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Canine Body Language Print this Page

Dogs are very expressive animals. They communicate when they’re feeling happy, sad,
nervous, fearful and angry, and they use their faces and bodies to convey much of this
information. Dog body language is an elaborate and sophisticated system of nonverbal
communication that, fortunately, we can learn to recognize and interpret. Once you learn
how to “read” a dog’s postures and signals, you’ll better understand his feelings and
motivations and be better able to predict what he’s likely to do. These skills will enable
you to interact with dogs with greater enjoyment and safety.

It helps to first learn about the various components that make up dog body language.
Dogs use facial expressions, ear set, tail carriage and overall demeanor to signal their
intentions and feelings to others. Breaking their body language down into components is
helpful at first for building your observation and interpretation skills. Your goal, however,
is to be able to observe the entire dog and the situation or context he’s in, in order to
accurately determine what he’s trying to say. It’s not possible to understand your dog’s
feelings and intentions by looking at just one aspect of his body language.

Dog Faces
Even though dogs’ faces and heads come in many shapes and sizes, your dog’s basic
facial expressions can tell you a great deal about how he’s feeling.

The Eyes
Your dog can, within limits, vary the shape and size of his eyes or the direction and
intensity of his gaze. When your dog is relaxed and happy, his eyes will be their normal
shape. Some dogs have round eyes, while others are more almond-shaped. Eyes that
appear larger than normal usually indicate that a dog is feeling threatened in some way.
He may be stressed by something or he may be frightened. An aggressive dog is also
likely to have eyes that look larger than normal. If your dog’s eyes seem smaller than
they usually are, this can also mean he’s feeling frightened or stressed. Dogs who are in
pain or not feeling well often look as though they’re squinting their eyes. Dogs who
submissively grin (see below) may also squint their eyes.

The direction of your dog’s gaze can also be

telling. Dogs rarely look directly into each
other’s eyes because this is considered
threatening behavior. Yet most dogs learn
that it’s okay, even pleasant, to look directly
at people. A dog who looks at you with a
relaxed facial expression is being friendly
and hoping that you’ll notice him. A dog who
looks directly at you, actually staring at you
with a tense facial expression, is another
matter indeed. A direct stare is much more
likely to be a threat, and if you’re in close
proximity to such a dog, it’s wise to slowly
look away. Looking away is what dogs do
when they don’t want to appear threatening.
A dog who averts his gaze when you look at him is signalling that he’s submissive. It can
also indicate that he’s worried about interacting with you. Maybe he’s been scared of
people in the past, and so he isn’t very confident about dealing with people now.

If your dog doesn’t look directly at you, but instead looks out of the corners of his eyes so
that you see a good deal of the whites of his eyes (the sclera), he might be leading up to
an aggressive outburst. Known as “whale eye” this is often seen when a dog is guarding
a chew bone, toy or favorite spot. It’s different than the eye of a dog who, for instance, is
resting with his head and opens his eyes to give you a sideways glance. In this case, he
won’t appear rigid or tense, and you won’t see much of the whites of his eyes.

The Mouth
Dogs do a lot more with their mouths than
just eat and drink. Even though they can’t
use their mouths to talk, the way they
position their lips, jaws and teeth speaks
volumes. When your dog is relaxed and
happy, he’s likely to have his mouth closed
or slightly opened. If his mouth is open, he
may be panting—this is how dogs cool their
bodies. You might see his teeth because his
mouth is slightly opened.

A dog who’s frightened or feeling submissive

probably has his mouth closed. His lips
might be pulled back slightly at the corners.
He might flick his tongue in and out, or he
might lick if he’s interacting with a person or another animal. When he’s feeling uptight,
he might yawn in an exaggerated fashion.

Some dogs show a “submissive grin” when they’re

feeling extremely submissive. They pull their lips up
vertically and display their front teeth (canines and
incisors). This signal is almost always accompanied

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How To Read Your Dog's Body Language

Body Language Basics
By Stanley Coren | Illustrations by Emma Trithart

What is your dog trying to tell you? Dogs have a language that allows them to
communicate their emotional state and their intentions to others around them.
Although dogs do use sounds and signals, much of the information that they
send is through their body language, specifically their facial expressions and
body postures.
Understanding what your dog is saying can give you a lot of useful information,
such as when your dog is spooked and nervous about what is going on, or
when your dog is edgy and might be ready to snap at someone. You do have
to look at the dog's face and his whole body.
To help you, I have created a sort of visual version of a Berlitz phrase book to
allow you to interpret the eight most important messages your dog is sending
to you.
1. Relaxed Approachable

This dog is relaxed and reasonably content. Such a dog is unconcerned and
unthreatened by any activities going on in his immediate environment and is
usually approachable.
2. Alert- Checking Things Out

If the dog has detected something of interest, or something unknown, these

signals communicate that he is now alert and paying attention while he is
assessing the situation to determine if there is any threat or if any action
should be taken.
3. Dominant Aggressive

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This is a very dominant and confident animal. Here he is not only expressing
his social dominance, but is also threatening that he will act aggressively if he
is challenged.
4. Fearful and Aggressive

This dog is frightened but is not submissive and may attack if pressed. A dog
will generally give these signals when he is directly facing the individual who is
threatening him.
5. Stressed and Distressed

This dog is under either social or environmental stress. These signals,

however, are a general "broadcast" of his state of mind and are not being
specifically addressed to any other individual.
6. Fearful and Worried

This dog is somewhat fearful and is offering signs of submission. These signals
are designed to pacify the individual who is of higher social status or whom the
dog sees as potentially threatening, in order to avoid any further challenges

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dog sees as potentially threatening, in order to avoid any further challenges

and prevent conflict.
7. Extreme Fear- Total Submission

This dog is indicating total surrender and submission. He is trying to say that
he accepts his lower status by groveling before a higher ranking or threatening
individual in the hopes of avoiding a physical confrontation.
8. Playfulness

Here we have the basic invitation to play. It may be accompanied by excited

barking or playful attacks and retreats. This set of signals may be used as a
sort of "punctuation mark" to indicate that any previous rough behaviour was
not meant as a threat or challenge.

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