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Here is a short guide
to some basic dog body language and what it means:
Dominant - You'll
find that a dominant dog has its ears straight up or forward,
its mouth slightly opened or closed, its eyes open wide or
staring, its body standing stiff and tall with hackles possibly
raised, and its tail out from the body stiffened or fluffed. A
low and assertive bark can often be expected.
Friendly - A friendly
dog has perked up ears, open and alert eyes, a relaxed mouth, a
tail or whole rear end wagging, and possibly whimpering, yapping
or giving short barks.
Playful - A bow
position with wagging tail means “let's play.”
Submissive - A dog
with its ears tightly back, eyes closed and paw raised is
showing extreme submission. The dog isn't happy but shows it
will not attack.
Aggressive - An
aggressive dog has its ears flattened back against its head, its
eyes narrowed or challenging, body tense, mouth open to show
teeth and tail held out from the body and fluffed up if
possible. Snarls or growls are typical.
Worried - Sharp barks
combined with growling, ears flattened and neck hairs raised
means "I'm worried" or "something is wrong."
Fear - A dog shows
fear with a lowered stance, tail down or tucked underneath, an
arched back, looking or turning head whilst showing the whites
of their whites of eyes and dilated pupils. Dogs often bark out
of fear, especially if they are cornered, fenced in, or on a
leash.
Stressed - A stressed
dog will often have ears back and down, a wide open mouth, lips
drawn back with rapid respiration. Also shoulders lowered,
hunched forward, tail tucked, tension in haunches and will
probably be trembling.
Now that you
understand more about what your puppy is trying to say to you
about how he feels or the mood he is in try to accommodate this
in your puppy training and everyday life.
In a puppy training
session your dog should be showing that he is in a friendly or
playful mood. If he shows he is dominant then you know that he
may not be taking you seriously or could be being stubborn and
you probably need to be more assertive.
Some submissive
behaviour is not a bad thing as it means that that he
understands that you are in charge.
If your puppy becomes
stressed, fearful, worried or even aggressive, you must stop
your training and reassure your dog immediately. If you have
been training for more than 15 minutes stop and take a break.
When you come back takes things more slowly or approach things
in a different way.
Use your knowledge in
every day life too. Observe your puppy in different situations
and you will quickly discover what he likes and dislikes or how
he is feeling. You can then take steps to give him more of what
he enjoys and more support, confidence and training in
situations he finds more difficult.
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