Your Dog's Body Language
If your dog yawns, licks his lips, or shakes himself off, you have a good idea what it means---or do you? Yawning could mean he's tired--or it could mean he's nervous. Licking his lips could mean he's hungry--or it could mean he's uneasy. Shaking himself off could mean he's wet---or it could mean he's relieved. Take our quick lesson on how to talk dog.
First, notice how each dog approaches a person or another dog he doesn't know well:
- Advancing: indicates dominance or aggression
- Retreating: indicates fear or anxiety
- Facing squarely: indicates confidence, dominance, or aggression
- Standing sideways: indicates confidence without asserting dominance
Next, take note of his posture:
- Leaning forward: indicates confidence and interest
- Leaning forward with stiff legged stance: indicates dominance or aggressive intention
- Leaning backward: indicates fear or submission
- Body or head lowered: indicates fear, anxiety, or submission
- Body or head lowered and twisted: indicates submission
- Body lowered on front end only: indicates playfulness
- Body twisted upside down: indicates extreme submission or fear
- Body upside down and rolling: indicates pleasure
- Head turned away: indicates submission or a truce
- Head held high, arched neck: indicates confidence or challenge
Look for closer interactions and signals between dogs:
- Paw placed on another’s back: indicates dominance or aggression
- Head and neck placed over another’s back: indicates dominance or aggression
- Shoulder or hip bump into another: indicates dominance or playfulness
Know what the tail is saying. A wagging tail doesn’t always mean a friendly dog.
- Tail held horizontal or naturally: indicates interest
- Tail raised, held stiffly, and quivering: indicates dominance or aggressive intention
- Tail tucked: indicates fear, anxiety, or submission
- Tail tucked but wagging: indicates submission
- Tail wagging slowly but broadly: indicates relaxation, playfulness, or anticipation
- Tail wagging quickly and broadly: indicates submission or pleasure
Just as with people, dogs relay lots of signals through their facial gestures. And they have very expressive ears!
- Ears forward: indicates interest, dominance, playfulness, or aggression
- Ears back: indicates fear
- Ears down: indicates submission
The eyes are also filled with expression, but don’t try to get too close a look! Dogs don’t like to be stared at in the eye. It can frighten a timid dog, or be seen as a challenge to a dominant dog, and either case can end up in a dog bite for you.
- Eyes opened wide and staring: indicates aggression
- Eyes turned away and squinting: indicates submission
- Eyes blinking rapidly: indicates stress
- Eyes with dilated pupils: indicates arousal, often from fear or aggression
The mouth can say plenty without making a sound.
- Mouth agape with lip corner forward: indicates aggression
- Mouth slightly open with lip corner pulled back, all teeth showing: indicates fear
- Mouth open with lip corner pulled upward, often with tongue showing: indicates relaxation or playfulness
- Mouth licking the air or toward you or another dog rapidly: indicates submission
- Mouth licking lips: may indicate stress. Or maybe he’s just getting ready to eat!
- Face, nose, or lips wrinkled, teeth showing: indicates aggression
- Front teeth showing but no signs of aggression: indicates submission (the “canine grin”)
- Mouth yawning: indicates nervousness or serves to reduce tension in aggressive situations
- Muzzle push: indicates submission, affection
- Biting: indicates aggression, play, or fear-biting
- Panting: if not hot or tired, may indicate anxiety or pain
Don’t forget the hackles:
- Hackles raised: indicates arousal associated with aggression or fear