Body language…what is my dog really saying?

Wouldn’t it be awesome if our dogs could talk? They could tell us when they’re feeling sick, if they accidently ate a Christmas ornament, or if our outfit makes us look fat (in my imagination, my dogs are the only ones I can trust to be super honest about my outfit). As a veterinary technician and a dog trainer, a talking dog would be an ideal patient or client. It would make both jobs a whole lot easier. However, this isn’t the case…well it almost isn’t. Dogs do communicate, but they do so through body language. Now when I look at body language when I’m working with a dog, I’m looking for signs that a dog is uncomfortable or ready to bite most of the time in my professions. These are really good things to look out for, but for the average dog owner, you might just want to know if your dog really likes that belly rub or if he’s just laying on his back because he’s scared. Well, I’m about to give you a lesson in body language. This is of course done best with pictures, so let’s add some pictures to this post and I’ll tell you all I can about dog’s body language.

Before we start, I want to tell you some things that are super rude to dogs.

1. Walking directly towards them. This is a very threatening move to a dog and can cause them to lash out thinking they need to protect themselves. Instead, approach in a curved path and turn sideways and then get down on their level. This shows them that you are not a threat and mean them no harm.

2. Making direct eye contact. This is also threatening to any dog. In dominant dogs it can cause the dog to challenge you/lunge at you and in more submissive dogs it can cause urination, cowering, and fear aggression. Instead, avert your eyes if they look at you and approach them with soft, kind eyes that are not threatening.

3. Petting them on top of the head. Going over top of a dog’s head can be scary or threatening to a dog. Instead, get down on their level and reach under the chin or chest and very gently and slowly pet them that way. This shows them that you are gentle and are you not looking to threaten or hurt them.

Finn as a pup…gosh he’s cute!

What I see: Ears are partly back, eyes are looking away from the camera, body seems relaxed, mouth is neutral.

What I can interpret: Finn seems a little bit uncomfortable with the camera and probably with the water as well, but he isn’t upset or stressed. I would say he’s fine where he is and the situation is safe for him.

Fionna…and Fionna’s ears!

What I see: Ears straight up, mouth closed, eyes focused on camera and very wide, pupils dialated, body forward, tail is neutral and wagging.

What I can interpret: Fionna is clearly intrigued by the camera. She does not feel threatened by it, but she is extremely curious.

Ahhh…Huskies.

What I see: Ears perked up, whale eye (when the white of the eye is showing), eyes focused on the camera, lips tight, body facing away from the camera.

What I can interpret: This dog is clearly uncomfortable with the camera. He’s not showing any type of threatening signs, but he is certainly uncomfortable and wondering what the heck his human is doing pointing that weird rectangular thing at him.

Is the play safe?

Dog 1-The Husky

What I see: Tail very high, ears forward, body forward, mouth open with tongue out, paw up, he looks to be moving to the side of the pup.

Dog 2- Lab

What I see: Ears back, mouth open and tongue out, leaning back, on hind legs with front legs up.

What I can interpret: This seems to be a very peaceful greeting that will more than likely end up in play between the two. The Husky is a bit more alert and ready to show the pup how things are done while the pup is a bit more hesitant and will probably follow the lead of the Husky.

Ahhh the lip lick!

What I see: Aside from a dog in banana pajamas….ears are straight up, whale eye, lip lick, leaning forward.

What I can interpret: Although this dog looks cute, he is quite unhappy. He’s uncomfortable with the situation he is in and although he’s not going to attack over it…I would recommend this dog be taken out of the situation because he is stressed. Lip licking is a big indication of a dog being uncomfortable.

Is this a wolf or a husky? I don’t know.

What I see: Tail high and wagging, hunched over low to the ground, ears flat back, eyes are hard and directly staring at something, mouth is long, body is in forward motion.

What I can interpret: I don’t want to show ferocious dogs or dogs about to attack but this picture is very telling…the way he is hunched and his eyes are hard and staring at something, he is on the attack. I would not want to be to close to this guy!

Now, none of these interpretations are foolproof and someone else may interpret them slightly different. But all of these things we see from these pictures of dogs can help us to determine whether a dog needs to be removed from a situation or maybe a human needs to be removed from the situation. So many bites and attacks happen because people don’t understand the warning signs that a dog is going to give off. So if you see a dog with any of the following body signals, make sure you move away .

1. Crouching low to the ground. Much like our wolf/husky friend above, crouching low to the ground is usually a sign that the dog is extremely fearful or readying for an attack.

2. Hard stare. If a dog stares right at you, move your eyes away and then move your body away. You’ll know this stare when you see it.

3. Ears flat back. This doesn’t always mean a dog is going to attack, but it can be a sign of discomfort to be aware of and mixed with the other signs, it can be an indication of a potential attack.

4. Bared teeth. If a dog is baring it’s teeth at you…you’ve really hit a nerve.

5. Growling. If the teeth are bared and you’ve got growling, an attack is probably pending.

6. Lunging. Again…move.

7. Tail straight up or very low almost under the dog. A tail straight up can mean curiosity or can be a signal for attack. A tail very low and even underneath the dog demonstrates fear and can lead to fear aggression.

8. Bite. If a dog bites you or bites at the air around you…probably time to find help.

   I’ve been very lucky in my line of work that I seem to have a natural instinct when it comes to seeing and understanding dog body language, and some people really do have that. However, others do not and I encourage those people who want to work with dogs to be sure to really study body language and how to read and understand it before going into any dog profession, I guarantee it will help a whole lot in the long run.

   Well that’s all for now folks…enjoy your evening and check out tomorrow’s first Myth Monday post!