Learning Dog Body Language
January 15, 2009 by Paris and John
Filed under Tips
Learning to read your dog’s body language–and the body language of dogs you come in contact with–is an important communication tool. It’s often easy to know when a dog is happy, but can you recognize when a dog is upset and showing a potential to bite?
Most dogs display signs of aggression prior to actually biting, but some dogs show their potential to bite in subtle ways, ones that can be interpreted by other dogs, but might be missed or misunderstood by humans. For example, growling can be so quiet it can be completely unheard if you’re not listening for it.
Confident or Fearful?
Look carefully and you just might be able to figure out if the aggressive dog is confident or fearful. An aggressive dog that’s confident and assertive will crease the corner of his mouth towards the top lip and curl it forwards.
A dog that’s aggressive because he is feeling fearful and cornered will crease the corner of his mouth to the bottom of the corner of the mouth and curl backwards or downwards.
Also, watch how a dog moves. When a dog is feeling bold and confident, he is likely to move forward. A fearful dog is more likely to shrink back and only bite if approached.
Showing His Teeth
Exposing teeth would seem to be a fairly obvious sign from a dog that it could bite. He is showing you his weaponry and warning you that he could use it.
Lip Curling
Lip curling, drawing back the lips to show the teeth, can be subtle or dramatic depending on the dog and situation. Dogs also use their lips in another way, using the corners of the mouth. Subtle creases in the skin can indicate that a dog may bite.
Eye Contact
Dogs usually keep strong eye contact with their target when they are prepared to bite.
Ears Give It Away
Ears that are held erect and forward signal confident aggression. If his ears are directed backwards or laid flat against the head, that means the dog is afraid.
Hair
The hair on the dog’s body is often raised during times of stress–you’ve probably seen a dog with its hackles up, a signal that a bite is possible. The entire body may be held stiff and rigid.
Tail Wagging
Tail wagging may seem like a friendly gesture but that’s not always the case. Tail wagging indicates a willingness to interact — that can mean friendly interaction or aggression. A tail held stiffly up or straight out from the body is also a sign of apprehension from a dog which could easily lead to the dog biting.
Knowing these tips can help you judge your own dog’s behavior but also the aggressiveness of dogs you might meet on the street or at the dog park.
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