Talking dog 'language'.

Dogs can’t tell us directly what they are thinking, what their intentions are, or how they are feeling.

They do, however, give us a lot of information through body language.

Learning dog body language is a great way to understand how a dog is feeling and how they may react or behave in any given circumstance.

You know your dog best, but you can get to know them and the possible intentions of other dogs better if you can gain an understanding of this language.

As dogs come in many shapes, sizes and breeds, and there can be differences on what they can look like, and how it affects their communication with others.

Picture from freepix.com

Tails can be naturally erect, curled or they don’t have a tail at all.

Ears can be naturally erect or long and floppy.

Fur around the face can conceal facial signs.

Some dogs faces do not allow them to show certain signs in the same way as others.

A happy, confident dog:

Generally, their whole body is relaxed. 

• Tail – loose wagging of variable speed.

• Mouth – may be open, tongue may loll out.

• Eyes – ‘soft’ without a fixed gaze.

• Ears - neutral position, which can be very different depending on breed.  

• Noise – some dogs can offer a ‘grumble’ type greeting, or even a play growl.

Picture from Dogs Trust - https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/body-language

Their behaviour will be welcoming.

• Playful – showing play ‘bows’ and they maybe be skipping around.

• Wanting to be close to you - They will be happy to approach you and may lean into you. 

Learning to understand when a dog is nervous or stressed is equally, if not more important, to help avoid situations that may become difficult and will keep you, your dog, and others safe.

Some of these signs can be very subtle, but if missed a dog may escalate to more obvious signs.

If you are ever unsure with any dog, your own or others, drop eye contact, slowly turn your body away from dog and calmly move away.

A nervous/worried or unhappy dog:

Generally, their whole body is more tense.

• Tail – this may still be wagging, but it will be held lower, and wags may be slower.

• Mouth – this may be more closed and there could be tongue flicks, nose or lip licks. They may yawn or pant.

• Eyes – they will likely be looking away or blinking more. They may show ‘whale eye’, this is when you can see more white at the edges of the eyes, this is because there is tension in the face and/or they are turning their head away while trying to keep some sightline of what is worrying them.

• Ears – can be lowered or further back than natural placement.

·       Noise – They will generally remain quiet, but there may be a slight ‘grumbling’.

  Picture from Dogs Trust - https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/body-language

Their behaviour will be more towards general avoidance

• They might turn, circle or shrink away, they may just raise a paw, stay still/frozen and generally avoid approach.

• When around an unknown person or dog they are unsure of, they may try to hide behind you or another object or try to walk off.   

• They may show appeasement behaviour. This can be shown with excessive licking or tongue flicking, they might roll over onto their back. This position is different to a dog wanting a belly rub who flops happily to the floor, in a relaxed, often wriggly way, with the soft eyes, ears and mouth.

Recognising, acknowledging and responding to these early stress signs and taking appropriate action will help prevent a dog escalating their behaviour to something more serious.   

Never ignore any of these signs, back off or allow a dog to move away from any situation where any of these signals are displayed.  

When these signs go unnoticed or ignored, a dog can become increasingly worried or start to feel threatened, which can cause them to show more obvious signs or 'language', into what is often described as aggressive behaviour.  

An aggressive or defensive dog.

Aggressive behaviour displays in most dogs are generally defensive and/or fear based, and it is a dog’s way of communicating to another dog or person to ‘back off’ or go away, as the early milder warning signs of stress have gone unnoticed or unacknowledged.  

This behaviour can be shown for many reasons:

Discomfort or pain,                                                                                                                            Unsure of the other dog or person,                                                                                                  Getting negative ‘vibes’ or ‘messages’ from others,                                                                   Lack of positive experiences,

Past negative experiences.

Generally, their whole body is stiff, upright and alert.

• Tail – this maybe still be wagging but will be stiff or upright.  

• Mouth – may stay tightly closed, but they could start to show teeth.

• Eyes - they will have a ‘hard’ look or a fixed or prolonged stare.  

• Ears -  may be pointing forwards or be pulled flat against their head.

• Sound - They may growl or ‘grumble’- You should never punish a dog for growling because they could be more likely to just skip this warning step and go straight to snap or bite.

• Fur – they may ‘raise their hackles’, with the hair standing up.

 Picture from Dogs Trust - https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/body-language

If they are very frightened, they might lower their body to the ground cowering.

 Picture from Dogs Trust - https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/body-language

With either of these stances dogs may start to lunge or leap towards the perceived threat in an attempt to drive them further away.

The body language shown is a reflection of the dog being in a fight-flight-or-freeze mode and if the perceived threat doesn't go away or they can't escape, both stances can result in snaps or bites.

If your dog is showing signs of any these behaviours, the first step is to get them seen by a vet to rule out any medical conditions that might be causing them discomfort, stress or pain.

If and when they get a clean bill of health and are still showing this behaviour, firstly try to be understanding and avoid situations where this behaviour is shown.

Get behavioural advice that offers support and guidance for you and your dog to feel more relaxed and happier in difficult situations, which will then be reflected in more positive behaviour.

Human and dog communication.

Through domestication most dogs have become adept and even skilful at adapting to human communication, but there maybe some things we do that can cause them to become uncomfortable.

Cuddles.

Cuddling for some dogs can feel restricting.

There may be subtle signs that a dog is not enjoying the experience:

·         Turning their head away  

·         Flattening their ears against their head

·         Licking their lips

·         Looking away or showing ‘whale eye’

Picture from freepix.com

Ears are back, mouth is tense, appeasement licking.

If you dog does not appear to enjoy being cuddles there is other ways you can show affection by playing with them or stroking/petting.

Stroking or petting

It is important to know when your dog welcomes stroking/petting and when they have had enough.

When you stroke a dog, it's best to stroke their side, back or chest. Going straight for the head can be intimidating for some dogs, especially one not familiar with you.

You can make sure there are still wanting and enjoying attention by pausing occasionally, they will soon let you know if they want more, by nudging, moving closer or even glancing at you. If they choose to move away, allow them to.

Children are often more tactile with displays of affection, so it is especially important to support and teach them on how to interact safely with dogs. There is a lot of information online and age relevant educational resources can be found here - https://peteducationpartnership.org/

Eye contact

Dogs have learnt and can demonstrate a tendency to gaze more at human faces and make eye contact in different contexts; when asking for food or needing help to reach a toy or be removed from a difficult situation.

But try to avoid giving your dog lots of direct eye contact, as this can be a bad signal for them, especially if we glare when angry with them for any reason, this can raise their stress levels and could lead to an escalation of behaviour.

Dog to dog communication.

Learning dog body language can not only help to understand your own dog better, but the intentions of other dogs also.

When out on walks it will enable you to have a better judgement of intentions and interactions between your dog and other dogs, which will allow you to avoid or defuse any possible difficult encounters.

Olfactory/sniffing/scenting communication is extremely important for dogs. A dog's sense of smell allows them to discern social and contextual information about other dogs. So bottom sniffing is an important and polite way for dogs to greet.

Allow plenty of time on walks for dogs to gather information about others and leave their own ‘messages’, this will allow them to have a better assessment of the environment and the dogs they might meet.

Overall, body language is an important communication method for dogs, but needs to be assessed and judged in the overall context, taking into consideration each individual dog and environment.