Canine Language The key parts of communication. Think of it as their dictionary of words. We are going to look at the main areas of the canine body that they use to communicate and how each can be interpreted. Ears, Eyes, Face/Head, Mouth, Tail, Body Position and Vocalization

Ears: Ear position often reflects the motivation of the dog. They can give very significant signals about the intentions but should be paired with the whole activity of the dog to get a more clear picture of it’s intentions. Dogs with pricked ears are often seen as more expressionate because the movement of the ears is more noticeable. We’ll look at both pricked and floppy eared dogs.

Ears Erect or slightly Forward: Erect ears are an indication of attention, alertness, curiosity, prey/play or an offensive threat. Usually in the context of “What’s that?” ,“This is really interesting.”, “I don’t quite understand” or “I’m gonna get it!” depending on the pairing of signals from the rest of the body. In the case of an offensive threat forward ears are usually paired with a flashing set of teeth!

A.1 Ollie’s ears in this photo are erect, alert and focused directly on the ball I am holding. This is an example of play or prey alertness, think of it as “I’m gonna get it!”

A.2 In this photo Sketch’s ears are erect and focused directly on the person behind the camera making a silly noise. This is an example of curiosity, a “What is that?”.

A.3 In this photo Possum’s ears are erect and focused directly on the cookie. This is an example of focus, “This is interesting”.

A.4 In this photo Art’s ears are forward, alert and pointing towards the ball at my feet. This is an example of attention, “There is the ball, it’s right there”.

A.5 In this photo Triskett’s ears are forward and erect. They are focused directly on another dog. This is an example of alertness as in “Who is that dog!”.

A.6 In this photo Bruiser’s ears are forward and focused on the approaching person. This is an example of an offensive threat, “I am ready to bite you so you better consider your next move carefully.”

Ears pulled back or flat against head: This can be a sign of anxiety, tension, fear, stress, caution or in certain situations and appeasing gesture or submission as in “I am no threat”. In some circumstances a dog can flick it’s ears back and forth from erect to pulled back. This is usually a sign that the dog is assessing the situation.

This is a good example of ears showing stress in a dog. Ollie is stressed and hot, her ears are flattened on her head.

Here is another example of flattened ears but in this case they are showing fear that has turned to aggression. It’s a much different look than the dog in photo A.6 though still not a dog to be messed with.

This photo is a great example of submission and fear “I am no threat, please don’t hurt me.” The shepherds ears are flattened as far as they will go.

In this photo Sketch’s ears are drawn back in a sign of tension and caution. Sketch often gives this signal when approached by another dog. It’s his, “Are you going to be friendly? I am unsure about this situation.”

This photo is an example of appeasement and submission. The dog is being approached by an unknown dog and is reflecting “ I understand you are bigger than me, I am no threat”.

This is a great example of a floppy eared Dane with his ears pulled back. He is showing the just out of the picture that he is no threat to her.

This is also an example of a floppy eared dog showing “I am no threat”.

Eyes There are a few things to consider when we look at dog’s eyes. The direction of the gaze, the pupils, the shape of the eye and the dog’s brow.

Direction of the gaze: The direction of the gaze is one of the most important aspects in canine behavior. Eyes, in humans and most all animals consist of the colored area-the iris, and the sclera-the white part of the eyes. Because of this we can determine the direction of the gaze. Why is this important? Dogs tend to turn their heads to follow their eyes or move in the direction of their eyes, it allows us to see their intentions and where they are focused. Fearful dogs display something called “whale eye” where the dogs eyes are focused on the object they are fearful of but the dogs head and body are frozen in place. This causes the sclera of the eye to become very noticeable like in the eyes of a whale. We most commonly see whale eye in dogs that feel threatened and trapped. This is a good warning sign to back up and give the dog some space. Virtually all animals view direct eye contact or staring as a threat. Dogs especially. Direct eye to eye contact in dogs is a sign that trouble is about to happen. It can be used as an expression of dominance, a threat or an on coming fight. This is not to say that your dog sitting next to you while you eat dinner, staring at your with those dog eyes is threatening you BUT they are trying to control the situation. Some dogs, for instance herding breeds use eye contact to threaten and move the large animals they are herding. Just as eye contact is threatening the aversion of eye contact is seen as a submissive gesture or appeasement. Dogs will often avert their gaze when approaching one another to say “No threat here, I don’t want any trouble.” We call this a “look away”, it can be seen in a multitude of situations. Your dog may stare at you while you are watching TV and then when you turn and look at them they casually glance the other way or look at the floor.

