Simpson B S
Veterinary Behavior Clinic, Southern Pines, North Carolina, USA.
Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1997 May;27(3):445-64. doi: 10.1016/s0195-5616(97)50048-9.
Communication occurs when one individual, the sender, produces a signal that alters the behavior of another individual, the receiver. The signal can provide broadcast information about species and individual identity or transmitted information, in which the sender effects a change in the receiver's behavior. To reduce ambiguity, signals have evolved to be conspicuous, redundant, and stereotypic. These features allow communication signals to be produced by senders and perceived and acted upon appropriately by receivers, both conspecific and heterospecific. The modality of the communication signal can be visual, olfactory, or acoustic. Visual signals can be adjusted rapidly for response during interactions between individuals at close or medium range. Examples include displays of relative dominance or submission. Olfactory signals can be used for individual, sex, or group identity at close range during greetings and assessments of individuals. Excretory products can be used for olfactory communication over long distances and for long periods of time. Acoustic signals can be adjusted rapidly for close- and far-range communication. They do not persist in the environment. For dogs, communication is fundamental to maintaining affiliations, reducing competition, and identifying individuals. These factors are critical to the highly developed social behavior of dogs. In an ultimate sense, dogs have been selectively bred for positive interactions with humans; in a proximate sense, many dogs spend their lives in close social association with humans. For these reasons, many of the signals used by dogs in dog-dog communication are also used in dog-human communication. Veterinarians act as receivers for communication signals when greeting dogs as patients. The information obtained is used to assess the state of arousal and probability of future behavior of the dog so that handling of the animal can be facilitated. The goals are to minimize stress and injury, to successfully complete the treatment program, and to promote the health of the animal.
当一个个体（即发送者）产生一种改变另一个个体（即接收者）行为的信号时，交流就发生了。该信号可以提供有关物种和个体身份的广播信息，或者是传递信息，即发送者引起接收者行为的改变。为了减少歧义，信号已经进化得具有显著、冗余和刻板的特点。这些特征使交流信号能够由发送者产生，并被同种和异种的接收者适当地感知并据此采取行动。交流信号的形式可以是视觉的、嗅觉的或听觉的。视觉信号可以在近距离或中距离个体间互动时迅速调整以做出反应。例如展示相对的支配或顺从。嗅觉信号可用于近距离问候和评估个体时的个体、性别或群体识别。排泄产物可用于长距离和长时间的嗅觉交流。听觉信号可以迅速调整以进行近距离和远距离交流。它们不会在环境中持续存在。对狗来说，交流对于维持关系、减少竞争和识别个体至关重要。这些因素对狗高度发达的社会行为至关重要。从最终意义上讲，狗经过选择性繁殖以与人类进行积极互动；从直接意义上讲，许多狗一生都与人类密切交往。出于这些原因，狗在狗与狗交流中使用的许多信号也用于狗与人类的交流。兽医在作为接收者迎接作为患者的狗时接收交流信号。所获得的信息用于评估狗的兴奋状态和未来行为的可能性，以便于对动物的处理。目标是尽量减少压力和伤害，成功完成治疗计划，并促进动物的健康。
