People communicate with a wide array of body language cues. Many of these are done relatively involuntarily. These movements are controlled by voluntary muscle movement, but we do not realize we are doing them because they are an expression of non-conscious thought process and emotions. With dogs, there are just as many (if not more) body language cues that are extremely important for communication. To understand these cues is to understand a major part of the language of dogs. If you have ever wondered what your dog is thinking, you are in the right place! In this article I am going to explain the basics of reading dog body language.
The Parts of the Whole
When reading body language, it is important to read your dog as a whole. To understand the whole, you must first understand its parts. The basic parts that you need to understand are the ears, eyes, mouth, and tail. While these are not the only parts that your dog will communicate with, they are the easier ones to see, if you know what you are looking for. Read on to learn the basic communication tools that dogs use these body parts for.
The Ears
Your dog, as you have noticed, has very mobile ears. They can move them in various directions, and it is this mobility that can help you understand what your dog is thinking. To start, dogs will move their ears backwards for a few different reasons. Put simply, if your dog’s ears are back and soft looking, then your dog is most likely calm and submissive. If they are back and tense, your dog may be nervously submissive, or uncomfortable with something in its environment. If your dog’s ears are tense and pinned back, this is a sign of aggression and your dog is probably feeling defensive. If the ears are out to the side and sagging slightly (most obvious in dogs whos ears naturally stand tall), your dog is most likely uncomfortable with what is happening in their environment (this is a common position when people reach over a dog’s head). This ear position is a sign of lack of confidence and can be a sign that your dog is feeling stressed and/or anxious. If your dog’s ears are pitched forward and soft, your dog is most likely alert but calm, usually curious. If the ears are pitched forward and tense, then your dog is probably alerting to something they are uncomfortable with or unsure about or they are being confrontational towards whatever they are looking at. This can also be a sign that your dog might respond aggressively.
The Eyes
The eyes hold a lot of information on how your dog is feeling. For starters, if you can see what is called “whale eye” (they move their eyeball to one side until you can see the white around the edge) then your dog is experiencing stress and anxiety. The more intense this look, the more intense the stress. This is also often accompanied with tense eyebrows. Many times, it is hard to see the eyebrows on dogs as they are covered with fur that is often the same color as the rest of its face. This means that you might have to look closer to see your dog’s eyebrows. Once you find them, they essentially work like human eyebrows. Dogs will furrow their brow when they are uncomfortable, when they are stressed, and scared. Just like on people, the wrinkle they get in between their eyebrows when they are stressed is often referred to as a “worry line.” Dogs also might raise their eyebrows in surprise! When your dog is relaxed or happy, these lines and ridges around the eyes will soften and smooth out.
The Mouth
The mouth, once again just like humans, can also communicate a lot about what your dog is thinking. When your dog pants, this can be a sign of what is called “arousal” this is not referring to your dog’s sexual drive, but it is referring to the state of its mind. This is a lot like someone who bounces their knee or gets sweaty palms when they are nervous. Your dog will pant excessively if it is dealing with anxiety and stress, and this is often a sign that your dog needs to relax its mind rather than its body. This panting is less intense than the panting your dog will use when it is hot. The mouth itself also gets tense when your dog is stressed or anxious. When your dog’s lips are pulled back and tense, this can be a sign of stress. When the lips are relaxed, this can indicate that your dog is, in fact, relaxed as well. When your dog scrunches the skin around is nose and reveals its teeth, this is usually a sign of aggression. However, do keep in mind that some dogs smile when they see people, which is not an aggressive display. I will explain the difference shortly.
The Tail
The tail is a great tool for reading your dogs “thoughts” and emotions. If your dog’s tail is raised above its back and stiff, this is a sign of arousal and usually a confrontational mindset. Dogs who hold their tail like this are might be telling other dogs they want to play rough or to stay away. If your dog’s tail is held above its back and more relaxed, this could be either the way your dog naturally holds its tail, or it could be simply in a more aroused state. When the tail is raised straight, tense and above its back, be aware that this can be a precursor to aggression. If your dogs’ tail is at the same level as its back, this a good sign. This usually means that your dog is happy and enjoying itself. If it is wagging in this position, it is usually a good sign that your dog is feeling some form of heightened happiness, especially if it wags in a circular motion (keep in mind that this might not apply to dogs who naturally carry their tail high, like Huskies). If your dog’s tail is held below its back and is relaxed, this can be a natural tail position or a sign that your dog is concentrating on something it is unsure about. Holding their tail down like this is usually a sign of lack of confidence. A slow wag while your dog’s tail is low can be a sign of stress and anxiety, or confusion. This can also be a sign of aggression.
The Body as A Whole
At this point you have probably noticed my use of words and phrases like “probably” and “most likely.” I use these words for two reasons. One reason is because we can never truly know what an animal is thinking or feeling. We are simply going off what we can see and what we have done studies on. The second reason is because by looking at just one part of your dog’s body, you only have part of the picture. If your dog has tense lips and a tail that is wagging at the same level as its back, this might seem like conflicting information. However, dogs might do this when they are, in fact, happy to see people, but they are uncomfortable with the type of greeting. This can happen when dogs interact with children, as they might like the child, but dislike their hugs. Another example is the dog smile I mentioned before. The difference between an aggressive display of teeth and a smile is often held in the rest of the body. While an aggressive display of teeth is accompanied by tense eyes, ears, and body, along with growling and a stiff tail either held high or low with a slow wag, with the exception of visible teeth, the smile is missing all of those things. The smile is a display of teeth that is accompanied by soft eyes, ears, and body and many times is also accompanied by a happy, midlevel, wagging tail. Thus, it is extremely important to take in the dog’s body as a whole and observe all their body parts to see what they are doing.
If you see that your dog is expressing at least one form of stress, then you can assume that there is something in the environment that is stressing them out, even if it just looks like a low level of stress. I encourage everyone to pay attention to these moments. Your dog might be trying to tell you something in a subtle and polite way. Unlike wolves, domestic dogs often give very subtle cues as to how they feel (Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook, by Barbara Handleman). This can mean that, as people, we have a harder time seeing what they are trying to show us. As a result, we need to pay close attention to these seemingly small moments of expressed stress, as your dog may be feeling much more intense feelings than it is showing in any one part of the body or face. Once again, read the body as a whole, and “listen” and respond considerately to what your dog is trying to tell you.
Reference
Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook, by Barbara Handleman
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