Have you ever looked into your pup’s loving eyes and wondered what they could be thinking? It’s interesting that after thousands of years of domestication, scientists are still puzzling over exactly how a dog’s brain works and how they’re so good at picking up on our moods. Although we haven’t solved all the mysteries of the canine brain, there are some tips and tricks you can use to understand your pup and what they’re trying to say through their body language.
What Your Dog’s Body Language Is Telling You
A dog will always wear their heart on their sleeves. Unless they’ve been taught otherwise, you can almost always read what they’re feeling by observing their body language. Having this deep understanding will help you build a better relationship with your canine and have a better knowledge for dogs that you don’t know.
The Tail Wag
- ~ The Happy Wag – A happy dog is a relaxed dog. Their whole body is soft and pliable. When they wag their tails, their whole body usually wiggles as well.
- ~ The Anxious Wag – When your dog is feeling anxious, they’ll usually keep their tail low or between their legs and wag quicker than normal. It’s a submissive behavior showing they’re not sure what to think or do about the situation.
- ~ The Tense Wag – When your dog is feeling tense or interested in a situation they will usually hold their tail high. The wag usually doesn’t impact the rest of their body. This usually means they’re very interested in what’s happening and aren’t sure how to react yet. This can lead to aggressive behavior, but not always.
Because different dog breeds have different tails a trick you can use is to look at the base of the tail. If it’s tight over the hindquarters, covering their rear that’s a pretty good indication they’re nervous. Relaxed and loose equals calm. Tense, stiff, and up usually indicates agitated or excited energy.
The Eyes
Dog eyes are so expressive. You can learn so much by reading your pup’s gaze. When a dog is happy, they’ll have soft almond shaped eyes. They may also squint and smile when they’re feeling really good. An aggressive pup will carry a hard stare while a scared dog will give you the classic “whale eyes.” This usually involves your pup turning their head away, but staring at the offensive scary thing revealing the whites of their eyes.
Fun fact! Scientists have discovered that dogs have a special eyebrow muscle in their facial structure that allows them to give off a more expressive, sadder look. A rare few wolves possess this muscle and some theorize that dogs evolved this ability because it was more appealing to humans. Also, the dogs that are able to demonstrate this are more likely to be adopted from rescues than their less expressive canine friends.
The Mouth
Like people, a dog’s mouth can express a lot on how they’re feeling. A stressed, nervous pup will have more tension in their mouth area. You might also be surprised to know that a dog doesn’t always yawn because they’re tired. Yawning is a trick they pull to clear the air and release tension in their bodies. It’s like your dog saying, “I’m uncomfortable. Let’s relax and chill out.”
A happy pup will show off a natural smile often accompanied with a lolling tongue. A dog that’s acting aggressive will have tenseness in the facial muscles with loose lips. This can escalate to the C-shaped snarl of a pup revealing their teeth. This means “Back off, or I will use these.”
The Ears
Ears are another great indicator for gauging how your pup is feeling. Since dog ears come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, it’s important to look at the base of the ear to get an accurate reading of what’s going on. A dog interested in a situation will prick their ears forward in order to better hear what’s happening. They could simply be curious or suspicious depending on what the rest of their body is doing. A submissive pup who’s trying to keep the peace will pull their ears back while a frightened dog will pin their ears to their skull.
Relaxed ears in their natural position indicate a calm or happy dog.
Body Posture
How your dog holds themselves says a lot about how they’re feeling. When a dog is feeling nervous or scared, they will curl into themselves to appear smaller and unnoticeable. A dog interested in a situation will lean forward on their front paws to investigate.
A confident dog will carry themselves high in a calm, relaxed manner. This can also be said for dogs who are protective and cautious, but their manner is more stiff and tense. They will hold their tails high and engage head on in case of a threat. They also may manifest piloerection or hackles raised. Take note that a dog with hackles raised may not be aggressive. It’s a reaction that’s similar to goosebumps and happens when a dog is feeling overly aroused.
As always, it’s important to read all the signs your dog is exhibiting before deciding on how they’re feeling and how to respond.
What Your Body Language Tells Your Dog
Now that you have a better understanding of your dog’s body cues, it’s important to look at yourself and how you interact with your pup and dogs in general. You may discover that there are some things that you are doing that your dog may not like at all.
Head Pats
Surprisingly, most dogs don’t like receiving head pats. Your dog can’t see what your hand is doing and will often tilt up their head to investigate or they’ll duck to avoid being touched altogether. Instead, it’s better to pet a dog under the chin, on the chest, or on their back. This is especially true if you’re petting a dog that you don’t know.
When interacting with a dog you don’t know, always ask permission from the owner before petting their canine. If the dog is wearing a special service vest then you definitely shouldn’t pet or distract them. According to this story, a woman nearly suffered a fatal accident because her service dog got distracted by someone who started petting him. In the case that you do receive permission, it’s always polite to allow the dog to sniff your hand palm down before touching.
Hugging
It’s amazing looking at photos of people hugging dogs, how often the pup will have a displeased expression on their face. Even if you love a good snuggle, canines don’t always feel the same way. Dogs hug each other when they want to fight or mate and it can induce a lot of anxiety for your pup if you wrap your arms around them.
If you find that after you’ve given your dog a hug that they pull away, yawn, or shake themselves off, they may not like receiving this kind of affection. However, if your pup leans into you as if asking for more, then congrats! You’ve got a snuggle bug.
Looming
It’s a fact; most people are taller than dogs. When we lean or loom over a canine this can be very nerve wracking for them. It’s better to engage a dog, especially one you don’t know, at a respectful distance. Don’t get in their face. Stand straight at an angle or kneel while holding your hand out, palm down, so that you appear less intimidating.
Always choose caution when greeting a dog you don’t know. As mentioned previously, even if a dog is wagging their tail, that doesn’t mean they’re friendly. Make sure to read all of their body cues and again ask permission before engaging.
Eye Contact
When meeting strangers, usually the appropriate thing to do is make eye contact and shake their hand to make introductions. Dogs find this incredibly intimidating. A straight forward approach accompanied with long held eye contact indicates aggressive and dominating behavior. Again, this is especially true for dogs that don’t know you.
When introducing yourself to a new dog, it’s more polite to briefly meet their eyes and then keep your gaze on their paws or back. Always watch their behavior to make sure they’re relaxed, but you don’t need to stare at them. On the other hand, according to one study maintaining eye contact with your own pup can increase oxytocin levels for you and your dog which builds a better, happier relationship.
In Conclusion
Dogs can’t lie about how they feel. Their body language is an open book into their emotions and it’s our job to properly read what’s going on so we can know how to respond in any given situation. It’s far better and safer to act preemptively towards any aggressive or fearful behavior so that situations don’t escalate. Understanding how your dog feels will help you keep them calm and relaxed no matter what the day may bring.