Dogs speak to us in some surprising ways. Learning what they’re saying is a key ingredient for keeping your dog happy and safe.
Because dogs don't speak human language, the only way to truly comprehend and communicate with them is for us to learn what they're telling us through their body and vocal language. Dogs communicate using a complex language of body signals that reflect what they're thinking and feeling. They use these signals to communicate intent, as an attempt to increase or decrease distance from something or someone, and as a way of showing their comfort or discomfort.
Learning what dogs are saying with their signals and actions helps them adjust better to living with humans, and is important for safety. Often, actions that we assume mean one thing are actually the dog telling us the exact opposite — determining what that wagging tail or lifted paw really means could be the difference between a pleasant interaction and a bite. If you want to learn more about canine body language continue reading or take the How To Speak Dog course.
Stress, discomfort, nervousness
When dogs are stressed and nervous they exhibit many different kinds of behavior that either help relieve the stress they're feeling or appease a perceived threat. Yawning, for example, can be a sign that a dog is tired, but can also signal that she is stressed in a particular situation.
- Lip licking or tongue flicking - the dog is hungry or has just eaten, but she could also be telling you that she's nervous.
- Brief body freezing – the dog is still for one or two seconds before reacting or moving.
- Body freezing – the dog freezes until the threat goes away or he decides to defend himself or run away.
- "Whale Eye" – the dog turns her head away but keeps looking at the perceived threat, showing the whites of her eyes.
- Head turn – the dog turns his head away from something or someone as a gesture of appeasement.
- Ears back or flattened - the ears are held back or flattened against the dog’s head.
- Furrowed brow, curved eyebrows – wrinkles on the forehead, caused by facial tension; some dogs have this naturally.
- Lowered body or cowering body - the dog gets low to the ground and might have a rounded back and spine.
- Tense jaw – the mouth is closed.
- Hugging – the dog is gaining comfort by holding onto his guardian.
- Low tail carriage – tail is low, hugged to the dog’s body, or is tucked under the dog; indicates discomfort and uncertainty.
- Tail is low and wagging in short strokes or just at the tip - a sign of nervousness; a wagging tail does not mean a dog is necessarily happy.
- Front paw lifted - the dog is likely anticipating what will happen and may be unsure; can be seen without stress as well.
- Curved, or spatula-shaped, tongue – when the dog pants, her tongue is wide at the bottom and curves up at the end or edges.
- Raspy, dry-sounding panting – nervousness reduces saliva production.
- Twitching whiskers – caused by facial tension.
- Shaking – dog shakes off when he’s not wet, waking up, or rolling in dirt; releases tension.
- Drooling – excessive drooling, in an unusual amount for the dog, when food isn’t involved.
- Lack of focus – can’t focus on his guardian or a task, especially for behaviors he knows; can be distractions or a sign of anxiety.
- Sweaty paws – sweat on the dog’s foot pads, usually noticeable from her pawprints; excessive sweat may be due to stress.
- Piloerection or "raised hackles" – the hair on a dog’s neck and spine stands on end (like human goosebumps), making the dog appear bigger and releasing odor from the glands contained in the dog’s hair follicles.
Appeasement and deference
Deference language is designed to appease a perceived threat and avoid conflict. This is crucial for survival. Appeasement language helps deescalate the potentially negative intentions of another animal or human.
Appeasement behavior can sometimes look extremely submissive with the dog lowering his body to appear smaller and less threatening, but this is not always the case. Dogs can show appeasement language even when standing, walking away, or when approaching. Signals include:
- Head bobbing or lowering
- Head turning
- Averting eyes
- Lip licking
- Licking the animal or person
- Ears held back or flattened against the head
- Low tail carriage
- Tail tucked between the legs
- Curved and lowered body
- Submissive grin - dog pulls lips back and shows the front part of the teeth in what looks like a smile, and shows other relaxed signals such as a squinting eye, relaxed ears, relaxed body.
- Rolling on back/showing belly – this is also called a "tap out;" - the dog flips over quickly, exposing his stomach, with ears back and tail tucked between his legs or hugging his body; the dog is not asking for a belly rub, but signaling that he is withdrawing from and is nervous about interaction.
Curious, anticipatory language
Dogs are naturally curious animals and when they are comfortable, will typically show some common language when they are exploring something new or interesting.
- Head cocked to one side or the other, with ears forward
- Ears perked forward
- Front paw lifted
Displacement language
Displacement behaviors help the dog self-calm and refocus attention away from her and onto something else. If a perceived or actual threat approaches and the dog is nervous or uncomfortable, she will often show behaviors that are designed to send a peaceful signal, so any perceived threat understands that she is not threatening. The threat’s attention is diverted onto the behavior the dog is doing, like sniffing the ground or scratching, and not actually the dog herself. Examples of displacement behavior are:
- Sneezing
- Shaking
- Sniffing
- Nose licking
- Yawning
- Spinning
- Scratching the dog’s body or the ground
- Pacing
- Chattering teeth
- Shake off
Defensive and offensive language
When a dog has to defend himself from an actual or perceived threat he might show defensive or offensive language. These behaviors are used to communicate that the dog wants the threat to keep its distance. If the threat does not back away and the dog has nowhere to go, defensive behavior will turn offensive and the dog could bite. These behaviors are usually easier to recognize.
