From “puppy dog eyes” and big drooling grins to play bows and tail wagging, dogs use body parts, such as their eyes, ears, tails, mouth, and fur, to share their feelings.
Correctly reading and understanding your dog’s body language is important for their health and happiness.
Despite how important body language is for your dog, up to 90% of pet parents cannot identify certain cues from their dogs. We’re here to help remedy this! Read on to discover some of the most common dog body positions and their meanings.
1. Ear Positions
Dogs’ ears come in all sizes and shapes and have next-level hearing abilities. However, this small body part can help pet parents determine their pup’s emotional state.
There are four main positions that dogs “put” their ears into. Sean Prichard, dog trainer, president, and head canine fitness coach at Pant & Wag, explains that each indicates something different:
- Relaxed: Ears that are floppy or sitting naturally indicate the dog is calm and happy.
- Perked or pointed: Prichard says this positioning means your dog’s alert, curious, or excited.
- Half and half: If one ear is perked and the other relaxed, your dog might feel intrigued or uncertain.
- Flattened or pinned: Your dog likely feels scared or anxious. Prichard says if dogs have very flat, ears pressed against their head, they feel afraid or aggressive.
When looking at the ears for clues about your dog’s feelings, Prichard says consider the shape and size of the ears. For example, he adds many dogs can barely move their ears, including:
- Bloodhounds
- Basset Hounds
- Beagles
2. Tail Positions
While we all love to see a happy side-to-side tail wag, it is far from the only tail move. Renee Rhoades, an animal behaviorist at R+Dogs, revealed that dogs have five different tail positions.
- Straight up and moving quickly side to side: Your dog is anticipating something (like a treat or playtime).
- Straight up and swooping side to side: Your dog is very excited.
- Straight up and still: Your dog feels threatened and is assessing a situation.
- Hanging loosely: Your dog is nice and relaxed.
- Tucked between the legs: Your dog is likely feeling anxious.
Lastly, Rhoadws says some research says right tail wags mean positivity and left tail wags mean fear.
3. Facial Expressions
With the eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks all getting involved, dogs can create many facial expressions (many of which make great memes). Prichard says our dogs use six common facial expressions to convey everything from joy to anger.
- “Puppy dog” eyes: We can’t resist that loving gaze. When a dog’s eyes are soft and accompanied by plenty of blinking and a relaxed mouth, they’re in a happy, relaxed, and trusting state.
- Hard stares: If your dog stares at you without blinking, they might feel stressed and somewhat aggressive. Prichard says friendly dogs often avoid staring so they’re not perceived as a threat.
- Head tilts: Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it encourages dog head tilting! Prichard says dogs might be confused about something but want to hear more.
- Baring front teeth: This bold action can indicate aggression, especially if followed by flattened ears, a stiff body, and a hard stare.
- Whale eye: Ever notice your dog giving you the “side eye?” This is commonly called “whale eye”. While this might look amusing, Prichard says your dog is scared and doesn’t want to act aggressive.
- Smiling: Like humans, a happy smile—a relaxed mouth with the corners pulled back—is a sign of contentment.
4. Body Posture/Movements
Various body postures indicate your dog feels a certain way. We all know that low bowing signals your dog is ready for play. But what do some other cues mean?
- Relaxed: Rhoades says relaxed dogs have loose, wiggly bodies without stiffness or tension in the muscles or skin.
- Nervous or apprehensive: Rhoades says a nervous dog might stay rigid, low to the ground, and with folded tails/tucked ears.
- Alert: Rhoades adds alert dogs are upright with a lifted head, forward ears, and parallel tail.
- Threatened: You’ll likely see your dog’s body looking upright and rigid. Additionally, Rhoades says to look out for piloerection (hair standing on edge usually along the length of the spine).
5. Vocalizations
While studies suggest dogs can understand up to 250 human words and sounds, they can only make around ten sounds. With such a limited repertoire, Prichard explains that each sound can often mean several things. Some of the most common are:
- Barking: A bark’s meaning can vary according to context. Prichard says barks can be a greeting, warning, or excitement/fear response. “Pay attention to the pitch, cadence, and duration for clues,” he reveals.
- Whining: This sound expresses sadness, anxiety, or pain and can also be used to get attention.
- Growl: When dogs growl, they’re feeling threatened or uncomfortable. Prichard says these feelings can increase if they’re not resolved. However, he notes that dogs can also growl during play to feign upset.
- High-pitched yelp: These noises signal a sudden feeling of surprise, pain, or fear.
- Yawning: Like humans, dogs yawn when they’re sleepy. But they also frequently yawn when feeling stressed or uneasy.
- Panting: Dogs pant when tired, excited, anxious, or overheating.
How To Decode Your Dog’s Body Language
Relying on guesswork to decipher your dog’s communication cues can frustrate you and your pup. Rhoades says that context is critical when reading your dog’s body language.
For example, your dog might be wagging their tail while growling and pinning their ears back. But this could mean two different things depending on the situation. Rhoades explains that if you’re playing with a tug-of-war toy, they’re just playing; however, if you’re not playing with a toy, your pup might be uncomfortable or defensive.
If you’re unsure what a combination of cues might be trying to tell you, don’t panic. Rhoades says to pause and give yourself a moment to figure it out. Still having trouble? Hiring a certified dog behaviorist is a great way to learn your dog’s body language cues and keep that knowledge long-term.
What Are Common Mistakes When Reading Dog Body Language?
Prichard reveals two mistakes we often make when interpreting canine body language. Here’s what to avoid and how to fix the possible mistakes.
Ignoring the context
When reading your pup’s body language, a single signal doesn’t tell the whole story. Look at all the cues and pay close attention to the environment and how your dog interacts.
Prichard emphasizes that this complete picture helps pet parents really understand what their dog is thinking—whether it’s good or bad.
Disregarding your dog’s emotions
The other common mistake in body language reading is letting our emotions cloud our judgment. For example, Prichard says you may see a tiny dog dressed in a tutu, snarling and growling. While we might think the outfit looks funny, that dog is actually super stressed out and could be ready to bite.
How Can You Strengthen Your Bond Through Body Language?
There’s no arguing that correct interpretation of canine body language cues is essential. However, responding correctly is equally crucial—and doing so can improve trust in the owner-dog relationship. You can strengthen your bond by:
- Making the correct assessment
- Note what environments/circumstances make your dog feel comfortable
- Know how to calm down an anxious or stressed dog
- Be patient with yourself and your dog
