I was very disappointed in this book. I expected to learn much much more. There was no depth or insight in this book.

A light book with some good advice but not a book that should be taken in its entirety as a failsafe "How to".
Some of the advice is vague and some of the behavioural signals written about are confusing as too are many of the guides.

When I saw this online I thought it would be interesting but I underestimated just how good and how helpful this little book is to me! I am using the information to understand my dogs better and to respect their boundaries and needs. They bring so much to my life, it is only fair for me to be more understanding of their behaviors. This book helps one to know what dogs are thinking and feeling and communicating. Thank you!

This is a brief, very readable book that increased my knowledge of canine body language. To her credit, Ms. Rugaas does not say this is a scientific study. It is a how-to book based on her observations and efforts, an accessible book to begin learning canine body language.

I have several large dogs and have read many dog books. This book was light and enjoyable. It was fun to try the head-turns and other signals myself. I was able to more easily recognize stress in my dogs and then reduce it.

Any language can be mis-interpreted. No book can guarantee to keep you or your dog out of aggressive situations.

The booklet was not quite what I expected, but it did have some helpful tips for how I should interact with my shy dog. I did find that I was being seen as too dominate by the way that I looked and reached for my dog. By just changing some little thing, I saw a big differenc in my dog right away. If you are looking for a booklet with some quick tips, this is a good selection.

The material was presented in an anecdotal style. It was not presented in a manner that evidenced a unifying underlying understanding of behavior. I did find pieces of the book to be helpful, and I have no doubt that the author has extensive experience and great skill working with dogs. However the information was presented in what seemed like a piecemeal fashion and did not have evidence based or objective material to support the authors own opinions.

This is a book, IMO, that every person should read. When you read this book and observe your dog or other dogs somewhere, you will see just what they are saying. To think, I thought for a long time, that when a dog "yawned" he was tired. I find myself looking for these "Calming Signals" all the time with mine or others.

I cannot believe how much this book helps me communicate with my reactive dog. I have a small library of dog books and by far this little book outshines them all.
I also foster dogs and this helps me get acquainted with all the different breeds and the author is right they (dogs) all speak the same language.
You have to be smart enough to apply the techniques. I've read some real stupid reviews.

Short book, easy read, good ideas... I enjoy learning about dogs and have been using the ideas daily.

I have been a dog owner for years. After reading this book, it has been interesting to observe my own and other dogs with a new depth of understanding, and to be able to communicate with them more easily. It's easy to forget that dogs have no verbal language as we do and can easily misunderstand our words and actions, as we can misunderstand theirs.

I found the information of body language to be interesting, but limited. I was really expecting more information to make a difference with training and understanding dogs.

Not worth the money - unless you fine it for about 2 bucks. If you have dogs it is things you will already know. There was maybe one thing I didn't know. It is very basic. Go to the library and read it for free. If they don't have it - don't bother.

I have now read and used all three of Turid Rugaas's books.
I have assigned this one as reading material for all of my 24 Training Instructors. Along with several of the trainers which have also shown and bred dogs for over 20 years; we all will be giving out one of these books to each person buying a puppy or adopting a rescue. This is a MUST have for anyone wishing to own, already owning a canine, and wish to participate in activities such as going to dog parks, attending public classes and competitions. It pays to know what the dogs "are saying to each other", will this be a friendly encounter or should you intervene?

This book was incredibly helpful. After having dogs all my adult life I adopted a very traumatized rescue golden retriever. Because my dog had been an abused, starved, caged "puppy mill" mother for many years, she was frightened of everything and very concerned that I might harm her.

This book helped me to see really clearly how my dog was feeling (by watching for "calming signals"), and it helped me to know exactly how I could help her feel more safe. Today my rescued golden is a happy, loving, and well-adjusted dog.

Turid Rugaas is a kind, wise woman who loves and understands dogs. You will really enjoy her book. It is succinct, readable, and easily understood-- a real gem. There is also a nice DVD with the same title.

Wow, I learned so much about my dog in one evening of reading. It's amazing. It's like learning to speak in sign language with your dog. I learned that she has been talking and I had no idea what she was saying. My 'difficult' dog isn't so bad now that I have put to use the things I learned here.