- Body leaning forward
- Closed mouth
- Ears forward
- Corners of the mouth pushed forward
- Growling - without teeth showing
- Growling/snarling - with teeth showing
- Barking
- Lunging or charging forward - the dog might stop and retreat and lunge/charge again, or continue forward.
- Body stiffness or freezing
- High tail carriage - tail held stiffly
- High tail carriage - tail is wagging in short or stiff strokes - a wagging doesn’t always indicate that a dog is happy or relaxed.
- Air snapping - the dog snaps in the air to warn something to back away.
- Piloerection or "raised hackles" – the hair on a dog’s neck and spine stands on end.
- Snapping with skin contact - also a warning to back away.
- Fast nip – an immediate bite and release with bruising or slight wound, telling a threat to back off.
- Deeper bite – a dog that bites with more intensity is intending to harm.
- Bite and hold - intent to hold on.
- Bite, hold, and shake – intent to harm and potentially to kill. Some dogs will bite, hold, shake, and disembowel stuffed toys, simulating the killing of prey; while this is prevalent among dogs with high prey drive, even dogs with low drive can indulge in this behavior. If your dog likes to disembowel stuffed toys, this doesn’t mean she wants to do the same with people or other animals.
- Stiff, high tail
- Hard, staring eyes
Relaxed
There is nothing better than being with a happy dog. The body is fluid and relaxed, the mouth is slightly open with the tongue hanging to the side and all the signals a dog gives off communicate joy, confidence, and a desire to invite play and attention. Other signals include:
- Mouth slightly open, tongue relaxed, possibly lolling to one side.
- Turning over, inviting belly rub – showing trust and enjoying social contact.
- Relaxed facial expression, with ears neutral or back just a little.
- Squinty or blinking eyes.
- Curved or open, outstretched body when moving or relaxing.
- Tail is held in line with the body wagging fast, either side to side or in a round motion like a helicopter.
- Wiggling backside.
- Short body freezes during play - are still considered relaxed if the rest of the body shows relaxed signals.
- Play bow – this signal invites play and tells others that whatever action comes next is still just play.
What does a wagging tail mean?
Tail wagging is a frequently misinterpreted signal. Most people believe that a wagging tail is a clear signal that a dog is happy, but that’s not always the case. A wagging tail is sometimes a sign of a relaxed and happy dog, but dogs also wag their tails when aroused, overstimulated, frustrated, or when they intend to escalate into aggressive behaviors. There are a few other factors you should look at to determine what the tail wag means:
- A confident or aroused dog will hold her tail high in the air. The dog isn’t necessarily stressed, but she isn’t relaxed either. A dog that is holding her tail high but also barking with a defensive or offensive body posture, tense face, and hard-staring eyes is overly aroused and frustrated, and shouldn't be approached.
- A tail that is held low or between the legs signals a lack of confidence, nervousness, or fear.
- A tail that is held high but wagged more slowly means that the dog is assessing a situation and isn’t necessarily relaxed or happy.
- A tail that is extended and curved means that the dog is tense and ready to take offensive or defensive action.
- A tail that wags around and around like a helicopter and is accompanied by relaxed fluid body movement and a wiggling bottom signals friendliness and a willingness to engage.
- Some research has shown that when a dog sees someone they like, her tail wags more to the right. When she sees an unfamiliar person, her tail wags more to the left. Subtle body language like this is easy to miss.
The tail is important for both balance and signaling, which is why the practice of tail docking, or partial removal of a dog’s tail is so harmful. Because the tail is a prime indicator of mood, dogs with docked tails are unable to communicate properly using that part of their body, which means that other dogs and people miss vital signals.
Context of canine body language
One thing to keep in mind is that dog body signals should be read in the context of whatever other body or vocal language the dog is communicating. Similar signals have different meanings in different situations, so the position of the body and other vocal signals will help you understand a dog’s intent and emotional state. For example, if someone holds a treat right in front of a dog, that dog’s ears might perk forward, his mouth might close, and his body could become still because he's focusing on the treat. On the other hand, if a dog is staring at a known fear trigger or neighborhood dog ‘nemesis’ and you see the same stance, you might conclude that the dog is showing some offensive body language.
Considering the dog’s whole body, the environment he's in and any vocalizations he makes, will give you a more complete picture of what he's trying to say.
