Canine Body Language 101: Approaching a Nervous Dog

So far in this series we’ve focused on dog body language with the intention of us better reading our dog’s body language. However, allowing a dog to read OUR body signals is just as important. We stress this strongly to our new employees at Pet U - learn to read a dog’s body language so that you can respond appropriately and gain the dog’s trust. If a dog is cowering in the corner, would you treat him the same as a relaxed, happy pup running around the play group? No, not at all.

This concept can be as simple as comparing it to meeting a child for the first time. What is the first thing you do? Crouch down and get on their level, right? We want to make ourselves seem non threatening and friendly, so we make ourselves as small as possible. Then, we let the child approach us first. Some kids are more nervous than others, and hide their face in their parents legs. Others are more outgoing and will immediately warm up to a friendly stranger.

Dogs are no different. Some will come bounding toward you and shower you with kisses. Others will hide behind their owner’s legs, and others will snap and bark aggressively at strangers.

Here is a rule of thumb for meeting a new dog: If he is making an effort to look either small and harmless (tail tucked, ears pulled back, looking away from you) or big and mean (ears pricked forward, tail straight up, hair raised along back), ignore him. Not all dogs should be approached, especially if they don’t make a move to approach you first.

Our natural instinct is to approach a dog head on, staring down at him, and lowering a hand to pat his head. However, all of this portrays dominant body language in the canine world, and can make a dog feel immediately threatened - dogs who are already anxious will pull farther away, and dogs who have aggressive tendencies might snap unexpectedly.

Take your cue from the owner - wait until he gives you the go-ahead, and then display this body language instead:

1. stop a few feet away
2. crouch down
3. turn your body perpendicular to the dog
4. don’t make eye contact
5. leave your hand down by your side, don't reach out to him

This brings you down to his level, and allows him to check you out as he feels comfortable. Let the dog approach you and sniff at his own pace. If he stays away and maintains his nervous body language, don’t push it. If he does come up to you, check that his posture is relaxed, and wait for him to ask for your attention.

For more tips on reading a dog's body language, visit THIS post on body posture.

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Canine Body Language 101: "But He Was Wagging His Tail!"

The movement of a dog’s tail is a dead giveaway to their mood, if you know how to read it.

A wagging tale = a happy dog, right? Usually, but not always!

First, check the height of the tail. An upright tail, if wagging steadily, indicates happiness or excitement. When the wagging slows down but stays upright, it takes on a more dominant tone, meaning "stay back" or "I'm in charge". A tail that is tucked close to the body indicates stress and unease. A relaxed tail at the middle height means the dog is content. These signs are harder to notice for dogs with docked tails, but you can still look at the base of the tail to give you some indication.

Content, happy tail

• wagging back and forth excitedly
• body posture is relaxed OR shaking with excitement
• play bow + wagging tail
• possible addition of ‘butt wiggles’
• It’s hard to incorrectly identify a truly happy tail wag!

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Unhappy tail

• tucked between legs

• limp or lifeless
• clamped against legs to protect himself from a sniffing dog
• - if your dog exhibits any of these signs he’s telling you he’s uncomfortable. Try to distract him from whatever is causing him distress. DO NOT bend down to comfort him as you would with a kid. Instead, try calling him using lots of excitement and energy and confidently lead him in a different direction. You want to distract him from the source of discomfort. By going down to his level to comfort him you are essentially rewarding him for showing fear.

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When would you not approach a dog who is wagging his tail?

• Ears are straight up and tensed
• Neck is elongated and head is tall, giving off a confident appearance
• Body posture is still
• Tail is straight up and slowly wagging back and forth OR is completely stiff
• The stiffer the tail is, the more caution you should take
• This is a dog who is alert, on guard and could possibly attack. If you see this body language between 2 dogs, walk in between them and force them to walk away from each other. By making them move, you instantly decrease the tension and divert their attention. If you are approaching a dog who is giving you this type of body language, leave him alone, and wait for his body language to relax.

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There is also new information that dogs use the direction of the tail wag to communicate as well! An article in the Washington Post describes a study where researchers hooked dogs up to heart rate monitors and had them watch videos of dogs wagging their tail to either the right or left side. Read the full article here!

Their results?

When watching a dog wag their tail to the right, they stayed calm and some even tried to approach the TV screen. But when they saw dogs wag their tail to the left, they got stressed out.

This is a little more work than I would like to do, but it can’t hurt to know!

Canine Body Language 101: The Submissive Smile

What is your first thought when you see this picture? 

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Now, stop and look at it for a minute. Notice how his ears are drooped and relaxed, eyes are round, and his posture is relaxed into his owners arms. This dog isn't being aggressive, he's showing the submissive smile!

It's easy to tell when a dog is happy: ears up, tail wagging, relaxed pose, and possibly lots of wet, slobbery kisses. You wouldn't think you could confuse a happy dog with an aggressive dog, right? However, one signal that most probably aren't familiar with is called the 'submissive smile'. The display could easily be mistaken for aggression, if you're not familiar with the signs.  I myself had never heard of this until just a few days ago!

The submissive smile is one way a dog will display that it means no harm, and that it is showing deference to a person, or more dominant dog. You could relate it to the E.T. movie line of "I come in peace."

Some tell-tale signs you can look for include:

• raised paw
• laid back ears
• lips pulled back loosely above the teeth
• eyes glancing off to the side
• relaxed posture

(The smile can also be done in an overly-exaggerated, excited motion.)

Watch this video of Denver, the guilty dog, and watch out at 1:18 to see his submissive smile!

Canine Body Language 101: Why Do We Bother?

A successful relationship between you and your canine is based on the promise of a mutual understanding. Your dog promises to love you unconditionally, and in return, you promise to protect him and give him a happy life.

So, how exactly do we follow through with our promise?

As a dog lover and owner, you know that dogs are very expressive animals. They can express happiness, fear, anxiety, dominance, playfulness, sadness and more, just with a flick of the tail or the position of their ears. Not knowing how to read those signals correctly can greatly affect the relationship between the two of you.  One of our focuses here at Pet U is to educate both our staff and our clients on canine body language.

Why do we bother?

It’s cold outside, but my dog is still panting. Why?

How do you distinguish an alert, playful dog from one who is about to attack?

What are the signs of a stressed, anxious dog?

What signals tell you that the puppy is about to poop inside?

How can you tell when safe play starts to escalate?

When is it okay to pet that stranger’s dog on the sidewalk?

All of our employees at Pet U learn to recognize signs like these quickly, so as to safely manage our playgroups. We teach them how to prevent conflicts before they start, when to break up play, and how to redirect excessive energy. Pet U employees are able to prevent any possible issues quickly and effectively. Our trainers have rehabilitated dozens of fearful, unsocialized dogs just by recognizing their body language and showing them how to overcome their anxiety.

Over the next few months on this blog, we’ll go over the many different body signals and cues that you can look for. Consider this a mini-course in talking dog. You’ve always wanted to know what they’re thinking right?

Stay tuned!