Sometimes it strikes many of us how smart our dogs can be. This is expressed in their behavior, and in their habits, and much more. Sometimes it seems they understand us. But do we know them well? How to understand the language of dogs? What do these or other non-verbal signals from a pet mean? What does it mean if a dog presses its ears or wags its tail? We will consider all this in the article.
The non-verbal language of dogs has been formed for thousands of years inside a purely dog collective as a means of communication. Therefore, any condition of a dog these days can be very easily determined by its behavior, body language and other non-verbal signals, which our four-legged pets show not only among themselves, but also in the human family. Very many signs of conditions can be easily understood thanks to a translator from a canine language.
Satisfaction
Satisfaction is the most common condition of a dog. All parts of the body are relaxed, ears are not flattened. The dog does not behave in any unusual way. The mouth is closed or open to breathing.
Often a dog wags its tail when it feels calm, or it keeps its tail in the usual position. It all depends on the breed.
Aggression
Aggressive dog becomes very dangerous. There are signs of aggression in the fact that the dog begins to growl, teeth bared, takes a position, as if about to prepare to attack, pushing his ears and body forward. And indeed it is. It’s just that the animal is waiting for a convenient moment to attack. If the victim (another dog or person) makes a sharp movement, which the dog perceives as a real threat, then he can attack.
Often such a reaction occurs with fear. It manifests itself as aggression. Only the dog whenever possible does not attack, looks away. In this case, the muzzle is wrinkled at the grin and the fangs are exposed, but the body is compressed and the tail is pressed.
There is aggression of the dominant of the pack, when the dog shows his leadership by his behavior and influences other representatives of the pack. Usually these dogs are replaced by others with a snarl, a direct look, bared teeth and raised ears.
Dog wants to play
When a dog wants to play, he tries by all means to attract the attention of the owner: he runs up, jumps, pushes his nose, licks. Some dogs, if they like to play with toys, can take a ball or other object and bring it to a person.
Another signal of playfulness in the dog is its approach and distance from you or from another dog. Usually this alternates with jumping. When the pet jumps, it seems to lie down, falling on its front legs, and then again jumps. All the muscles in the animal are relaxed at the same time, and the tongue sticks out.
Love joy
Rejoicing dogs, as a rule, wag their tail, fuss, sometimes jump to the owner or turn on the spot. Love is also often manifested in licking. A dog can lie on his back to show his confidence.
Under such conditions, the muscles of the body and face are relaxed as much as possible, as the dog feels comfortable.
Submissiveness
The manifestation of signs of humility in the language of dogs is necessary in order to observe the hierarchy in the pack. A weaker dog shows a stronger one that it is not dangerous and is not going to attack.
Domestic dogs, too, often show humility in front of people who are treated like older brothers. They slightly lower their head and tail, their ears are pulled back, they look from underneath and avoid direct eye contact. Pets still use a similar position of the body and muzzle when they want to come to terms or feel guilty. This happens when the owners scold the dog for something.
Very often, our tailed favorites, when they feel the threat they want to prevent, or show their confidence in the owners, lie on their backs.
Sadness
The so-called dog sadness can occur when the pet misses the owner. He begins to whine and may even howl a little. As a rule, when dogs are in this state, they behave very passively or lie down.
With annoyance, longing, dissatisfaction, the tail and ears are usually pressed to the body, and the muscles are relaxed.
When dogs feel sad because of loneliness, they try to attract the attention of the owners by licking.
State of fear
Dog fear is not to be confused with any condition. They begin to press their ears and tail, the hair can stand on end, and the body itself can take an unnatural pose. The body as if bends, as if the dog is trying to seem smaller. The muscles are all very tight. The dog may try to escape if possible.
Summarize what was said
So to summarize:
- Wagging the tail usually means joy or contentment. Dogs perform such actions when they meet the owner or get a tasty meal. And also dogs wag their tail if they feel calm and good. But this should not always be taken as a good sign, since the animal can wag its tail slightly with aggression or fear.
- A growl appears as a sign that the dog is aggressive, alarmed, or annoyed.
- When a dog jumps, it rejoices, wants to play, or asks for something (for example, food that the owner holds in his hand). Pets often jump before a walk. An animal can be weaned from this habit if stopped by a solid voice and subsequent reward.
- The eyes and gaze in the tongue of dogs also plays a large role. But the correct interpretation depends on other non-verbal signals. So, in a dog with aggression, the eyes are very wide open and the gaze is fixed, but not directed into the eyes of the enemy. But if the dog, on the contrary, looks at you and lowers its head slightly, or when it meets your eyes, looks away, then it means that it is obedient to you and is well-tuned.
- The position of the body can also change: the dog tries to either squeeze into a lump, lower its head if it is scared or feels humiliated, or, conversely, stand on tiptoe and proudly lift its head when the dog shows that it is in charge. That is, the dog says that it does not pose a threat when it “decreases”, it shows humility. It shows its dominance or aggression when it seems more than usual.
- Our tailed pets hold their ears when they are afraid or express their humility, and rise in the usual state, or when the animal experiences curiosity, surprise, enthusiasm.
- With whining, pets usually show their homesickness and how they miss their owners. They thereby want to attract attention. Still sometimes animals whine when they are scared.
- Licking is also a way to attract attention or get a yummy one. But mostly dogs lick their masters after they meet to show their love and how much they missed.
- Barking is the most controversial sound in animals. They can bark when they are afraid, aggressive, attract attention or play. Usually animals use high barking when they are afraid, and low barking when they are experiencing aggression.
Do dogs understand human speech?
There is no doubt that dogs are very smart. Animals do not understand human speech. However, tailed pets are very sensitive to any changes in intonation and volume. And also they have a very developed memory. Therefore, one can explain the good ability to train and memorize teams. Dogs can learn many commands and words, but this is explained by the fact that they remember a combination of sounds and a certain intonation. They also incredibly sensitively capture the emotions of a person.
And also dogs can understand what is required of them at the moment. Often, pets very well understand those people they know, that is, their owners. So we can conclude: dogs understand us equivalent to how people understand the language of dogs.