Interpreting your dog's body language can definitely help you understand his moods and receptiveness to training and other issues. Dogs can almost be compared to infants in that they cannot talk to communicate what is on their minds. Therefore, they have to show what they want via barking and body language. For instance, any tension around the forehead and muzzle could indicate whether he is relaxed or tense. The position of his ears, dilation of pupils, how he carries his tail and his stance in distributing body weight all come into play when trying to communicate his thoughts and feelings. You can soon learn to tell through these body cues whether your dog is happy, feeling dominant or even cowered.
When your dog is relaxed, you will notice several things. First, he has his weight evenly distributed among his four legs. Secondly, his mouth is slightly open and he is likely panting a bit. This is sometimes known as a doggie smile. His ears and head are up and perky while his tail is relaxed and wagging. You've got a happy dog if you notice all of these signs.
When your dog is excited or aroused by something (no, not in a sexual context), you will notice an all together different set of body cues. If he sees something that gratifying to him, his hackles (his lower back side) will be down and his low carried tail will wag loosely. His whole muzzle area (mouth, teeth and lips) is relaxed and you will probably see his tongue peeking at you.
However, when your dog is excited about something and wants to show his superiority or high pecking order of his "pack," you will notice that his tail is up a bit and the fur on it is stuck out. It will seem that he is poised on his front legs, distributing the weight to them. The muzzle will be tense and he will curl up his lip to show off those nice sharp teeth. Your dog will likely have his eyes opened wide, staring intently at the object of his attention.
If your dog's hackles are raised up, reconsider approaching him. This is one of the indicators that he may aggressively attack. Other indicators include snarling, bared teeth and a stiff, raised tail with the fur sticking out. In addition, he will stare hard with his ears standing at attention. Dogs will behave like this in situations when they are being protective of their food and toys or even of you.
Submissive actions are much easier to interpret. But did you know that there are several kinds of submissive behaviors? First there is an active submission. Your dog is likely wagging his tail low with his ears back. He will lift a paw and keep his eyes and mouth half closed. He displays these body cues when he meets up with another dog or when he acknowledges that you are dominant over him. Passive submission usually is displayed when your dog rolls over on his back to expose his belly.
An aggressive yet defensive body cues us expressed with raised hackles and tail down. Your dog's muzzle will be tense and he may snarl while flashing his teeth. The ears will be pinned back and his pupils will be dilated. Your dog will appear crouched with the weight distributed more on his rear legs. When your dog is in this type of position, it means that he does not want anyone to approach him and your dog will likely nip or bite as a protective measure.
By recognizing body cues of your dog, it will help you greatly in his training. These cues will show you when you can continue or should back off on a certain training measure. By the same toke, you will also know when your dog is happy and having fun too.
