How to read your dog’s body language

Dogs communicate their emotions through their bodies, but humans don’t always correctly interpret the messages they send — or, even worse, they can misinterpret their dog’s intentions and make a difficult situation even worse.

Learning to read what your dog is trying to tell you is one of the most important things you can do to strengthen your relationship with him. Although each dog has their own unique communication style, most dogs communicate their feelings in similar ways.

When reading your dog’s body language, it’s important to remember that a dog’s entire body plays a role in signaling — for example, a wagging dog’s tail doesn’t necessarily mean the dog is happy or relaxed, especially if the rest of its body is stiff.

Everything from your dog’s ears and facial expressions to the position of their paws and tail all work together to help communicate their emotional state.

Here are some basics of dog body language that can help you understand what your dog is trying to tell you.

Relaxed dog body language

A relaxed dog is interested in its surroundings and has a relaxed, wagging tail posture. When a dog displays relaxed body language, we know that Consider them happy.

• ear: They are held in a natural position: pointed ears stand straight up and droopy ears hang slightly forward.

• eye: Soft, neutral forehead (no wrinkles)

• mouth: Lips closed without tension, or relaxed open if your dog is active

• Tail: Swing it broadly along the spine, or, if your dog is playing, swing it a little higher.

A relaxed dog’s overall body posture is soft and wiggly, and their movements may be exaggerated, especially when playing.

Body language of alert dogs

An alert dog is looking around for more information.

• ear: Standing straight up and facing forward (for lop-eared breeds, look at the base of the ears)

• eye: Forehead is neutral, relaxed, open and focused

• mouth: Close your lips and nose without tension

• Tail: It extends from the body, runs along the spine, and may be slightly swaying.

When deciding on the next step, the dog will adopt a “ready” position with its overall body posture evenly distributed between both legs.

Body language of dogs who are stressed or nervous

A dog who is stressed or uncomfortable will display many of the same postures as a nervous dog, but they may also display a series of behaviors called “calming signals.” These movements are appeasement or displacement behaviors that represent an attempt to calm themselves or relieve rising tension.

Calming signals include:

Stressed dogs will often avoid eye contact or quickly look away after seeing a trigger.

A stressed dog may yawn loudly, sneeze, lick his lips frequently, shake his body as if his fur is wet, focus on grooming himself, or scratch himself excessively.

Body Language of a Frightened Dog

a A dog that is scared may have stiff body language, hunched over with their back arched and their head closer to the ground.

• ear: Push it behind your head

• eye: Dogs may turn their head away from the stressor but turn their eyes in that direction, showing the whites of their eyes (known as “whale eyes”).

• mouth: Your dog may have their mouth pulled back and tightly closed, and may begin panting without any change in temperature or increased activity.

• Tail: A fearful dog will curl their tail against their stomach, redistribute their weight and move away from the potential stimuli.

A dog’s overall posture will be stiff and low, and when they are nervous they are more likely to shed hair.

Dog soothing body language

What was once known as “submissive” behavior is now called appeasement body language. In appeasement gestures, dogs try to appear smaller and less threatening, such as lowering their body to the ground or rolling over on their back to expose their belly.

• ear: Pin it

• eye: Squint your eyes to avoid eye contact

• mouth: Tension may build up around the mouth and the dog may put on a “placation smile” where the lips are pulled back and the front teeth are shown – this looks like a smile, but is a way of showing respect. The dog may also lick around the nose frequently.

• Tail: Keep body curled up and low, wagging tail slowly and tightly

The dog may also lift its front paws as a soothing gesture, and its overall movements will be slow, with the dog shifting its weight back to appear less threatening.

Aggressive Dog Body Language

There are 11 different formats Aggression in dogs can range from predation to fear aggression, and dogs who exhibit aggressive body language are generally primed to react to a stressor.

• ear: Dogs will hold their ears differently depending on the reason for their aggression, and it’s essential to consider the dog’s entire body position in this scenario.

  
  

  • A fearful dog will usually tuck their ears back and press them against their head.

  • Confident dogs will stand their ears forward or to the side.

• eye: Their gaze is fixed on the stimuli with a stern, unwavering stare, their foreheads furrowed.

• mouth: There may be tension around the mouth, wrinkles at the tip of the nose, and a lifted upper lip that exposes the teeth.

• Tail: Again, you need to consider your dog’s entire body.

  
  

  • A fearful dog will lower or fold his tail before an aggressive behavior, but raise it during the aggressive behavior.

  • A confident, aggressive dog may hold his tail higher than his body and wag it aggressively from side to side.

An aggressive dog’s body language is stiff and tense with minimal movement. The hair, especially at the base of the spine near the shoulders and tail, stands straight up (also known as piloerection). The dog’s weight is shifted forward and the legs are stiff in a “ready” position.

By observing your dog’s body language holistically, you can understand what he is trying to communicate and act accordingly.