How attuned are you to your fur baby’s needs? I think most of us generally know when dogs are happy or scared but understanding the more subtle nuances of canine communication will help you bond more closely to your pup as well as keep you safer around unknown dogs. The following is a head-to-tail list of how dogs use body language to communicate their needs.
Head
Tilt:
Who can resist his pup’s adorable head tilt, but what does it mean? Besides the physical reasons of trying to see or hear better, a dog may tilt her head when you are talking to her to encourage you to continue the conversation. She enjoys you talking directly to her and the attention tilting her head gets her.
Turn:
When your dog turns his head down it is a stress signal. He may be scared and trying to avoid confrontation.
- Ears: When your dog’s ears are perked up and held back, it may mean she is alert and ready to play. But if her ears are perked up and her hair is standing on end she feels threatened.
- Eyes: When a dog averts his eyes it’s a sign of submission and wanting to avoid confrontation. This is an instinct in most dogs, as direct eye contact is usually a precursor to confrontation in their world. However, if you have a strong bond with your dog, and he is well socialized, he will be used to maintaining eye contact with you as a sign of love and comfort. Never try to maintain eye contact with a strange dog.
- Mouth: Dog’s use their mouths to convey an array of signals:
- Yawning: A dog will yawn as a sign of indifference. So, if a dog is confronted by another canine, he may yawn to signal that he is indifferent to threatening behavior, which may serve to defuse potential confrontations. A yawn may also signal stress, so if your dog yawns excessively when going to the Vet or when in an unknown environment, he may need some extra comfort or to be removed from the situation.
- Baring his teeth: A dog will bare his teeth or snap the air to signal to you to stop what you are doing. He is indicating his displeasure with your behavior or with that of another dog.
- Licking his lips is another way dogs signal their displeasure, but of course licking for kisses is a sign of play, submission, and affection.
- Muzzle tapping: A dog may gently tap you with his muzzle to indicate he wants to play and as a sign of affection.
- Open Mouth: An open mouth with the tongue hanging out is a sign that your dog is happy and comfortable, but a stiffly closed mouth may be a sign that the dog is threatened or getting ready to threaten.
Body
Dogs use their bodies to communicate with us and other dogs.
- Body Stiffness: A dog stiffens when he is ready to attack, while wiggling his body will signal, he wants to play.
- Stretching: Dogs often stretch as soon as they see you, which means they are happy you’re there.
- Exposing her Belly: Your fur baby will roll over and show her belly as a sign of affection and a plea for attention.
- Shake-offs: Dogs will shake off to indicate stress if they are in a situation that makes them uncomfortable, such as going into the Vet or in crowded areas. On the other hand, she may shake-off when wet next to you, to indicate she is comfortable with you.
Paws
- Your pup may tap your hand or leg with his paw if he is hungry, wants to go outside, wants attention or as a sign of affection. Dogs may also move their paws up and down to get your attention
Tails
- Most of us know that our dogs wag their tails when they are happy, but tail wags have different nuances. A relaxed tail wag accompanied by a relaxed or wiggling body does indeed indicate a happy dog. However, a high tail wag accompanied by a stiff body and fur standing on end may indicate over-arousal or that the dog is feeling threatened. Of course, as most of us know, a dog with his tail between his legs is scared or anxious.
Dogs are excellent communicators, which probably explains their success in getting along with humans. Understanding their signals is vital to strengthening your bond with them and in keeping them happy and healthy.
