The Body Language of Dogs

Copyright by Emmanuel_D.Photography

Many people are surprised when they hear me analyze the body language of dog or other animal in my presence.  Being astute to human behavior, I am keenly aware of animal behavior as well.

All animals communicate information.  Humans are certainly not an exception and movements by all species reveal key information, if we pay attention.

If you watch an unfamiliar dog walking down the road, his or her body language will convey if the dog is happy and feeling safe, or if they are in a bad situation.   Those of you who have pets and pay close attention will know a lot of what I am saying, if you’ve given it some thought.

The biggest indicators of happiness and confidence are seen in the tail and ears.  A tail is actually like a barometer for a dog.  The higher up it is (when it is natural for a dog to be held upward), say perched on its back, is a strong indication of confidence and happiness.  A dog that feels threatened or unsafe will drop his tail, hang it low or in the worst of situations will put it between it’s legs.

A happy dog will also have its ears attentive and forward–listening and engaged, whereas a dog under the command of a controlling or dominant person will typically have not only their tail down but their ears too. And their ears may move around frequently, constantly assessing the situation because they feel insecure.

Happy dogs will often bounce in their gate.  You may even call it a gallop. Whereas an insecure dog will walk with hesitation, may show tension, or an extremely sloppy, hunched over (“I’ve given up”) gait. They may show fear and concern, and may constantly look to their owner to please them and for reassurance.

You must always consider if the dog is sick or convalescing, and in that case, I give a glance to the owner.  Is the leash taunt and tight and is there an unnecessary tension in the owner’s body language?  That doesn’t support sickness. If, instead, I see an owner who is relaxed and casual and carefree, that could support a dog is not in good health.

I have actually raised a very insecure dog who I believe lost trust of humans.  She always hung her tail down.  I used to pet her, talk reassuringly to her and in the process I’d scoop up her sagging tail and say “Tail up!” in a very upbeat happy voice.     When her tail was in that position, you could see a natural boost of confidence come over her.   And while at first, she didn’t keep it up, over time she slowly would build confidence when the tail went up.  I continued to teach her–signaling to her that all was good–we were safe when I said “Tail up.”   You can never force an animal to do anything, but with encouragement you can even build confidence in a dog using their own natural body language signals.