I have always been an observer. I was shy and quiet as a kid, so I would just sit and watch, and analyze people and situations. Little did I know this would turn into a useful skill I would later utilize in my dog training career.
By simply observing, I can tell a lot about a dog in just a few seconds. For me, it is an innate ability and the tool I use most in dog training—reading dogs.
Dogs are non-verbal, sure they growl and bark, but they communicate primarily through body language. Sometimes the signs are subtle and sometimes they are obvious, but dogs are always communicating. If we do not know how to speak their language, we can miss clear communication and sometimes this can end up in a bad situation that could have been prevented.
Just like people, dogs come with all types of personalities or temperaments; happy–go–lucky, fearful, shy, hyper, reactive or aggressive. You could have two dogs from the same litter and have two very different temperaments.
Dogs who are fearful and shy may end up becoming reactive to protect themselves, simply because their owners missed their cues and put them in a situation that caused them to feel the need to react. Reactivity is just your dog reacting to a situation usually out of fear, but the reaction is most often an undesired behaviour such as barking, lunging or sometimes even biting. People are then surprised by their dog’s poor reaction saying, “He’s never done that before!” or “I don’t know why that happened.” Your dog was sending loud and clear signals to communicate their discomfort and because you missed them—they did the only thing they could to feel safe—react defensively, barking, lunging or biting.
Every dog owner should learn to read their dog’s body language so they can make sure they understand this communication and are doing right by their dog. A fearful dog does not want to go to the crowded public event, or to the dog park.
A hyper dog should also not go to these places until you have control over them and do things to help them reduce their hyper-aroused state (mental stimulation is better than physical exercise for easily aroused or anxious dogs).
A happy–go-lucky dog could go most places, but you still need to look for signs it may be uneasy about something.
An aggressive or reactive dog needs to be properly exposed to safe environments, and you must be able to read your dog and prevent it from reaching its threshold; the trigger point at which he sees something and has no reaction vs. the point where he does react. An example would be how close another dog must be before your dog will react to it.
Reading a dog’s body language allows the dog to be heard. We can then help the dog feel safe, prevent incidents from happening and allow our dog to trust us—their handler—to have their back.
Obvious Signs:
Tail
• Relaxed = Calm
• Tucked = Fear
• High or Erect = Aroused/excited
• Wagging = Happy/frustrated/overstimulated
Eyes
• Relaxed/blinking = Calm
• Starring = Manipulation or Dominance
• Whale eye (showing the whites of the eye) = Tension
• Furrowed Brow = Nervous/tension
Body posture
• Cowering = Fear
• Upright = Alert
• Forward lean = Fight/launch/lunge (rigid)
• Bow = Play invitation
Ears
• Erect = Alert
• Down = Relaxed
• Pressed Back = Fear/uncertainty
Mouth
• Open = Relaxed
• Closed/Tense = Displeasure
• Lip Licking =Stress
Subtle Signs:
Yawn
Sniffing
Shake off (like shaking off excess water)
Leg lift/sweaty paws
There are variations to some of these body language cues and there are many more you can pick up on. The key is to observe your dog and get to know their cues, so you can successfully help your dog deal with or remove them from a situation when they are feeling uncomfortable.
Dogs are emotional beings but their only way to indicate these emotions is to show us. Take a few moments over the next few days and watch your dog’s body while they are doing different activities—playing with toys or other dogs; on walks; while passing people, dogs, traffic; when a family member arrives home—and see if you can tell what emotions your dog is displaying through their body language.
