The Ultimate Guide to Dog Training. Teoti Anderson

your dog is saying to you, his body language will tell you just about everything. Dogs have an intricate, expansive vocabulary of body language; it’s how they communicate best with each other. Dogs know a friendly dog by what he does, what he looks like, and how he acts. They also recognize a hostile dog in the same way. Dogs show that they are afraid by their body language. By communicating with body language, a dog can diffuse a potentially tense situation and avoid fights. By better understanding a dog’s body language, you will better understand your dog.

      Ears

      When a dog’s ears lay flat, it can indicate fear. Ears forward indicate interest or excitement. Note that some dogs have ears that don’t allow them to show a lot of expression. For example, Cocker Spaniels have beautiful, long ears that naturally lay flat and won’t stand erect.

      Eyes

      A soft, sweet expression indicates friendliness or contentment. Your dog’s eyes might even squint. If your dog looks at you with a friendly or alert expression, it’s perfectly fine. Some people worry that if a dog looks them in the eyes, it’s a challenge or the dog is trying to assert himself. Hardly! Your dog is likely just making a friendly connection or trying to read your own expression. Eye contact is a sign of confidence, which is not the same thing as defiance. This is why shy or nervous dogs will often look away from you.

      A soft, sweet expression in your dog’s eyes indicates friendliness or contentment.

      Mouth

      Some dogs smile, and it’s exactly what you think it is—a sign of happiness. A tense, closed mouth is a sign of stress. The lips may be pulled back at the corners. Depending on the context, panting can indicate stress. A dog that has been running will pant, and it doesn’t mean that he’s upset, but a dog that’s afraid of thunderstorms will often pant as the storm begins. Dogs may pant if they are in pain. Also, if a dog is panting and closes his mouth, it can indicate increased stress. For example, if a dog is panting at the veterinarian’s office and he suddenly stops when the veterinary technician approaches with a thermometer, the dog’s stress has just increased.

      When a dog is warning you or another animal to stay away, his lips may move forward over his teeth so that they look puffy. His lips can also curl up in a snarl and retract to expose his teeth; this may be accompanied by a growl. This is different from a submissive grin, which is often mistaken for a snarl. In a submissive grin, the dog’s lips pull up vertically to expose the front teeth. It’s almost always accompanied by a submissive body posture—curved body; low, wagging tail; frequent looking away; and squinty eyes.

      Tail

      A tail tucked under is an indication of fear. A wagging tail is often mistaken for a sign of friendliness, but this could be a serious mistake. Just because a dog is wagging his tail doesn’t mean that he is social or that he wants you to pet him. A tail that is very low and wagging rapidly can indicate stress or fear, and it can also indicate excitement. A tail that is held very high and wagging indicates high arousal. The dog could be excited to greet you, or he could be getting agitated and contemplating lunging or even biting. In general, a mid-level or low, swishy tail wag is a sign of happiness or friendliness. Some dogs get so happy and excited that their tails go around in big circles.

      Overall Body Posture

      A dog’s overall body posture can tell you a lot about his intentions and what he is feeling. A dog that puts most of his weight on his hindquarters is trying to increase distance between himself and something. He could be unsure or afraid. When his weight is balanced forward, he’s trying to decrease distance. He is interested or eager. For example, a puppy who is unsure of a tall man may lean backward, away from the man. When he decides that the man is OK, he will lean or move toward him. If a dog is conflicted, he’ll shift his weight back and forth. He could be afraid yet interested at the same time.

      A curved body posture indicates friendliness or appeasement. Some dogs seem to wiggle and wag with their entire bodies! When a dog lifts his paw, it also indicates appeasement and could be an invitation to play. When a dog lowers his head and bends his elbows, but his rear remains up, this is called a play bow. It’s an invitation to play and a way for a dog to indicate that he is not a threat.

      When a dog lowers his head, stiffens his body, and affixes a hard-staring “lock and load” expression, his intent is to threaten. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog will bite, but he is definitely telling you to go away. If pressed, he could escalate to a bite. You may see the fur on the back of his neck or all down his back rise up. This is called “piloerection.”

      This is a play bow.

      Did You Know? Curly Tails

      Not every dog will display a wide range of communication with his tail. Some dogs have tightly curled tails that don’t often move out of position, no matter what they’re feeling.

      Signs of Stress

      Just as a dog’s body language will tell you whether he’s happy or aggressive, it will also tell you if he’s stressed or afraid. These are important signals to learn. If your dog is showing signs that he is nervous or fearful while you are training, for example, you’ll need to stop your training session and address your dog’s distress. It’s much harder for a dog to learn when he is upset. Imagine trying to learn a complicated math equation if you were afraid—it would be challenging! If you want your training sessions to be successful, learn the canine signs of stress so that you can monitor your dog’s emotional state. Stress signals are also critical to learn when you are socializing a young puppy as well as to help your dog throughout his life.

      If your dog displays one or two of the following behaviors, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he is stressed or fearful. Take account of his body language as a whole, and consider the context. For example, if you take your dog into a pet-supply store and he yawns a bit and licks his lips, but he is stepping brightly and pulling you to explore, he likely is excited. But if he yawns, licks his lips, tucks his tail, and cowers and presses against you, then he is stressed.

      Here are signs of stress to look for:

      •Licking lips

      •Yawning

      •Cowering

      •Quivering, trembling

      •Whining

      •Shaking off (similar to what dogs do when they are wet, but in this case they are dry)

      •Tucking tail

      •Turning away, avoiding, trying to get away

      •Flattening ears

      •Wet pawprints (dogs sweat through their pawpads)

      Yawning can be a sign of stress.

      Sometimes a dog will display a behavior out of context. It’s a normal behavior, but it’s odd for the situation. This is called a “displacement signal” or “cutoff signal” and can indicate stress. For example, your friend brings her new puppy over to meet your dog. As the puppy comes into the house, your dog rushes over to greet him. The puppy suddenly starts sniffing the floor. It’s not unusual for a puppy to sniff at a floor, but it does seem an odd priority with another dog barreling into his personal space. The sniffing is a displacement signal. The puppy could be signaling to your dog that he is not a threat by avoiding direct eye contact. He could also be indicating he is stressed at your dog’s boisterous greeting.

      Your Body Language

      Just as your dog communicates with you using body language, your body language sends communication signals to your dog. Sometimes, you could be sending messages that you don’t really mean. For example, if you bend or loom over a dog, you could unwittingly intimidate him. Some dogs won’t mind it at all, but sensitive or