It's a fast easy read and has a lot of helpful photos. I would have paid twice as much for what I learned from this book.

I found this book intriguing! It helps me be a better, more understanding friend to my dogs.

Small book packed with useful information that will immediately help an owner understand why a dog behaves as he does.

I read this book in about a half an hour. While there were interesting revelations I felt that not having a dog like the one owned by the author left me at a disadvantage (the dog sounded amazing). Most of the directions I've read in other books which were far more informative and entertaining. If you are looking for a simple read and basic instruction this may be the book for you.

This is a little book with a big punch. It is amazing to analyze some things that you take for advantage everyday. Just reading this book has helped me understand why my dogs behave the way they do in competition. I am a Type A personality and they are trying to calm me down in the ring. I found this book so valuable, I bought the DVD for our 4-H club youth to watch.

This book has some interesting insight but does not provide much practical advice on how to use the signals. Plus it does not seem to give many varied views.

This is an amazing book on dog language, specifically calming signals. A must read for the serious dog person.

I have never owned a dog and still don't. But I love animals and agreed to walk my neighbour's 2 dogs on a regular basis. These dogs, while angels at home, bark at any stranger and other dogs even at a far distance. Frustrated and stressed with some professional advice that was engaged by their owners to help with the problem, I decided to trust my instincts and found this book, which helped me gain confidence in following my hunches and truly begin to watch and learn from the dogs. It's only been a month since I started walking the dogs (and I have never owned a dog before!) and even someone like me has managed to achieve unbelievable results! The insights provided by this book are priceless! Both the dogs and me are so happy now!
These dogs are fearful of strangers and other dogs and they pull while walking too! Besides Turid's books, I also found the book THE CAUTIOUS CANINE most helpful!
With just a couple of books, you can make you and your dog(s) very happy and stress free! Trust me! I'm living proof! - together with many other reviewers of this book!
The process of training the dogs is ongoing but so rewarding now! It does take patience and love but I achieved tenfold results in just 2 walking sessions!! (And mind you, they are not even my dogs!)
The reviewer that said that this book is interesting but useless should learn that his dog can teach him more than he's willing to admit to. Each dog is different and your dog will TELL you what he needs if you are receptive to LISTEN & WATCH him/her.
The result is a wonderful UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIP between you and canines! I find myself communicating with other dogs in the neighbourhood so easily now too!
It is REALLY AMAZING, INCREDIBLE and TRUE!
Thank you Turid.

This book was very useful to me. I have a rescue dog, formerly abused, and he gives me exactly the signals the author talks about to show me he's stressed.
The book is not very long, nor are the pictures particularly nice - it's a quick short read, and useful.

This was a good short book. I liked it because it stresses where a dog is coming from, which enables you to understand and provide a better 'bonding' time with your new dog. Once you understand your pet, you can better train her. Your exectations as well as your dog's are so much more realistic and clear.

The signals are interesting and the pictures illustrate the behaviors well, but the book as a whole is poorly organized and provides very little context. The sections just seem to bump into one another. Almost all of the signals are described as having the same effect or purpose. To be fair I suppose that's the point of the book: calming. But really that's just too thin a topic without going into more detail on each behavior. There must be some difference between licking and curving, for example. What is it? I believe she also claims there are 30 signals, but only discusses about 13.

Turid Rugaas has done a great service for dog owners, and students of dog behavior ... and especially for the dogs themselves. Can you imagine being able to tell what your dog is feeling, and when he is becoming uncomfortable, at a glance? With "Calming Signals", you can do just that. You'll have a clear and concise guide to canine body language that will always give you an edge to helping your dog move though life with clear communication and canine comfort.

Do you think that a dog licking his lips must be hungry? Or that he's always happy when he wags his tail? Or averting his eyes and refusing to meet your or another dog's gaze is a sign of shyness? Think again, and pick up a copy of this book!

It's a brief text, which takes no more than a few hours to read, but will give back a lifetime of understanding between you and your canine friend. "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals" is a title that should be found on every dog lover's bookshelf.

Interesting to understand dog behavior BUT she doesn't explain how to apply it to teaching your dog, she only explains how to watch for signs that you are overwhelming your dog. My dog ignores my yawning, licking, blinking and looking to the side. I guess if a strange dog attacks me I know to sit down with my back to it (yeah, sure). I'd love to attend her classes but this book is NOT worth owning. Borrow it and read it.

