What is your dog's body language trying to tell you?
There are many publications and picture prompts that try to help you learn to identify specific body language cues, but they are guidelines. You can’t begin to decipher complex non-verbal cues without taking into account what’s happening in the small snapshot of the world you are trying to decipher.
For instance, in a human, some cues that a person is lying could be not looking you in the eyes, sweaty palms, fidgety hands. Those same physical actions from a person who is flirting may just be social discomfort. Context is key in reading the complex body language of humans and dogs.
Each dog and dog breed is different, but the main places to look to see whether the dog you are trying to read is anxious, fearful, relaxed, playful etc… are his/her eyes, mouth, forehead, upper body and lastly, the tail.
In the examples below, it’s difficult not to look at the child’s happy face and assume the dog they are playing with is just as happy as they are. If you look just at the dogs in the pictures below, you can see signs from two of the dogs that they are unhappy and uncomfortable with the interactions. These images are courtesy of Trailblazing Tails which has an online store as well as offering wonderful educational content.
Focus on the dog’s face and body, not the child
Body Part - Meaning
Eyes and Mouth
Note: In the top photo, the child has her eyes closed. In response, even though the dog is uncomfortable, he has softer eyes. With her eyes open, it is likely he would have looked away. He is NOT trying to lick her. Making his body small is one of the biggest indicators here he is not confident, happy, enjoying the encounter.
Eyes - A relaxed dog will have almond shaped eyes. They sometimes appear to squint at you.
A stressed or fearful dog will usually have dilated pupils and the whites around their eyes will be on show.
Fearful or worried dogs will tend to look away and avoid eye contact.
Aggressive dogs will sometimes stare; if two dogs lock gaze intently, it rarely ends well.
Mouth - A happy, laid back dog will have a relaxed mouth. It will usually be open and they may pant. He may appear to smile.
Stressed or fearful dogs will usually purse their lips and keep their mouths closed. On the other side of the scale, a dog who is excessively panting when it’s not particularly hot or they haven’t been exercised is usually stressed. Drooling when there is no food present is also a sign of stress in dogs.
In an aggressive dog, the mouth is usually the clear give away. They may curl their lip and wrinkle their muzzle. They may bare their teeth and snarl. You may hear a deep growl through clenched teeth!
Ears, Tail, Hair and Posture
Ears - In a relaxed dog, their ears will be in their natural state, whether this is up or down. It’s easier to read the ears of those dogs who typically have pointy ears. When they are stressed, they will lay flat and back. With floppy eared dogs it is still possible to read their ears, you just have to look at the base of their ear; you may notice movement. Movement forward shows interest, movement back shows stress or fear.
Tail - A stressed or fearful dog will tuck their tail in between their legs. They may wag it slightly, but very slowly.
An aroused, interested or aggressive dog will raise their tail. This is where the rest of their body language comes in, to help you distinguish how they are feeling.
Hair - We mentioned their hair earlier on – you may notice hackles on an aggressive or fearful dog, you may notice that their tail fans out too. Stressed dogs also shed hair. Many owners notice handfuls of hair coming out of their dog during their vet visit.
Posture - Watch your dog’s general posture – if it is stiff and upright, you can bet your life they’re not happy about something. If they are cowering away, making themselves smaller and walking tentatively they are pretty worried.
Understanding your dog's body language is a major way to finding more success when working with your dog. It allows you to see how they are feeling in that moment so you can adjust to better suit the situation. If your dog is too anxious and you can't tell that, you won't know that you need to adjust how you are working and reduce that anxiety so they can think. Dogs may not speak, but they do say a lot if you know how to look for it.
Use this article as a reference to start learning more about your dog and how they express their emotions physically.