Understanding the body language of our dogs is a big deal. Our dogs are talking with their bodies. Most people know what a happy & excited dog looks like. A loose wiggly body. A loose wagging tail that might ‘helicopter’ a bit. An open & relaxed mouth, ears up with a relaxed brow.

Most people know what a very scared dog looks like. Making themselves small. Tail tucked underneath. Head lowered. Ears flattened back. Tongue flicking galore. Avoiding eye contact.

Most people know what more aggressive body language looks like. Stiff forward posture. Ears up & forward with furrowed brows. Hard staring with a high up tail that may be stiffly wagging. Barking or growling, & snarling or snapping.

Part of the problem is that we sometimes pick out one body part and focus on that. “But his tail was wagging.” This is something trainers hear a lot before they are told a dog proceeded to bite someone. We have to take the dog’s entire body into account every single time. We also have to take the current environment into account. The situations we take our dogs into have direct impacts on their feelings & body language.

Another part of the problem is people misinterpret the more subtle body language. This happens with appeasement/conflict behaviors often. Behaviors like lip/nose licking, yawning, turning away, shifting eyes, sneezing, and showing their bellies. These behaviors can be them saying they would like the current interaction to change or end. We need to pay attention to these behaviors. If we don't listen to them, they may feel the need to escalate to the more offensive behaviors. No one wants a dog who is growling, snarling, snapping & biting.

I highly recommend learning more about canine body language in more detail. Knowing what our dogs are trying to tell us is critical. Check out the following books and watch the videos in the YouTube playlist I created.

YouTube Playlist → https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdz77uc-neIIFPISPaq6PcvsJI5zVPRkr&si=SqPSKgL_0nvDaPmz

Book Recommendations

Doggie Language by Lili Chin

Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog by Brenda Aloff

On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas

Join my online learning community Evolved Dog School to learn and talk more about dogs!