African Wild Dog Communication

An African wild dog's large ears serve as one method of communication.

The colorful canids known as African wild dogs, painted dogs or Cape Hunting dogs, roam the savannas and open grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa. Pack members rarely fight and learn how to work together from an early age. The dogs form strong social bonds within their packs and reinforce these bonds on a regular basis through various means of communication.

Significance

African wild dogs form close-knit packs averaging six to 20 members. Effective communication is essential since the dogs rely heavily on cooperation within the pack to hunt successfully and care for their young. According to the Phoenix Zoo, the dogs spend 95 percent of their lives in close proximity to each other.

Types

African wild dogs communicate through vocalizations and body language. Vocalizations include squeals, whining and short, high-pitched calls. Low growls indicate anger. The dogs also use barks to warn other pack members of danger. Body language comes into play during hunts, playtime or when dealing with more dominant pack members.

Submission

Pack members also use body language to show submission to a dominant dog and avoid conflict. They roll over on their bellies or wag their tails. Other signs of submission or appeasement include exposing the throat and food-begging, or licking the corners of the dominant dog’s mouth. Pack members show submission towards the alpha female by lying down to “nurse” from her.

Hunting

The morning or early evening hunts incite the dogs to engage in leaps over each other and play-fighting that combine to energize the pack. They'll make birdlike "twitter" noises during these warm-ups. During the hunt itself they will communicate through high-pitched squeaks and move their ears to indicate directional changes. Dogs that get separated from the rest of the pack make bell-like “hoo” sounds to help their pack members find them.

Considerations

Unlike wolves and other canid species, African wild dogs seldom encounter other packs of wild dogs. They rely on scent markings to discover other packs’ boundaries and to signal their own, according to the Woodland Park Zoo. Although the dogs rarely exhibit aggressive behavior towards other pack members, alpha females and submissive females occasionally fight over the right to mate with alpha males. Alpha females sometimes use scent markings to cover up places where submissive females in heat have urinated in order to protect their breeding rights.

References

• San Diego Zoo: African Wild Dog
• African Wildlife Foundation: African Wild Dog
• The Phoenix Zoo: African Wild Dog
• Woodland Park Zoo: African Wild Dog Fact Sheet
• African Wild Dog Conservancy: Natural History