Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language

Since Dogs can’t talk, they communicate through their body language. They use cues to show their emotions, needs, and thoughts. As their parent, you should understand that their body language tells, so your bond will be stronger. To help you understand them, here some of their body languages and its meaning:

Tail Wagging

Based on what everyone knows, tail wagging means that they are happy, but it’s not always the case. Dogs can also wag their tails when they feel anxious or scared. A slow and relaxed tail wag is a sign of contentment, while a fast and stiff wag indicates excitement or arousal. A tail tucked between the legs suggests fear or submission.

Ears

Their ears can show their emotional state. When it’s up, it means that they are being attentive and altert. If it’s flattened, it means that they are scared.

However, this doesn’t apply to dogs that have long ears. They are forever dropped.

Body Posture

Their body posture tells a lot about their emotional state as well. When your dog stands tall and upright, it’s a sign of confidence and dominance. If they crouch or lean back, it suggests fear or submission. A dog that’s lying on their back with their belly exposed is showing submission, trust, or playfulness.

Facial Expressions

This one is the most obvious among all their body languages. Most of the time, by just looking at their faces, you will instantly know what your dog is feeling.

A relaxed and open mouth indicates a relaxed and content dog. Snarling, growling, or baring their teeth are signs of aggression or fear. When your dog wrinkles their nose, it’s a sign of curiosity or excitement.

Just observe their body language a lot. Overtime, this will give you an intuition on what your companion is feeling.