How Well Do You Speak Dog?
Many of us have had dogs all our lives, some only just recently got a dog, while others have never had a dog, and yet within these groups of people the knowledge on dog body language can vary widely. This is certainly no one's fault as most dogs don’t come with an instruction manual on how they work or how they “speak” to us (kudos to any rescues, breeders, etc. that do give handouts to new owners on such topics though!). There are many helpful reasons to learn, or brush up, on your dog body language.
Why It’s Cool to Know Dog Body Language
Being able to understand your dog better can help your relationship with them. Being able to know what scares them, makes them anxious, and makes them happy can greatly improve their well-being and prevent problems like bites and undesired behaviors.
Training! While training your dog should always be a more fun experience for both you and your dog, some methods can make dogs stressed or anxious. Effective dog training that is going to have long-term results and build a bond with your dog will avoid having them in a negative mood. If you notice any anxious or stressed body language in your dog while training, it’s best to take a step back and re-evaluate what you’re doing. You may be moving too fast if it involves helping them with any fears, the dog may not be understanding of what you want from them, or we may be too harsh with them without realizing it. Your dog can tell when you’re upset or stressed!
When our dogs are uncomfortable, they have various signs they use to tell us, and these signs range from “I’m mildly uncomfortable, please stop.” to “If you don’t stop right this moment I’m going to bite.” If we notice these signs we can work with our dogs to help them overcome their fears, make them more comfortable, and show them we can be trusted. This is highly important to notice when we are doing behavior modification with over reactive and fearful dogs. If we don’t realize key body language, our training could be ineffective, or we could even make things worse.
We can also know when a dog really enjoys something and figure out their favorite games/toys, if they are playing appropriately with other dogs (some dogs lack proper social skills!), and if they are actually enjoying what’s going on around them.
Do NOT Punish the Growl
When a dog growls, many people’s first thought is that we should not allow our dog to growl and we should correct them for this behavior because it’s aggressive. In actuality a growl is a wonderful thing! When a dog growls, this is a warning to us that whatever we are doing is making them extremely uncomfortable or scared. This warning says “If you don’t stop I’m going to bite.” When we punish a dog for growling we take this warning of “I’m going to bite” away as they learn it’s not okay to growl. So, instead of growling first to warn us, the dog will go straight to a bite. This is where some people experience “out of the blue” bites. All other “out of the blue” bites are people that didn’t notice previous signs of discomfort. Punishing for a growl also shows them that we can’t be trusted to help them feel better about whatever situation is making them uncomfortable.
Types of Body Language
Dogs have a lot of signs they give off for different moods. We will touch upon some of the most common ones you will see, along with more subtle signs, but this is not an exhaustive list. I encourage you to look at the resources listed below for more on dog body language. Here are some different categories of body language, and some signs you may see for each one.
Stress- when a dog isn’t able to cope with the current situation. You may see:
Yawning
Licking their nose
Turning their head away
Freezing in place, which can happen for only a brief moment
Panting when it’s not hot- the tongue can be curved up at the edges
Shaking off as if wet- this can be used to relieve tension
Humping- this can also be done out of frustration, anxiety, arousal, or as an energy outlet.
Appeasement- the dog is letting us know it’s not a threat & Deference- used to avoid a perceived threat
Licking the lips of someone else- this is used to calm or soothe who is being licked
Rolling over or lying down- you may also notice the ears may be flattened, tail may be tucked, eye may be blinking or squinting, lips can be drawn back without showing teeth
Urination
Slow blinks
Lifting a paw- this is usually with a lowered body posture or lowered head
Slow movements or pausing
Nose licking
Turning their head away
Sitting or lying down
Avoiding eye contact
Displacement- used to resolve internal stress/conflict
Sneezing
Shaking
Sniffing
Nose licking
Yawning
Chattering teeth
Scratching
Stretching
Fear
Ears back
Tail tucking
Head turning
Head dropped
Furrowed brows
Yawning
Piloerection- when the fur running from neck to tail are raised
Whale eye- this is when you can see the whites of the dog’s eyes. The dog will have their head turned in one direction, but looking in another
Body leaning back
The mouth being open all the way and teeth showing, lips pulled back
Barking, snarling, growling, lunging
Lip curl
Early Warning Signs- there is a high likelihood of aggressive behavior, like a bite, next if these signs are ignored
Ears are alert and forward
Piloerection
Barking, snarling, growling, lunging
Breathing slows down and their mouth closes when it was previously open
Eyes wide, pupils dilated
Stiff body
Chin-Over: the dog places their head/chin over the other dog and pauses
High, stiff tail- the tail can either be still or moving rapidly side to side without the dog’s rump moving.
Body leaning forward
Play
Sneezing
Shaking off- used to diffuse arousal
Piloerection
Play bow
Open “soft” mouth
Ears high and back
Paw raise- accompanied by soft eyes and mouth, ears forward and relaxed
Bouncy, loose body
Humping
Body checks
Growling, barking, whining
Tail wagging- the dog’s rump also moves
Please enjoy this video of an adult dog playing very well with a puppy!
Be Sure to Look at the Whole Dog
That was a lot, and to top it off, you may have noticed some body language can overlap in different categories, just to make things more confusing. Because of this, it’s important to always consider the context of what’s going on, and to look at your dog’s whole body when trying to decipher how they are feeling.
I want to recap on some myths you may have noticed in the list. A dog’s tail wagging is not always a good thing: nervous dogs will also wag their tails, and some wag high and fast as a warning. Tail wags that are circular in motion and reach the dog’s rump are happy wags. When a dog kisses you it is not always good either: this is called a “kiss to dismiss” and is the dog’s way of asking you to stop what you’re doing and give them space. It’s usually a couple of “hard” licks and then they turn their head away and show other signs of anxiety or stress.
You can probably see, after looking at this list, that there are so many signals dogs can give us, and they can be so subtle, that it’s easy to miss a lot of what they are telling us. The more you practice watching your dog the better you’ll get at reading them!
Resources
https://www.thefamilydog.com/stop-the-77 : A resource about dogs and children. Did you know 77% of dog bites to kids are from friends and family dogs?
From Fear Free Happy Homes (YouTube): https://youtu.be/siy0eog48ys?si=TJxk10c9kO73jrXm
From Zoom Room (YouTube): https://youtu.be/00_9JPltXHI?si=j0Wj12Xg8A2hc8Vf
Canine Body Language Victoria Stilwell Positively: https://academics.lmu.edu/media/lmuacademics/cures/urbanecolab/module09/M9_L5_Reading_Canine%20Body%20Language.pdf
Whole Dog Journal Guide to Stress Signals in Dogs: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/stress/guide-to-stress-signals-in-dogs/
Books:
Doggy Language by Lili Chen
Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff
A Kid’s Comprehensive Guide to Speaking Dog by Niki J Tudge
On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas