According to the University of Texas, while humans primarily use speech to communicate, it’s estimated that 60-90% of our communication is actually unspoken or non-vocalized.
In stark contrast, our canine family members primarily communicate through centuries-old body language and then through vocalizations. Enjoy our blog when dogs speak.
So, in order to effectively understand our dog’s communication, it’s essential to have a working knowledge of K9 body language.
How well do you understand your dog’s body language? Understanding the basics of canine body language will help you:
- Understand what your dog is feeling,
- Build a better bond with your dog; and
- Enjoy greater success with your dog training efforts!
So, what exactly is canine body language?
How Dogs Use Body Language
Dogs are always communicating through their bodies even if they are not making a sound. A K9’s body language includes their:
- Tail position and motion.
- Ear and eye positioning.
- Mouth gestures and panting.
- Body position and movement.
- Facial expressions.
When humans miss or overlook a dog’s non-verbal cues, we can misinterpret, react and even overreact and send back mixed and confusing signals to our canine partner. Misunderstanding important K9 body language signals that say, “I’m scared/uncomfortable/anxious or I feel threatened” can provoke an unwanted dog bite or other aggressive behavior. So, it’s important to properly understand and interpret a dog’s body language within with the current situation.
“We must look at the whole dog and his body language,
as well as the situation/environment in order to get the
“big” picture of what the dog is communicating,
what may happen next, and what
our appropriate responses
should be.”
(Center for Shelter Dogs, Tufts University)
Dog Communication: 5 Common Groupings
According to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, there are 5 common groups of dog communication. These communication responses or groupings include:
- Fearful Communication
- Arousal Communication
- Anxious Communication
- Aggressive Communication
- Relaxed Communication
We will further discuss these 5 communication responses in our next blog later this month so be sure to bookmark our blog!
6 Body Language Signs Your Dog Wants YOU to Know!
>> Happiness, Play & Relaxed
1. I Wanna Play: The Play Bow
- Front end lowered to the ground
- Butt high up in the air
- Tail up and usually wagging
- Mouth may be open
- Pupils dilated
2. I’m Interested in You!
- Tail is horizontal and slightly wagging
- Ears are perked up and alert
- Body is slightly leaning forward but relaxed
- Eyes are wide
3. I’m Happy: Rub My Belly!
- Exposed belly
- Relaxed eyes and body
- Mouth open and tongue hanging out
4. I’m Calm, Relaxed/Approachable
- Relaxed body posture, tail and ears
- Tail in the horizontal or slightly up position
- Head is held high
- Mouth slightly open
>> Do Not Approach Me!
- Dominance or Aggression
- Fixed gaze
- Stiff posture
- Ears pulled back
- Lowered head
- Whites of the eyes are shown
- Active pulling on leashes
I’m Afraid, Unsure/Worried (can be mistaken for aggression)
I’m Afraid, Unsure/Worried (can be mistaken for aggression)- Ears Back
- Whites of eyes are shown
- Looking away or slightly closed eyes
- Body is lowered
- Teeth may be exposed
- Tail is down, tucked possibly slow wagging
- Raised paw
Click here for an easy-to-understand, illustrated
Doggie Language chart by Lili Chin!
Stay tuned to our blog to learn more about the 5 common groupings
of dog communication in the second post of
“When Dogs Talk Through Body Language” later this month.
We Speak “Dog” and Can Help You Speak it Too!
Just email or call us at 480-382-0144
for all your dog training and dog boarding needs
in the Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe
and East Valley areas of Arizona!
Additional Reading:
Dog Communication and Body Language
Do Dogs Communicate More Than We Think?
Image Credits (Shown in Order of Appearance):
Image by LaurenLiebhaber from Pixabay
Image by Tom Verdoot from Pexels
Image by Sven Lachmann from Pixabay
Image by Muhannad Alatawi from Pexels
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay
Image by East Valley K9 Services
