Money can buy a lot of things, but it doesn’t wiggle its butt every time you come in the door. Ohh yes, I am talking about my DOG here. If you are a dog owner, you surely understand how it feels to be welcomed by your dog every day when you return home from a hectic day. Sometimes I apologize to my dog for going out (I do). Once someone told me that “the greatest fear dog knows is the fear that you will not come back when you go out the door without them” and I can’t stop thinking about it whenever I leave for work. Back to the time when I brought my dog in the house, in the beginning, I used to think “wish my dog could talk or reply to me” but the more time I spend time with him I started understanding his language &moods, it just not gifted with a speech that it does not communicate. Without words, the dog has its way of communicating with you. This ability to communicate with humans makes them more social and good companions than ever. The dog’s mood whether they feel angry, anxious, fearful, happy, focused, relieved, or neutral their body language habits can let us know about whatever they want to tell us. You just have to understand your dog’s language. Here I am going to share with y’all the meaning of your dog’s movements and what they’re up to when they’re acting in a certain way. Keeping it quite simple, I’ll share all the things which I learned in the last few years of parenting (yes, my friends call me my dog parent, not an owner).
Eyes:
Let’s start with the eyes because the eyes don’t lie, Chico! Whenever my dog avoids making eye contact with me I quickly understand that there’s something anxious & I try my best to sort that out. Just looking into his eyes helps me understand more of his mood, his soft eyes tell me how relaxed and happy he is and his hard eyes alarm me about his negative state of mind. Also, never assume your dog is ignoring you when he avoids making eye contact as it’s one of the ways of expressing discomfort.
Ears:
Observe the ears as it will let you know another mood of your lovely dog. Leaning forward, your dog’s ears mean he’s rather attentive. The more they tilt forward, the more your dog is reassured and confident as they are trying to listen to a specific around. He feels confident or in a situation that he is in control of. It can also be a sign of aggressiveness, of challenge. If he sticks his teeth out, beware, he might be about to take action, also flattened ears are a sign that he is feeling frightened or submissive.
Tail:
The position is also a way to know his moods as the amplitude of your dog’s tail swing will also determine his emotional state. You will be able to define his excitement or his relative calm. This sway can find its share of explanation in the meaning of anxiety, stress, or simply the friendship of your dog. If your dog wags his tail, it can have several meanings; he can be scared, worried, and out of control. If its tail will tend to sink between its hind legs, it means fear. If your dog’s tail is high, he shows his superiority, his domination. And when a dog diffuses his scent, in this case, the tail will sway. And I have heard people saying when a dog’s tail wags to the right side more it’s a positive feeling sign and when it wags to the left that is a negative sign. A wagging tail also shows that your dog wants nothing but to play with you.
Lick:
Your dog may lick to show his social connection. He may also come and lick your face when he feels stressed, anxious. He wants to comfort you, to help you. Moreover, this condition can be a sign of licking anywhere on your body: hands, legs, arms…
Voice:
The growl: It is a warning sign and he can growl for many reasons: he demarcates his territory and forbids the other to enter it; he has taken possession of a toy or his bowl and sees the other as a threat. We must try to understand the unease expressed by our dog. A growl expresses fear, dread, incomprehension and mostly it is to express pain.
Barking: This is surely your dog’s preferred method of communicating. Barking has several meanings depending on its tone and frequency. The excitation and joy correspond to bark more acutely. If your dog is aggressive or threatening, then it will use a bark deafer to intimidate. My dog sometimes barks because he is bored (yours may also do so to show boredom). Usually, your dog will bark for attention. It is also a way to respond to another dog and therefore to create a social bond. It may also be a question indicating a problem. The goal is always the same, to communicate.
The moan: Like barking, it is a means of expression for your dog. The moaning comes from many factors such as stress, boredom, loneliness, excitement, or even frustration. Sometimes, the dog whines to get your attention. This is a distress signal to be taken seriously. We must try to identify the origin of this complaint. If you touch him and he moans, then you must not be far from the place that is causing him pain. In this case, take him to your vet immediately.
The howling: Your dog may be made to howl like a wolf. It is above all a means of communication, even if dogs, domesticated, only occasionally use this means. Indeed, you bring him everything your dog needs. Certain breeds, like the Husky, the Beagle, or the Cocker Spaniel, are more inclined to howl than others. Like the wolf, a howl can be the sign of a desire to exchange with its congeners (a bit like a phone call) or to express its distress.
Overall Body Movement & Posture:
Apart from above all that you have just read, here I am going to tell you a few things which I learned while growing up with my dog as it helped me a lot to understand his moods and made our bond strong. So, if your dog is looking away, sniffing, scratching, lying down, or showing any other avoidance behaviors, it may indicate that his play session is over. If he seems stiff, keeps moving away, or moves slowly then he is just not in the mood to interact with his playful dog. Because when it comes to initiating play, dogs often start with a play bow and generally follow up with exaggerated facial and body movements; his body movement will be loose and wiggly. When a dog’s body looks tense with weight either centered or over all four feet or leaning slightly forward onto the front legs means his mood is aggressive as he’ll look large with head raised above his shoulders. And when he’s afraid he may lean away, lean back, tremble, lower his body or head, or roll onto his side or back and in an extreme fearful mood he may freeze completely or frantically try to escape, and he may urinate or defecate when approached. Let me also mention that a wrinkled muzzle, a short lip, and a hard eye are also to display aggressive behavior.
All you have to do is to spend time with your dog as they do speak but only with those who know how to listen. Play games with him, two of you will have fun meanwhile, try talking to him in different tones and observing his actions & behavior in a particular tone or things, this will help you to teach him specific things and know what he understands better, call it your secret language. As Thom Jones said, “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, and filling an emptiness we didn’t even know we had”
Take care of your dog(s) and remember:
