Humans rely on words to get their point across and understand others, but dogs rely mostly on body language to send and receive messages. Today, we’ll cover happy, alert, and playful postures. In the next blog post, we’ll cover body language that shows a dog is feeling threatened or aggressive.
Happy Dog
A happy, relaxed pup has ears up, a head held high, a loose stance with weight flat on all four feet, and a tail that’s down and at ease. A dog in this posture doesn’t feel threatened or concerned—she’s just hanging out and is probably approachable. When Fido is chilling, it’s okay to pet her or let a friend slowly approach to be introduced. Just keep an eye on her body language to make sure she stays comfortable.
Alert Dog
An alert dog’s mouth is closed and eyes are wider to take in what’s going on. Ears are pointed forward and may twitch with tension as they try to listen to something of interest. The tail is horizontal but not bristled or stiff, and it may move from side to side. The dog’s weight is leaning forward and she is standing tall as she decides what to think about whatever has caught her attention. Does she detect a threat, or does she need to take action? When you observe your dog in this posture, try to understand what has her attention and soothe her accordingly. (“It’s okay, Banjo, that noise is the dishwasher,” or “Don’t worry, Banjo, that school bus is big but you don’t have to be afraid of it.”) If your dog tends to be on the nervous side, consider trying music therapy at home—according to this article in Psychology Today, certain tunes may soothe stressed pooches.
Playful Dog
When Fido is ready for some playtime action, her tail will be up and may wave back and forth, and she’ll crouch with her hindquarters raised as if she’s ready to pounce. Her ears will be up, pupils dilated and mouth open with a flopping tongue. This posture is an open invitation to play, and she may break it up with brief bounces, play-attacks and retreats to show she’s not trying to be rough or threatening. When Fido takes on this posture, it’s time to grab the ball and get ready to have fun.
Individual dogs can display different body language traits and quirks, so if you ever have a question about what Fido is trying to tell you, LazyPaw Animal Hospitals is here to help.