this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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Explain Like I'm Five

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Why does Dog and Human language differ on what shaking head means? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 12 hours ago by allo@sh.itjust.works to c/explainlikeimfive@lemmy.world
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Dogs even not trained by other dogs shake their entire body (like shaking head but entire body) as one of the common ways to express 'im comfortable, good, everything is ok'. When I communicate to my dogs in their language, I often think when doing a shake for 'yes its ok', that this is one of the unusual areas where dog communication and human communication is nearly opposite and I'm curious why. Why does a human shaking their head mean No while a dog doing a similar shake, but of their whole body, translate not explicitly but very closely to Yes?

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[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if this is related to making “chuffing” noises? Perhaps dogs can’t make this noise without shaking their head.

[–] allo@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 hours ago

i am not sure what chuffing noise you are talking about.

I know pits and shortsnout breeds do different vocalizations than my longsnout dogs.

The signs my dogs make that dont involve tongue or tail for similar emotions are:

  • the butt up chest down stretch
  • the aforementioned shake
  • deep breath
  • an mhm breath which can be nuanced to mhmhmhmhm occasionally

i know the first three have an aspect of innateness because i have seen disconnected dogs do the same for the same sort of experience. I am unsure of the mhm because i have not seen dogs outside my own culture of dogs do it so it may be cultural. They may or may not idk. Don't know the chuffing tho