Dog Body Language and Behavior

Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language/Behavior:

One of the most important skills to develop is the ability to read your dog’s individual behaviors and body language. Dogs will communicate how they are feeling through their behavior. The better we are at noticing their signals, the more accurate and efficient we can be at training.

It’s important to read your dog’s whole body language and context rather than only look at one aspect, for example, a tail wag, because the signals can mean multiple different things, and sometimes dogs display very subtle differences with their bodies.

First, notice how your dog acts when happy, and when relaxed - the baseline, typical behavior. By observing these signals, we can then compare them to when your dog is distressed.

Potential Anxiety Indicators:

Note: each dog is an individual and will have his/her own behavioral characteristics and body language for communication.

• Avoiding eye contact

• Barking/Howling/Whining

• Trembling/Shaking

• Clinging to owner

• Nose licking

• Defecation

• Urination/Dribbling

• Escaping

• Furrowed brows

• Freezing or walking slowly

• Ears lowered/Flattened

• Growling/Aggression

• Whale Eye (extra white part of eye showing) or staring

• Mouth pursed forward

• Overly excited whiskers

• Nipping out of context

• Startling easily at changes/noises

• Self mutilation

• Hiding

• Decreased/Increased eating

• Hyper-salivation

• Hyper-vigilance

• Panting

• Piloerection (raised hair - hackles)

• Rigid or forward stance

• Destruction/door scratching

• Anal sac expression

• Increased heart rate

• Blinking or squinting

• Increased grooming

• Cowering

• Yawning

• Increased activity (pacing)

• Dilated pupils

• Lifting paws

• Lip licking

• Repetitive behaviors

• Increased reactivity

• Mouth closed tightly/pulled back