LAST UPDATE | 25 Oct 2022
DOGS HAVE A limited ability to vocalise so instead they use body language in order to communicate with humans and other animals. Body language is a series of postures, movements and facial expressions that are used to signal a dog’s emotions and intentions.
Dogs continually attempt to engage with us even though many of us have no idea that they are trying to communicate at all. In fact, dogs are attempting to “talk” to us all the time. When you bring a dog into your life one of the most important things to learn is how to speak dog.
Knowing what a dog is trying to say with their body language is important for so many reasons. Is your dog uncomfortable with how another dog is greeting them? Is the way your dog plays with another dog appropriate? Is your dog trying to tell a child to stop petting them? Are they frustrated during a training session?
Here is some body language to watch for so that you can understand your dog better:
Tail tales
Let’s start with the tail, many people may have heard that a wagging tail means a happy dog, well unfortunately this is wrong and misinterpreted all the time.
A wagging tail simply means that the dog is emotionally aroused which could mean excitement but it could also mean frustration or worse.
In order to understand why your dog’s tail is wagging, you need to observe how fast the tail is moving, in which direction and at what height it is being carried, but most importantly, what is the rest of the dog’s body saying.
Hair up on neck
Many people also misunderstand why a dog has raised hackles along their backs. They believe that this is a sign of aggression. This however is not the case but just another sign that a dog is aroused but not necessarily in a negative way.
Raised hackles are simply an involuntary reaction to the environment the dog is in and is comparable to goosebumps in people.
Smiles
Dogs also communicate a lot through facial expressions; the most common ones are those that indicate stress such as yawning, lip licking or a tongue flick and avoiding eye contact. These are all signs that your dog would like to create some space between themselves and someone or something which is causing them distress.
The position of your dog’s ears is a good indicator of understanding how they are feeling. For example, many dogs will peel their ears back while they lick your face, to show that they mean you no harm.
Flat ears are usually submissive, but if they are pinned back tightly it likely means that your dog is scared. Ears up or forward mean that your dog is aware and alert which means that they may want to play, or they might be looking for attention while a relaxed, neutral position means the dog is at ease, such as when they’re resting.
Dogs often sneeze while they are playing as a sign of happiness. If you see your dog sneezing during play with you or another dog it usually means that they are having a great time. Other signs of excitement and happiness include wiggling of the entire body and excited high-pitched barks or yelps.
Guilty?
Most people will be able to recognise the ‘guilty look’ on the face of their dog after they’ve done something wrong. However, this doesn’t mean that your dog actually feels guilty about its actions.
Your pet is simply trying to appease you with behaviour that has worked in the past, and this calm avoidant behaviour is often the best way to get an angry human to relax. For example, a dog will react in a guilty manner when a bin is knocked over if they have been in trouble for it in the past whether or not they were the one to knock it over in the first place.
Interacting
Head tilting is a gesture used when a dog is curious. For example, a dog will often be completely focused on you or the source of noise, hoping to identify what’s going on. It’s a relaxed pose, and some pets even tilt their head frequently because they know humans like it.
One of the best ways to tell if your dog is confused is to look at its paws. When a dog doesn’t understand what is happening at any given time it will often raise a paw just off the ground.
This gesture is not to be confused with a dog giving the paw which is much more of a deliberate and dramatic act. Paw raising is a signal that often indicates a dog is uncertain about a situation or perhaps feels a bit insecure.
Problem behaviour
Aggressive behaviour is generally the result of a dog being put into a position that is overwhelming, scary, or otherwise uncomfortable for them. It stems from fear.
Body language to be aware of includes: a high wagging tail accompanied by stiff movements, narrowed eyes, hard stare, raised hackles and weight shifted back. Dogs who are about to behave aggressively are likely to be hard starting and fixated.
This body language is often accompanied by a growl which really means to communicate the need for space and for people or other animals to stay away.
When you are deciphering Dog Body Language none of these signals acts alone. They are all part of a package. So, when you read a dog’s communication, you need to look at the whole dog from head to tail to understand what they are trying to communicate.
We have high expectations when a dog comes to live in our homes. We basically expect them to be the opposite of a dog, not to bark, chew, jump or chase.
If you learn what your dog is saying, you will develop a deeper bond of trust and respect. As a bonus, your newfound understanding of your dog’s emotional state will help you predict your dog’s behaviour and prevent problems before they occur.
Suzi Walsh is an expert dog behaviourist and dog trainer. She has an honours degree in Zoology and a Masters in Applied Animal Welfare and Behaviour from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary. She has worked as a behaviourist on both TV, radio and has also worked training dogs in the film industry.
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