Avoidance is a critical part of how dogs communicate.

Unfortunately, humans misunderstand avoidance so it is generally seen as a negative. But there are many positive reasons to communicate through avoidance. There are so many “Forms of Avoidance” that understanding them and all of the reasons why to provide avoidance is just as important as knowing what all of the “Forms of Avoidance” look like.

Here are four forms of “reasons” to provide avoidance. These forms are just a small scratch on the surface to understanding how avoidance is used in communication between dogs.

We are taking a look at a “Social Interaction” scene, in which two dogs share resources. In this case, a deer antler chew.

Scene 1. “Duration Avoidance” – There is only one deer antler. One dog patiently waits over the other for them to finish chewing, so that they can then have their turn with the antler. They hold this avoidant position for a duration.

Scene 2. “Angle or Positional Avoidance” – Both dogs have a tasty treat and are sharing space at a polite distance, showing no threat to each other. They share space respectfully by angling away from each other with the position of their bodies and heads.

Scene 3. “Proximity Avoidance” – Both dogs are full and satisfied on chewing their antlers. They create distance between each other and still provide angle avoidance.

All three forms of avoidance are showcasing “Social Respect”. These combinations reinforce both dog’s varying levels of status to create a unique personal bond. Ultimately, the reason to provide avoidance dictates what it will look like in the body. “Value” is the word that dictates the “Duration”, “Angle”, or “Distance” in the various “Forms of Avoidance”.

Scene 1 is Medium Value. Scene 2 is High Value. Scene 3 is No Value.

Some good questions to ask when defining a “Form of Avoidance” are:

1. What is the reason avoidance is being provided?
2. Is there a payoff for providing the avoidance? What is the payoff?
3. Is the avoidance being perceived the way it is intended?
4. Is the avoidance in the “Learning / Testing” phase.. meaning, WILL this work?
5. Is the avoidance being provided in the “Reinforcement” phase.. meaning, IS the avoidance working?
6. Is the avoidance in the “Association” phase… meaning, the avoidance is being provided to a similar experience from the past requiring avoidance that paid off.