The Pupils: The pupils were created to expand and contract to control the amount of light let into the eye. In bright sunlight the pupils will contract and in the dark they will expand. They also communicate a great deal about the emotional state of a dog. Large pupils show intense emotions such as fear, excitement or interest. Smaller pupils often are signs of relaxation, drowsiness and boredom. In cases of anger or aggression in dogs the pupils become smaller and then enlarge to almost the size of the iris. Because some dogs have dark colored eyes it can be difficult to see the pupil so we must rely on the areas of the eye to determine the dogs state of mind.

The shape of the eye: The shape or outline of a dog’s eye is one of the easiest things to see when it comes to their eyes. It also expresses strong emotions. The wider or more open the eye the more angry or threatening the dog. The more smaller, closed or narrow the eye the more submissive, fearful or pacifying the gesture in canine language.

A dog’s brow: Dogs don’t have eyebrows as humans do but some dogs do have distinct color markings along the brow to make it more noticeable. Solid colored dogs without such markings tend to have fur patterns that create a shadow like appearance which distinguishes the brow of the dog. Dogs use their eyebrows very similarly to humans. When dogs become angry the area between the brows contracts and the brows angle downwards. The hair will also raise up to give a more “human-like” look of the eye brows. When a dog is fearful or being submissive the brows are pulled upward in the center and the outside ends are pulled down and out toward the temples. The fur lays flat so this is not as easy to see as an angry dog’s eyebrow movement. Dogs also use their eyebrows to show confusion or concentration, by pulling their brows together and down without any angles. They can even show surprise as humans do by moving their brows up and outward. Ok let’s look at all of these pieces together.

Face & Mouth When looking at a dog’s face it is comprised predominantly of the muzzle or mouth area. A dog’s facial expressions regarding the mouth has many similarities to that of a human expression, however, dog’s lack the ability to consciously move their facial muscles so their expressions are more limited. The key areas to look at are the lips, tongue, teeth and area just about the dog’s nose on the muzzle. The shape of a dog’s mouth signals basic information such as anger, dominance, aggression, fear, interest, attention or relaxation. Mouth relaxed, slightly open; tongue visible and relaxed- This is the sign of a happy, content dog. It’s very close to a human smile. The lips are relaxed, mouth is slightly opened and the tongue is visible or laying just outside the dogs mouth.

Art is one Happy Dog! Possum happy and alert!

Mouth closed, relaxed lips, no teeth or tongue visible- Just simply closing the mouth changes a dog’s expression completely. A closed mouth with relaxed lips indicates attention or interest in something. This is often paired with head turning toward the object and ear movement as we discussed previously. It can be understood as “What’s that over there?”, “This is interesting.” or in Art’s case in the picture below “There is the ball.”

Art’s attention focused on the ball. Sketch is showing is the “What’s that?”

Mouth closed, tight lips, no teeth or tongue visible- This is a good indicator that the dog is about to give you a warning. Tightened lips are often paired with or followed by a low growl or an exhale of air that will puff the dogs cheeks up a bit.. If you watch closely you can see this action. This is a preliminary aggressive signal and a good sign to back away from the dog.

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Lips curled to expose some teeth, mouth closed- Here is your warning! This is usually what proceeds the above signals whether towards human or another dog. This is where the dog is either annoyed or threatened and is giving a clear signal that if further approach or interaction is not appreciated. Most people and dogs see understand this signal and will back away from the dog, which is the right thing to do!

Lips curled to expose major teeth, mouth partly open, wrinkles about the nose- This is an increased warning sign. It’s the dog’s way of telling us “if you move any closer or do anything I view as a threat I will bite you!” It’s a good indication that if you approach or push this dog any further it will lead to an attack.

Lips curled to expose all teeth and gums above front teeth, mouth open and visible wrinkles above the nose- This is your last warning that an attack not only possible but may happen at any minute. It’s the dogs way of saying “Back off or else!”.

Tail: Dogs use their tails to emphasize the other signals given by the face and body. Because dogs have different types of tails, docked, natural, fluffy etc., sometimes the meanings can be misconstrued so it is best to take a look at the full message a dog is sending especially for those with docked tails. The things we look for in tail communication are position, shape and movement.

Tail Position: Because tail position can have multiple components it is important to read all of these when assessing what the dog is communicating. Tail horizontal, pointing away from the body, relaxed- This is a sign of attention. There is no threat, the dog is simply assessing the situation. -bonanza Tail horizontal, straight out, pointing away from the body, stiff- A stiff tail has some underlying aggression or tenseness to the situation, this is commonly seen when a dog meets a stranger or another dog and in dogs competing for a resource. The dogs are sizing up the situation and it will usually resolve with no aggression.

