{"id":255,"date":"2016-03-28T06:00:12","date_gmt":"2016-03-28T06:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/?p=255"},"modified":"2017-12-18T03:38:34","modified_gmt":"2017-12-18T03:38:34","slug":"understanding-your-dogs-body-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/understanding-your-dogs-body-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Your Dog\u2019s Body Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

How To Understand Your Dog\u2019s Body Language<\/h1>\n

\"dog<\/a><\/p>\n

Dogs communicate in many ways with each other, using verbal cues, body language<\/em> and facial expressions<\/em>. They also try to communicate with humans using these methods. Hopefully, these tips will help you read your dog\u2019s expressions and postures<\/em> to help you understand what he\u2019s trying to tell you as well as what he\u2019s feeling.<\/p>\n

DogSpeak<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Wolves howl to communicate with others in their pack.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Howl<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Howling is a type of communication that goes back to dogs\u2019 ancestral connection with wolves<\/em>.\u00a0 Wolves use howling to communicate over long distances and that urge is embedded in your dog\u2019s genetic code.\u00a0 Dogs<\/em> will sometimes howl along with sustained noises like sirens, or perhaps musical instruments or singing because these sounds mimic the sound of a classic howl. Howling<\/em> is also an attempt to locate someone, perhaps you or the dog down the street. When you leave for work, it\u2019s very possible your dog howls in an effort to get you back. When one dog starts howling in the neighborhood, usually many others join in \u2013 it\u2019s a conference call of sorts!<\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n
<\/h5>\n
<\/h5>\n

The Growl<\/strong>
\nThe growl means \u201cback off.\u201d You\u2019ll see a dog growl when another dog gets interested in his food. Your dog may growl at a stranger he doesn\u2019t like or he may growl at you when you try to take his toy away. It\u2019s actually a very effective way of communicating and may mean that you can probably negotiate his toy away. When a dog is in an aggressive stance and silent, there is the most danger.<\/p>\n

The Grunt or Mutter<\/strong>
\nThis is usually indicates that your dog wants something. It\u2019s an interesting sound because it\u2019s almost manipulative \u2013 your dog knows if he barks, he\u2019ll get into trouble but the more subtle \u201cgrunt\u201d might get him wants he wants. It is also heard when dogs greet other dogs or humans.<\/p>\n

The Whimper<\/strong>
\nDogs whimper when they\u2019re anxious or hurt. Sometimes they figure out that they get attention when they whimper and use this to their advantage.<\/p>\n

The Whine<\/strong>
\nWhining indicates frustration. They are in a sense \u201ccomplaining\u201d about something, and it can also be an attention getting verbalization. It is important to remember that\u00a0whining can indicate that your dog<\/a> is in pain or feeling excessive anxiety.<\/p>\n

The Bark<\/strong>
\nThere are many different types of barks. A high pitched bark indicates excitement and happiness. A low pitched bark indicates aggression and is possibly a threat.\u00a0Dogs bark\u00a0to get attention, to respond to other dogs, to indicate that they\u2019re happy, and to alert their human to a problem.\u00a0 It’s possible that your dog may detect a \u201cproblem\u201d that you can\u2019t see or hear, such as a siren miles away or the neighbor\u2019s cat hiding in the tree outside the window.<\/p>\n

Dog Body Language\/Facial \u201cExpressions\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n
Relaxed<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Stance \u2013 lying down or standing without any alertness<\/p>\n

Tail \u2013 up and wagging or lying naturally<\/p>\n

Ears \u2013 at their normal state, depending on the breed (A Terrier\u2019s would be up but relaxed, a Hound\u2019s would be down)<\/p>\n

Eyes \u2013 normal pupil dilation, focused but not staring<\/p>\n

Mouth \u2013 open and lightly panting or closed<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Confident and Relaxed<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Stance \u2013 erect<\/p>\n

Tail \u2013 wagging slowly<\/p>\n

Ears \u2013 pricked up but with a relaxed look<\/p>\n

Eyes \u2013 small pupils<\/p>\n

Mouth \u2013 closed or slight parting of lips<\/p>\n

Fearful or Anxious<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Stance \u2013 lowered<\/p>\n

Tail \u2013 tucked under<\/p>\n

Ears \u2013 down<\/p>\n

Eyes \u2013 a wide-eyed look with the whites showing<\/p>\n

Mouth \u2013 panting<\/p>\n

Aggressive<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Stance \u2013 rigid<\/p>\n

Tail \u2013 straight up or out behind, very rigid<\/p>\n

Ears \u2013 pricked up<\/p>\n

Eyes \u2013 intense, focused stare<\/p>\n

Mouth \u2013 lips are pulled back and some teeth show<\/p>\n

Hackles \u2013 this is a line of hair that starts at the base of the neck and runs down the shoulders. It is raised if a dog is feeling aggressive and lowered if he is relaxed.<\/p>\n

Fear-Aggressive<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Stance \u2013 dog is pulled into himself<\/p>\n

Tail \u2013 tucked completely under<\/p>\n

Ears \u2013 lying down<\/p>\n

Eyes \u2013 wide-eyed and trouble focusing<\/p>\n

Mouth \u2013 lips pulled back slightly or heavy panting<\/p>\n

Remember when Lassie sprinted off down the road to find help because Timmy had fallen into a well? (Some of us are old enough to remember that tv series!) Through her verbal cues and body language she was able to lead the rescuers back to the disaster scene. By understanding our dogs\u2019 language, we can better communicate with them and avoid common misunderstandings.<\/p>\n

\"happy<\/a>

What’s the matter, Lassie? What is it, girl?<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How To Understand Your Dog\u2019s Body Language Dogs communicate in many ways with each other, using verbal cues, body language and facial expressions. They also try to communicate with humans using these methods. Hopefully, these tips will help you read your dog\u2019s expressions and postures to help you understand what he\u2019s trying to tell you … <\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[51,672,49,52,50,53,118,671,670,48],"class_list":["post-255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-care","tag-barking","tag-dog-behavior","tag-dogs-body-language","tag-dogs-facial-expressions","tag-howling","tag-interpreting-dogs-body-language","tag-pet-care","tag-understanding-aggression-in-dogs","tag-understanding-dogs","tag-understanding-dogs-body-language","item-wrap"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1494,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions\/1494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happypetsinfo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}