I have a couple of unusual dogs-one horrifically abused and the other feral. The clear photos and simple text made reading their "dog language" very easy. I've had dogs all my life and I learned a lot from this little book.

A tiny book and you may feel disappointed over the cost for that volume. I don't believe that the purpose of the book was truly reached because it wasn't explained from the start. It meanders over the different physical cues that dogs use with each other in order to calm other dogs. It suggests if you watch for these cues and perhaps mimic them that you too will be able to communicate the need for a calm behavior from the dog. I suppose if someone were completely new to observing animals and humans that this could be considered inspirational. But I don't find that many people who are so inclined to learn more about communication between species will be greatly rewarded.

This book was recommended to me by one of my veterinarian mentors who has an amazing ability to reach out to dogs. I was anxious to know her secrets, so she insisted I buy "On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals." I will never regret taking her advice. Turid has found a peaceful, non threatening way to speak canine language. Her ideas are fun and easy to use, and with patience, they really work. I am very scientific and am therefore skeptical of people who claim to "speak dog," but I think this book is quite legit. Plus it comes with lots of photos and case studies.

I have had dogs for over 18 years, but I am always continuing to learn more about this lovely creatures. Turid Rugaa, a Norwegian dog trainer and behaviorist, has observed and now documented the many ways that dogs communicate with body language in order to calm themselves down, or to "calm" other dogs. These same "signals" have been observed in wolves. I am finding it amazing how I can also identify and become a part of this non-verbal communication. So often, we misinterpret dogs behavior, forgetting, that they do not think as humans do.

I venture to guess that anyone who has dogs would desire to know ways of calming them. I have three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and they love everybody and all dogs and cats they have come in contact with. However, I have learned that not all dogs are like this, and Ms. Rugaas, shows ways, that dogs naturally approach another dog so as to not illicit an aggressive response. There are photos on almost every page that make it easy to understand her explanations.

My 9 month old puppy has "made eyes at me" ever since I have had her. This is a "calming signal" that indicates peaceful intentions. For dogs, it is good manners to avert the eyes of another dog.

You will find this book quite helpful when you are in situations that you will come across or be with other dogs. However, this book has helped me to understand my dogs interactions with myself, and how I can alter my behavior and communicate with them in a language they can understand.

Thanks to Ms Rugaas for her astute observation. I have benefited greatly

Turid does a great job in translating de body language of dogs and with that avoiding the many mistakes we human make while trying to communicate with our furry friends.
This is the kind of books you can read in an evening (it's hard to stop once you start) and has lots of pictures illustrating her explanations. This also makes it a good text for all the family to read, although it can get a little redundant at some points.
Highly recommended.

Thought this book provided Excellent everyday information for both Dog Owners and Non-Owners alike. Has helped my family tremendously.
Thanks to Turid Rugas for an excellent piece of work.

This book is an excellent resource for understanding canine body language and emotions. There are so many subtle movements that mean so much to dogs, and we humans tend to miss them unless we know what to look for. This book helped me understand a lot about my own dogs and the dogs that I work with every day. I recommend this book to any who has dogs, works with them, or simply enjoys them from afar! The explanations are short and sweet, and there are many good photos.

Excellent book for both a pet owner and a professional trainer or behaviorist. The author is incisive and astute in concisely and effectively educating readers as to the dog's natural communication mechanisms to avoid conflict. The text is easy to read, yet informative, and the photographs and captions are highly pertinent and beneficial. If more owners,trainers and behaviorists became familiar with Ms. Rugaas' interpretation of canine calming signals, we would consequentially reduce the number of domestic dog bite incidents. Moreover, we would improve the quality of life both for pet owners and for their pet dogs. Highly recommended. Well worth the money.

With this book I was able to get a much better understanding of why my dogs do what they do , copy it some of it(I cannot lick my own nose yet) and as a result be a better guardian to them. This short guide enables a great headstart from which to build best friends relationships.The ability to read the signs they give ; use them to calm and teach ; simple but so amazing .
My 2 new recue dogs had to re-learn some signals , but once they GOT it, wow! Gentle teaching is more effective.