-ridgeback Tail up in between a horizontal and vertical position- This is a sign of a confident or dominant dog. If the tail is stiff the dog is asserting himself in a “I’m boss around here, I’ll prove it!” attitude. This is seen mainly in dog-dog interactions, the dogs does not feel challenged but is anticipating it. Removing the stiffness of the tail and moving the tip slightly forward shows signs of confidence. -mix Tail up and slightly curved over the back- A sign that the dog feels it is in total control of the situation and has no doubts about it. When a dog holds its tail in this position there is no challenge expected. This is seen in dominant, confident dogs in a group setting.

-ollie Tail held just below horizontal but not touching the dogs legs, occasionally swishing back and forth- This shows a relaxed dog with no immediate concerns. -golden Tail down, near hind legs- This signal has multiple meanings depending on the dog’s body position. If the tail is down yet still relaxed and wagging it can mean the dog is generally not feeling too great, whether painful or ill or just sad. If the tail is down and the dog’s rear end is lowered this shows insecurity whether because of a new situation, unfamiliar environment or simply because it anticipates a separation from it’s owner or family.

-chimix Tail tucked between legs- This is a tell-tail sign of fear and submission in dogs (sorry for the pun) because of this can also be an appeasement gesture in greetings. Extremely fearful dog will tuck their tails as high as they can where are dogs that are showing submission or appeasement to another more confident of dominant dog will tuck and occasionally wag the tail while it’s tucked between their legs.

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Tail Movement: Movements of the tail can add additional meanings to the other signals a dog is conveying, whether through the tail, body or vocalization.

Fast tail wag- A fast wagging tail is a sign of excitement or tension. The general rule is the faster the wag the higher the level of excitement. The size of the wag indicates whether the excitement is positive or negative.

Slight tail wag, small movements- This is usually seen during greetings with humans. It can be interpreted as “hello there” or “I’m here”. I often get this wag from my dogs when I look over at them while I’m working at my desk. It’s a kind of “Hi you’re looking at me, are we gonna do something?”

Broad tail wag- This is the friendly, happy tail wag.

Broad tail wag, large wide movements that swing hips- This tail wag is pretty complex. Though it looks like the happiest of tail wags it is actually more of a sign of respect, compliance and pacification. It’s most commonly seen when dogs greet their owners after a long absence.

Slow tail wag, with tail at half mast- When a dog’s tail is held neither high or low and has a slow wag; it is a sign that the dog is generally unsure what to do next. It’s a “thinking” wag. Once the dog figures out whatever it is the wag movement and position usually change.

Body: The general rule when it comes to language and position is the high the body is held the more confident the dog, the lower the body the more fearful or insecure.

Stiff legged, upright posture or slow stiff legged movement forward- This is a sign of a confident, dominant dog. This posture says “I’m in charge and I will prove it!”. It can also be viewed as a challenge to another dog.

Body slightly sloped forward, feet braced- This is a sign that aggression is more than likely about to take place. It’s an indicator that the dog is ready for action and will fight to prove it’s point. This posture is usually seen after a stiff legged upright posture of assertion when both dogs are unwilling to back down.

Hair raised on back of shoulders and neck- Piloerection or when a dog’s hair stands up on the back, top of the shoulders and neck is a good indicator of arousal. It is actually the human equivalent of goose bumps. The adrenaline reaction in the dog's body when it’s in a state of uncertainty or fear causes the hair to stand up. This can be an indicator or aggression or just hyper arousal and awareness to the situation at hand.

Lowering body or cringing while looking upward- This is a clear submissive gesture. The dog positions its body low to show it is not posing a threat and wants no trouble.

Dog sits when approached by another dog- This gesture is caused by an interesting combination of signals. Two confident and usually dominant dogs meet and assess each other one eventually submits but does not want to show total submission. So the dog sits and allows the other dog to sniff him.

Dog rolls on side or back and exposes underbelly- This is an example of complete submission and pacification. The dog has put itself in no position to act aggressively. It is important to note th

Expressions of Emotions: Dogs use their ears, faces, mouths, tails and bodies, either independently or in combination, to convey messages to each other and to humans. Each of these can help us to understand the underlying emotional state of the dog.Here are some basic emotional states that dogs convey by using the combination of their key areas of body language that we have previously ldiscussed.

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In Our Words: Interpreting canine visual signals into human language meanings. The emotional state of a dog in combination with the circumstances and situations a dog is presented with can give us a pretty accurate interpretation of what the may be “thinking” or trying to “say” to another dog or human. Here is an interesting translation chart of of what dog’s may be saying in our words with the condition and/or emotion associated. Think of it as a Canine-English Dictionary.