The play bow is the classic canine invitation to fun and games: down on the front paws, rear end in the air, tail wagging. Rolling belly-up, exposing her neck and genitals, means "You're the boss!" An especially submissive dog may also urinate to express her deference to you or to another dog. Sometimes a dog uses her entire body to deliver her message. A snarl is a definite threat gesture, but dogs probably smile for the same reason we do: to let folks - or other dogs - know they don't mean any harm. Don't confuse this look with the snarl, a raised upper lip and bared teeth. You might even catch her smiling - pulling the corners of her mouth back to show the teeth. Watch your dog's facial expression for more clues on how she's feeling. Sometimes it seems as if she can read your mind, but her ability to predict your every move is really just good observation skills at work. You might not realize it, but your dog watches and listens to you all the time and learns your patterns of behavior. She might be timid or shy, but if she feels cornered, she's capable of launching an attack in self-defense.Ī dog's pack instinct makes her a good observer who pays close attention to everybody and everything around her. Be especially careful approaching a dog in this mood. Sometimes, the fur along the neck and back of a frightened or submissive dog will bristle, too. Is a dog's head down and her ears back? She's scared or submissive. Her ears are built in such a way that they can be pointed in different directions, allowing the dog to quickly figure out where a sound is coming from. That's what makes her such a great alarm system. Because the canine sense of hearing is so sharp, your dog often knows about the approach of a person or car long before you do. When a dog hears or sees something new or exciting, her ears will go up or forward. A cock of the head or twitch of the ears indicates interest or alertness but sometimes fear. A relaxed dog may keep her tail lowered, although not between her legs.ĭogs communicate with both ends of their bodies. Whether she's talking to you or to another dog, the message is the same: "I give up!" Just because a dog's tail is down doesn't mean she's frightened, though. The exact opposite is the dog with her tail tucked between her legs. A dog with her tail erect is confident and in control. The position of a dog's tail tells a lot about her, too. This dog is agitated and probably aggressive - and boy, does she mean business. Watch out, though, for a dog whose tail is bristling or is held high and stiff, wagging fast. She's still deciding whether you are a friend or foe. The same is true of a dog whose tail is wagging slowly. She might not be ready to welcome you with a big lick, but she's not going to challenge you either. On the other hand, a dog holding her tail loosely but horizontally wants to know a bit more about you. When you see a dog whose tail is wagging wide and fast, the message is almost always, "Glad to see you!" This is a happy, excited dog. And that, in turn, will make training a dog much easier. If you learn this skill, it will make communicating with a dog much easier. In this section, we'll tell you how to understand a dog's body language. A dog who is wagging her tail might be happy, interested, or confident, but she also may be scared, confused, or ready for a fight. Dogs say lots of things with their tails - and not all of them are nice. Okay, we all know a wagging tail means a dog is friendly, right? Not necessarily.
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