Understanding dogs, and having a successful relationship with your own dog, ultimately boils down to communication. Turid's book is an excellent guide to understanding the nuances of canine body language. Most people are aware of the broader canine signals such as a tucked tail or pinned-back ears indicating fear, but are not trained to look for subtler signs. This book outlines "calming signals" or what some would call cutoff signals, or stress signals. Through photographs and clear explanation, the reader learns not only to recognize these signals, but also how they may be used in social situations. Any dog owner would benefit from reading this book, and it should be on every trainer's bookshelf.
- Nicole Wilde, author Help for Your Fearful Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears and So You Want to be a Dog Trainer (2nd edition)

Understanding dogs, and having a successful relationship with your own dog, ultimately boils down to communication. Turid's book is an excellent guide to understanding the nuances of canine body language. Most people are aware of the broader canine signals such as a tucked tail or pinned-back ears indicating fear, but are not trained to look for subtler signs. This book outlines "calming signals" or what some would call cutoff signals, or stress signals. Through photographs and clear explanation, the reader learns not only to recognize these signals, but also how they may be used in social situations. Any dog owner would benefit from reading this book, and it should be on every trainer's bookshelf.

It's exciting to see more books on understanding animal language becoming so popular. This one reminds me of another favorite, "Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name," by Vicki Hearne, which also focuses on really understanding your pet. It combines animal training with philosophy and literary criticism. The Atlantic Monthly called it "A fascinating and often surprising discussion of animal-human encounters." If you are an animal trainer-- or even just an animal lover-- it's definitely worth checking out.

This is a very interesting book on dog behaviours that signal they want you or another dog to stay back or calm down. On its own this book will not provide all the tools needed to rehabilitate an aggressive dog. It is a very interesting book for learning the signals that dogs use to each other and often in vain with humans who do not understand the signals.

This is an excellent reference for all dog owners and carers. It is easy to read and contains invaluable, highly researched information about how dogs communicate with each other and hence the signals they understand when communicating with humans.

I am working with a newly-adopted reactive dog, (one who reacts aggressively towards other dogs.) I purchased this book and "Scaredy Dog: Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog", by Ali Brown. This book was outstanding in explaining the body language used by dogs, and in giving suggestions for altering your body language to calm your dog. I was fascinated when I started watching my dog, and realized that the calming signals were all there - I had just never seen them or understood them before. "Scaredy Dog" gave me a step-by-step plan to help my dog break the cycle of reactivity, and "Calming Signals" gave me the language to communicate with my dog. I would highly recommend both.

This book is kind of a breakthrough. And in a way it may be one of the nails in the coffin of the alpha theory, which is a good thing. A very good thing. The problem is, it's extremely unlikely that dogs actually intend to send signals to others in order to get them to calm down. That would require an ability to know and understand the other dog's (or the other person's) internal state. Dogs are barely aware of their own internal states. (Helen Keller said that before she learned sign language she had no ability to know what she was thinking or feeling from one moment to the next.) What Turid Rugass is actually describing here is the ways that dogs attempt to either protect themselves from disturbing, stress-producing stimuli, or to try to calm THEMSELVES down.

Other than that one problem, though (which is a bit difficult for human beings to understand), this is an extremely valuable book. Just remember that these "signals" are really just by-products of the dog's emotions. And while these by-products are very helpful in understanding how a dog is feeling at any given moment, remember that the dog is not really trying to communicate per se, he's just trying to reduce his own emotional tension and stress.

(I told you it was hard for humans to undersand this.)

I got this as a gift from somebody who wanted to help me train my dog more easily. Jake has always been a bit of the sensitive and shy type. I thought I understood him pretty well, but when I read this book I learned so much more from Jake that I hadn't noticed before. For one thing, he's a pretty big fan of yawning and nose licking, and I really started to notice that after reading this book. In return, I tried out several calming signals myself and, admittedly, Jake seemed confused at first ("What? 6 years and you FINALLY decide to talk to me on even terms?"), but after a few days, he started to understand that I wasn't unintentionally "talking" in his language, I was doing it on purpose, and he began to respond to it. If he was nervous about confronting something (say he didn't want to come back inside because he'd been frightened in the kitchen earlier in the day), I would use a few calming signals, especially yawning, turning my head and eyes, and keeping my side or back to Jake. I noticed a difference right away; he was much more willing to confront the problem. Before I read the book, I might have just continued to encourage him, but I'd be facing him, maybe bending over, slapping my legs, and he wouldn't respond. If I was having troubles getting him to come back inside, he'd just stand there, maybe turn around and trot off a few paces, come back, trot off again. But with some simple calming signals, we were able to communicate and resolve our problems right away instead of both of us being confused the whole time.

