build a catalog of their scents by sniffing at their feet, crotch, ass, arm pits, and so on

Licking

Pups usually lick out of affection or just because something tastes good. A lick at his Master’s boots generally shows submission, while licking at his hand or face can portray gratefulness, excitement, affection, or a host of other things depending on the animal’s posture and expression. Some licking behaviors involve sexual instincts — licking up spilled cum or cleaning one of his owner’s toys, for example.

Wagging

A dog will wag its tail for many reasons, but the most common and universal is to show a range of happy emotions. A slow gentle wag can portray a content and relaxed pup, while a fast silly wag usually means excitement.

SUBMISSIVE & DOMINANT BEHAVIOURS

Dogs, like all pack or family oriented animals, have a range of behaviors for establishing a hierarchy of dominance and submission with those they encounter. A submissive dog will generally look down and carry out its sniffing and licking in a gentle, cautious fashion. Rolling onto its back and showing its neck and belly are an abject show of submission for nearly all canines, and submissive whimpering is also common in these scenarios.

A more dominant dog will act more confident and perhaps even aggressive when “sizing up” another creature, be it human or animal. It will level its gaze, perhaps growling as a show of power.

More dominant animals are harder to get on their backs, but when they are they tend to enjoy it, if the company is right and the scratching is good. Dominant dogs will stand forward with their tail up and ears back, eyes level and gaze unwavering.

Submissive dogs will stand or sit with their tail low, eyes averted, and ears down. Cowering, which is common when a dog knows it has done something wrong, is a classic example of submissive behavior.

PROTOCOL

In training a dog to behave properly, certain points of protocol must be kept in mind. In a public environment (bar, club, country lane) the animal should be taught to heel at its Master’s left side when walking, and either next to his left leg or between his legs when resting. A normal dog will range around collecting the scents of man and beast alike with his nose when he’s brought into a new environment. This is normal and expected, but the animal must always be available to its owner and responsive when called to “come” or “heel”. It is also likely that a dog will play and interact with any other animals that may be about — this is it’s normal instinct, interrupted only by its Master’s command.

THEORY & BASIC EQUIPMENT

The primary goal of all animal training is behavior modification. The techniques used to accomplish this end are many and varied. The underlying goal of behavior modification is simple: to modify the animal’s innate and automatic behaviors in such a way as to cause a permanent change in its response to certain stimuli.

The most basic example is when a dog automatically and instantly sits when his owner says “SIT”. In a well-trained animal the reaction to a command or stimulus is completely instinctive and without thought.

A good trainer or handler will apply consistency and simplicity to all of his training sessions. Don’t try and have a conversation with your animal, it’s not designed for English. Instead, consistently use simple devices such as one-word commands in all of your sessions and you will meet with a much better result.

Training procedures are carried out using a very basic principle of animal conditioning — the association of pleasure and pain. An owner’s primary and underlying task in training the human dog is to associate massive amounts of pleasure to desired behaviors like obeying a command, and an adequate amount of pain to undesirable behaviors like peeing on the rug. The type and intensity of each aspect — pleasure or pain — is up to the trainer and should be tailored to suit the circumstances. In sessions where I have trained basic behaviors into a human animal, climbing on the bed has earned a few sound raps on the ass or balls with a rolled newspaper. Direct disobedience has resulted in a good beating coupled with longer term punishment, like attaching the chain between a pair of tit clamps to the collar and then holding the leash (connected at the other side of the collar) taught when it is being walked around.

In its simplest form, dog training requires a few basic tools. A collar, for purposes of expressing or enforcing control of the animal, and a leash for the same reasons. A punishment device, such as a crop or rolled up paper is also essential. A method of reward, from a scratch on the head to a biscuit, completes the package. Other tools and toys can definitely add something to the arrangement when used properly, but are not required.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Dawson has given workshops on dogslave training and the “dog mind”.

This piece first appeared in S/M Perspectives (Vol 2, Issue 3), independently published in Vancouver by Rainfall Press in 2004.