Dog Body Language - How to Speak Dog Fluently
Dogs are very good communicators and once we learn to tune into what they are telling us. Understanding dog body language can help us to work out the motivation for their behaviour, avoid conflict and ensure your dog is not put in a compromising situation.
Dogs will usually tell us when they are not comfortable with something and will only resort to obvious aggressive signals (growling and snapping), when their early signals are ignored.
There are many pictures similar to this on the web of kids hugging dogs. Most dogs dislike hugging and this dog is showing several signs of being uncomfortable (mouth is closed, the dog is looking away, posture is tense, ears are back and the whites of the eyes are showing). Next time this dog is hugged, it may resort to growling or snapping because those signals were not listened to.
Dog Communication 101
Dogs use their posture, eyes, tail and subtle signals to tell us how they are feeling.
The happy, loose, wiggly dog is relaxed. Relaxed dogs hold their mouth half open (almost smiling), and move freely.
A tense dog may freeze, show fiddle/fidget behaviours that are out of context (panting when not hot, licking the lips, lifting a paw, pretend sleeping, pacing) or may crouch down low and avoid eye contact.
The following pictures demonstrate some common dog signals and what they mean.
Calming Signals and Dogs
Communication within the dog world centres around displays of deference. Dogs are often signalling that they don’t want trouble and using calming signals to avoid conflict.
One common calming signal that we misinterpret is the ‘guilty’ look that makes humans think dogs know when they have done wrong. This has been studied with several studies proving that the guilty look is a response to the owner’s body language or being shouted at. Your dog has no idea that chewing that shoe was the wrong thing to do, the averted eyes, hunched posture and furrowed brow is simply an attenpt to appease you.
Dogs use a variety of calming signals when greeting people and dogs and in stressful situations. If your dog seems to be giving you this look, the best thing you can do is mirror it to let them know you don’t want to hurt them either.
Appropriate Play
Watching dogs play can be beautiful, but it is important to make sure there is always give and take and that everyone is having a good time. There are some great play videos from Patricia McConnel here and a video about play styles.
If a dog is constantly pinning other dogs down, barking on the sidelines, relentlessly chasing without listening to the other dogs or not taking breaks, it is time to intervene.
For some additional visuals on dog body language, there are some great YouTube videos:
Zoom Room Dog Body Language: https://youtu.be/00_9JPltXHI
Asheville Humane Society: https://youtu.be/gBnMY63V4Fo
Does your Dog Want to be Petted (the consent test): https://youtu.be/-cGDYI-s-cQ
And for another great summary of what to look for in play, read more here.
Dogs are very good communicators and once we learn to tune into what they are telling us. Understanding dog body language can help us to work out the motivation for their behaviour, avoid conflict and ensure your dog is not put in a compromising situation.
Dogs will usually tell us when they are not comfortable with something and will only resort to obvious aggressive signals (growling and snapping), when their early signals are ignored.
There are many pictures similar to this on the web of kids hugging dogs. Most dogs dislike hugging and this dog is showing several signs of being uncomfortable (mouth is closed, the dog is looking away, posture is tense, ears are back and the whites of the eyes are showing). Next time this dog is hugged, it may resort to growling or snapping because those signals were not listened to.
Dog Communication 101
Dogs use their posture, eyes, tail and subtle signals to tell us how they are feeling.
The happy, loose, wiggly dog is relaxed. Relaxed dogs hold their mouth half open (almost smiling), and move freely.
A tense dog may freeze, show fiddle/fidget behaviours that are out of context (panting when not hot, licking the lips, lifting a paw, pretend sleeping, pacing) or may crouch down low and avoid eye contact.
The following pictures demonstrate some common dog signals and what they mean.
Calming Signals and Dogs
Communication within the dog world centres around displays of deference. Dogs are often signalling that they don’t want trouble and using calming signals to avoid conflict.
One common calming signal that we misinterpret is the ‘guilty’ look that makes humans think dogs know when they have done wrong. This has been studied with several studies proving that the guilty look is a response to the owner’s body language or being shouted at. Your dog has no idea that chewing that shoe was the wrong thing to do, the averted eyes, hunched posture and furrowed brow is simply an attenpt to appease you.
Dogs use a variety of calming signals when greeting people and dogs and in stressful situations. If your dog seems to be giving you this look, the best thing you can do is mirror it to let them know you don’t want to hurt them either.
Appropriate Play
Watching dogs play can be beautiful, but it is important to make sure there is always give and take and that everyone is having a good time. There are some great play videos from Patricia McConnel here and a video about play styles.
If a dog is constantly pinning other dogs down, barking on the sidelines, relentlessly chasing without listening to the other dogs or not taking breaks, it is time to intervene.
For some additional visuals on dog body language, there are some great YouTube videos:
Zoom Room Dog Body Language: https://youtu.be/00_9JPltXHI
Asheville Humane Society: https://youtu.be/gBnMY63V4Fo
Does your Dog Want to be Petted (the consent test): https://youtu.be/-cGDYI-s-cQ
And for another great summary of what to look for in play, read more here.