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Just as she did for felines, animal behavior consultant and author of 23 pet care books Amy Shojai recently shared her wisdom on canine communication on website Paw Nation. Many of us might think it’s easier to read dogs than cats, and while that’s sometimes true, it never hurts to try to learn what your dog might be thinking.
Let’s switch it up from my previous posts on cat language a bit; first I’ll start by going over what the actual canine body language means, then I’ll cover the emotions behind various dog sounds. One thing I will copy from before is that I’ll first go over the indicators of an upset pup, then those for a more content canine.
Leaning either forwards or backwards in dogs isn’t a good sign; the former demonstrates aggression, while the latter means fear. A dog showing its belly to you might mean trust like it does in a cat, or maybe just that it wants a tummy rub, but in pack language a dog with an exposed belly is submitting to its superior.
Dogs express nearly identical feelings with their fur and ears that cats do. When a dog has its hackles up – the fur on its back by its shoulder blades and rump – the dog is feeling agitated or afraid. Ears flattened against the head mean a dog is submissive or fearful.
Dogs use stares to issue challenges, whereas an obvious aversion of the eyes means submission. If a dog’s eyes suddenly dilate, that means it’s feeling aggressive and getting ready to attack. When a dog shows its teeth it’s feeling upset, but in one of two possible ways.
A display of just the fangs indicates that the dog is trying to be dominant and feeling aggressive. When a dog curls its lips back to reveal a greater amount of teeth, it’s trying to be submissive.
Most people think that tail wagging always means a happy dog, but that isn’t true. There are some kinds of tail wags that mean trouble. A dog holding its tail high and making quick jerks with the tip above its head signifies aggression. And as most people know, a tail tucked between legs means a submissive, unhappy dog.
Now back to the happy dog equivalent of all these gestures. Just like with cats, a tail held in a gentle U-shape means the dog feels calm and content. Happy deference is indicated with a low-held tail wagged in wide arcs that often include hip movements.
A dopey-looking dog is a happy dog. Tongues lolling out of mouths and droopy eyelids both mean pleasure. A dog standing erect is confident, though it can also be excited to see someone.
Next week I will wrap up my look at pet body language by examining the meanings of the various sounds dogs make.
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