If you’ve just bought a new pet or if your dog has had a new pup, it is important you understand its body language so that it can understand you. Part of the entire animal experience is good communication which can only be achieved if you really understand your dog. If you think you can train your dog without understanding its thoughts, you might be just wrong! You have to pin point what it is that your dog likes and what your dog fears and what it despises.

A small story about my cousins’ dog, Minky – She wasn’t the prettiest dog in the world or the most docile so most of the time, it was leashed to a pole in my cousins’ garden. On my visits there, I noticed that every time I wore red, the dog would get really excited and bark and jump about in frenzy. I never knew what this meant but once, my auntie left a red shirt outside to dry and forgot to pick it up. That night when Minky was left free in the garden, Minky ripped the shirt to shreds. And that was not all. Any pretty red flowers  that grew in their garden would be disappeared by next morning. I never pin pointed what it could be. Clearly, Minky had some thoughts about the colour red. It could have been love. Or even hatred. Conclusive of the destruction she’d caused – we diagnosed hatred.

So, it is essential you know what your dog is trying to say by simple body language actions.

The Tail

The tail is high: The dog is alert and wary of its surroundings so approach the dog wisely and softly.

The tail is in between the legs: The dog is fearful of something in its vicinity so approach it carefully and lovingly.

The tail has bristly fur: The dog is waiting to defend itself but can attack if it feels unsafe.

The tail is wagging a lot from side to side: The dog is happy or excited so its best to return the enthusiasm but in a slightly more humane way because an excited human and an excited dog could mean injuries.

The Teeth

Aggression: This is depicted by a dog baring all of its teeth and even possibly a bit of its gums. Be careful when you approach this dog or avoid it completely for a while.

Mildness: Only the first few front teeth are shown to depict certain gentleness about the dog but any brash actions could change its body language.

The Mouth

Panting without any exposure of teeth even though mouth is open: The dog is happy and wants some entertainment so these are the kinds of times where a dog is willing to learn or play.

Yawn: The dog is sleepy, tired or just wants to relax and be on its own for a while so the wise thing to do is ‘do not disturb’.

Licking the lips: This is an automatic response triggered by the arrival of food so you should notice this happens whenever you have a treat for your pooch.

A note though! Sometimes, aggression can be depicted as a starting sign of friendliness so if you notice signs of aggression through the mouth and tail, don’t run away but be more cautions of the dog.

The Ears

Propped up and straight ears: The dog is alert and listening carefully so this could be a positive if you want to teach its something but any suspicion might trigger the dog to get aggressive.

Ears swept down: This could mean fear or shyness that a dog experiences but be aware that a dog will still get defensive if it has to in this stance.

Limbs and body

The front half of the dog is bouncing from side to side in an excited manner: Hurry up and look at your dog! Your dog is trying to attract your attention maybe because it needs you or it is happy and needs some sort of leisure activity.

Body is slightly lower than normal with straight legs: The dog is aware that you are around and probably doesn’t trust you and so it is aware. Be careful because this stance means that it can pounce on you rather aggressively.

As well as body language, it is important that you recognise what a dog is saying through the sounds it produces too.

Barks

Sharp and brief barks: The dog is happy and playful. It is conveying a sense of excitement so you may want to play with it for a while. This shows the dog actually wants you.

Barks when seeing a new person: Here is where you can look at the other body signs to recognise what the dog is trying to convey. Normally in this situation, the dog is alert and probably doesn’t like the new person.

Bark followed by a whine: A whine or a high pitched sound emitted, should be a reminder that your dog needs something or someone and is asking for it politely but when a whine is succeeded by a bark, the dog is getting sort of desperate now so you’d be better off giving it what it needs.

Howls and whimpers

Howling is a part of dog communication that one dog conveys to another dog so there is nothing in particular that refers to you so you can stay clear. It could be a distress signal between the dogs too but a howl normally pertains to the other members of a dog community. Just to let you know though, a dog may howl at other sounds that it feels resemble howling.

Whimpers should be an automatic notice that the dog is in pain or is hurt. This is again another time when you have to look at the body language because if it is defensive or shy then it is probably hurt somewhere but if the whimpers are slightly more excited and the body language projects hints of excitement, the dog probably is enjoying some sort of affection you are showing it.

Growls

Soft and low growl where the body shows other signs of alertness or hostility: The dog is suspicious and is aggressive so you must be aware that it may attack.

Strong growl without any signs of aggressiveness especially displayed by the teeth or the mouth: The dog is trying to be playful but still be cautious because growls are hard to detect and it could mean that a sudden change of growl will put you in a completely different context.

Now that you’ve seen some of the major communication devices a dog exhibits, it should be easier for you to detect that a dog mainly shows 3 emotions, fear, anger and playfulness. Depending on it, treat your dog wisely as you know it would like to be treated. You should find that recognising what a dog is trying to say keeps you safe, others safe and even your dog safe while it could also be encouraging a good bond between you and your canine friend. To notice the better days a dog has could be a very good aid to train a dog because a dog in a good mood is always willing to learn. And of course, if you want the best out of your dog, love it. Lots!