What’s my dog telling me?

What’s my dog telling me? Its a questions I hear a lot of clients ask me during their training sessions.

It’s really quite surprising how intelligent dogs are and how much they communicate with us with their body language. All we have to do is pay attention to and we can find out exactly what they’re saying.

Body Language Cues

Stress Cues

With these cues, they may sometimes be normal if done at appropriate times, however if not, the below are potential tell tale signs of stress:

• Raised paw
• Yawning, particularly if the ears are pointed together
• Looking away
• Sniffing
• Lip Licking
• Blinking
• Tongue Stretching
• Shivering
• Panting
• Raised stiff ears
• Stiff tail, may still wag however the movements are more rigid

Relaxed Cues

• Ears are up but not forward, generally relaxed and are guided to the direction of their interest at any point in time. With this, you need to take in to account the nature shape of your dog breeds ears.
• Loose stance with weight evenly on feet
• Relaxed tail in its natural position depending on where your dogs tail rests naturally.

Submissive Cues

• Laying on their back with all paws up
• Ears are flat and back
• Closed mouth with lips potentially upturned at the sides
• Tail my be tucked between the back legs.

These are only some of the tell tales of what your dog is trying to tell you. Before assessing their behaviour its important to consider what their natural body posture is like, how their tail naturally sits, or how their ears or tails generally point.

Once you’ve assessed the natural stance, consider the environment an anything else that may be going on to signal the change in body language.

So What’s my Dog telling me? whatever it is based on their body language cues, try to ensure you remove as many things or situations that cause anxiety or aggression to ensure you raise a happy and well balanced dog.

If you’re having problems with your dogs body language, please Contact Us for an assessment.