Interpreting Your Dog's Body Language
By right, dogs are pack animals, and as such must be able to
communicate their intentions effectively, so as to avoid
misunderstanding and unintended conflict. All breeds of dogs share
the common language which is Doggy Speak. They communicate in far
more ways than some might give them credit for: They do not just wag
their tail - their posture, ears, teeth and eyes all communicate
certain feelings as well.
The most important part of your dog's body language to understand is
whether it is acting submissively or dominantly to you and your
family. Of course, it should act submissively - it should know that
you are the leader and that is it simply a pack member - and dogs
acting dominantly could be uncontrollable or even dangerous.
When Your Dog is Happy
We all identify with a wagging tail. However, there are other ways
to know that your dog is content. Bright eyes are a sign of
contentment, as are relaxed lips.
Playful Behavior
A dog who wants to play will often adopt submissive behavior to act
like a puppy. The paws will be stretched out on front with the
bottom held high. This posture will be well known to dog owners and
is often termed the 'play bow'
Frightened or Highly Submissive Behavior
The frightened dog will appear to make itself as small as possible.
This is so that the aggressor will think the dog is already beaten
and does not offer a threat. Frightened dogs may seem to act like a
puppy by crouching and cowering, and this is because instinctively
dogs do not like to attack young dogs.
Frightened dogs may also flatten its ears away from danger and put
its tail between its legs. This also covers the scent glands,
masking its identity. The dog may also roll onto its back to
demonstrate that it is not capable of threatening behavior. The eyes
of a frightened dog will be wide enough to show the white and will
have dilated pupils. Submissive behavior includes actions that a
young dog may use to seek attention from its mother, such as licking
your face and jumping or reaching up to you.
Dominant or Confident Behavior
If a fight resulted from every meeting of two confident dogs, then
many pack members would risk injury, therefore risking the health of
the entire family. Instead, dogs will try to demonstrate their
superiority by other means. Aggressive dogs will approach
confidently with the head held high and the hair on the spine erect
so as to make him appear larger.
His ears will point forward and the tail will be pointing up. This
is the opposite of the submissive dog in that the confident dog is
not concerned about being injured in a fight and not afraid to let
its identity known. If the other dog does not act submissively, then
the approaching dog will now attempt to scare the other dog into
submission. Snarling, wrinkling of the nose and teeth-baring display
to the other dog what harm could be done if provoked. If the dog
does launch into a fight, its ears will be drawn in at the last
minute to prevent injury.
Confusing Body Language
When dogs misunderstand each other, trouble can occur. The breeds
who most distinctly look like wolves are those with the clearest
body language (such German Shepherd Dogs). Those with peculiar
anatomical features are most far-removed from the wolverine shape
and so may be misunderstood. For example, spaniels have floppy ears
which don't erect when acting confidently.
Other dogs can't display their teeth because of the hair on their
face. Dogs with very long hair can not raise their hackles and dogs
like the pug can not raise, wag or lower their tails. Black dogs may
appear featureless to the eyes of other dogs and so subtle facial
expressions are not understood.
DO:
DON'T:
|