Understanding Dog Body Language

Wouldn’t life be so much easier if our dogs could speak to us? Being able to ask them what they want or how they feel would make dog ownership a breeze. Unfortunately, dogs aren’t able to talk, at least not with their voice. However, by understanding dog body language, you’ll be able to communicate with them quite well! Dogs tell us a lot just by their body position. Today I’m going over the key signs to look for when learning about your dogs body language.

Body Posture

A dogs posture will tell you more about their emotions than anything else. There are three main emotions that can be easily understood through your dogs posture.

Happy

A happy dog will have a relaxed body posture. Their tail will be held in a neutral position and will be wagging back and forth. You won’t notice any stiffness in a happy and relaxed pup!

When dogs are happy and playful they’ll often play bow. This is when they put their front feet forward and lift their back end up in the air. This is usually a signal to other dogs that they’re ready to play!

Nervous

Nervous and fearful dogs tend to make themselves as small as possible. A nervous dog will cower and hunch towards the ground, often with their tail tucked. This is the dogs way of telling anyone around him that he’s not a threat.

Nervous dogs occasionally roll onto their back and expose their belly. This is a submissive pose, and is another way to say “I mean no harm!”.

Aggressive

Aggressive dogs will stand with a stiff body posture. They’ll push their chest forward to seem bigger and will wag their tail in a fast, twitch like motion. If you notice your dog in this position, especially if they’re facing an animal or person, it’s time to move them away from the situation.

Tail Wagging

There’s a common misconception that dogs wag their tails when they’re happy or excited. While this is occasionally true, it’s not always the case. Dogs wag their tail when they are emotionally aroused, whether that’s negatively or positively. 

A happy, relaxed dog will wag their tail in a calm motion back and forth. This is commonly how dogs react to greeting their owner or waiting for a treat. 

A hard and fast tail wag is more often associated with a dog who is experiencing a negative emotion. Fast tail wags are typically reserved for dogs who are on high alert. 

A dog who is holding their tail down or between their legs is fearful or stressed. If your dog is holding their tail up and stiff they’re feeling confident or possibly aggressive. Because different dog breeds hold their tails in different positions, it’s important to pay attention to how your dog naturally holds their tail. A large part of understanding dog body language is paying attention to your dogs body language.

Facial Expressions

Understanding your dogs body language means paying attention to their facial expressions as well!

Mouth

Unlike humans, who yawn when we are tired or bored, dogs yawn when they are stressed. Yawning is a way for a dog to provide comfort to themselves in stressful situations such as going to the vet. Lip licking is another cue that your dog is feeling stressed or anxious. 

Smiling in dogs can have two very different meanings, but luckily it’s easy to spot the difference. Dogs who lift their lips to display all of their teeth are being aggressive. Baring their teeth in this manner is usually done as a warning and is most often accompanied with a low growl.

A dog who is smiling with an open mouth, just showing their front teeth, is a happy and relaxed dog. This is known as a submissive grin and typically just means the dog is content. 

Eyes

You can understand a lot about your dogs emotions by looking at their eyes. 

A hard, cold stare is an indication that your dog is feeling aggressive. They may be guarding a toy or letting another animal know they are a threat. When two dogs stare at each other, the first one to look away is the submissive dog. This dog is backing off, and letting the other dog know they are not a threat. 

When dogs avoid eye contact that is a sign that they are uncomfortable or stressed. You’ll often notice your dog avoiding eye contact after doing something bad such as stealing food. 

“Whale eye” or “moon eye” is when the dog shows the whites of their eye. This is another sign of stress in a dog, and can serve as a warning that a dog is about to snap. 

Like humans, all dogs are different. It’s important to fully understand your dog so that you’ll easily notice a switch in their body language. What might be a nervous cue for one dog could mean aggression for another one. Study your dogs facial expressions and body posture daily. Learn how they react to a trip to the vet or a long walk outdoors. The better you know your dog, the easier understanding dog body language will be.