In the end, Jake has become much more confident and sure of himself. He's no longer as uneasy about things (still sensitive, which is part of his makeup), and I can't tell you how much I ENJOY being able to communicate to him like this. It's a pretty cool feeling when you're starting to have problems during training sessions, and then you notice your dog yawning and avoiding eye contact, and then when you copy him, by yawning and facing away from him, he "comes back" to you, instead of appearing to be tuning you out. I also make sure to use neutral signals many times, not to calm Jake down, exactly, just to show him that I know how to communicate with him. I no longer walk straight up to him, I tend to curve around in an arc, even if I don't intend to actually do anything with him, I just want to get by him instead. As a result, Jake seems happier and less stressed, especially since he's overcome a bit of a life-change. He used to be an outdoor dog, which contributed to his nervousness, but last year he moved indoors when he showed signs of arthritis right before he tore his ACL, so not only did he have to get used to being in THE building 24/7, he had to spend almost all of it (the first 4 weeks of containment for recovery) in his new crate. We got over that hump much more easily than we COULD have because I'd already been trying out calming signals on him for a year beforehand.

Every dog owner should get this book, or at least ANY book about canine dog language, because it's just SO beneficial. Even if you don't have any behavioural problems with your dog, there are advantages to being able to speak "doggish" at any old time. For example, training can go off much smoother because it's easier to explain to the dog what it is you want from him, and of course you can diffuse trouble situations before they occur (dog aggression at dog parks, for instance).

I also have to say that because of this book, I've been learning about cat language, too, and I've been trying it out. I must still be pretty bad at it, because the only one who actually responds to me is my little orphan girl, Buffy (and she only responds to my slow blinking, by slow-blinking back at me and then jumping onto my lap). I definitely recommend this book to EVERYONE who has even a remote interest in dogs, whether it be as a dog lover or a dog owner, or both.

A very easy read with lots of pictures. If you own or work with dogs, this book is a great to help you understand their body language and how dogs communicate with each other and us.

This book was pretty basic, but it did have some good information about certain postures and signals that dogs use that some people would not be aware of. Made more for the beginner than the advanced dog lover.

Book was very informative and well written. Illustrations were pertinent to text. Information presented is valuable to every dog owner and especially to those who train or to those who deal with rescue/shelter situation.

The first edition was revolutionary but the 2nd takes it to a whole new level. This booklet has been totally revamped. More Calming Signals are explained/explored and with full color photos too. This is a must have for every dog owner and at a great affordable price. Dog trainers should be handing these out to their clients so that more people can understand what their dogs are communicating with them and other dogs.

So even if you already have a copy of the first edition, you're going to want this one too! It's better!

It will be great to 'talk' with Turid about this new edition when she joins us for another one of her whirlwind visits at YahooGroup CSDogBookReview April 18-21, 2006.

If you thought you'd like Brenda Aloff's Canine Body Language but the $39 price tag was scaring you, get this booklet!

On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by international dog trainer and behaviorist Turid Rugaas is a truly "user-friendly" guide to understanding and communicating with your dog. Introducing its readers to many conceptual tactics and subtle tendencies which might imply the dog's desires, On Talking Terms With Dogs is an invaluable reference for dog owners who truly wish to help their friend to an ultimate happiness. On Talking Terms With Dogs is very strongly recommended to all dog owners, especially those highly devoted and owners of multiple canine companions.

The information in the book is useful and something everyone working with dogs should know. But a big "however": the information isn't well presented and the "how to use it" is poorly described. There should have been a lot more information on application and more training examples. The training examples given were flimsy and hard to understand. Sure, I learned something. But I did not learn how to apply what I learned as a result of reading this book.

At 31 pages, it's an unsubstantial read. The content should have been 1 or 2 chapters in a real book. For $10.00, I felt ripped off.