Our furry friends most definitely have a whole range of expression, movement and sounds that can give us a good heads up to their immediate needs or feelings. Once we have an understanding of our pets’ body language we can more easily know how to respond to them.
Communication, whether verbal or physical combines a number of categories; fearful, aggressive, anxious, relaxed and excited. Generally, most dog’s communication will combine more than one in the list; So it is important to consider the context of the situation when trying to work out what is going on.
Experts suggest that canines generally express emotions through physicality. An example would be the stance or movement, which could then progress to an action. Take note of things like the ears, tail, eyes and mouth to gauge what she is telling you. If a fearful demeanour is obvious it could very quickly change to one of aggression. A full body stiffening often paired with alert ears, tall stance, closed mouth and wide eyes could be an indication of the possible onset of an aggressive action.
A dogs’ vocalisation can also clue us into what they are feeling. Consider the entire picture and what the doggo is doing when she barks. Is it close to meal time and you are hearing the I’m hungry whine, or is she needing to go out to make a pee?
Over time we all become quite familiar with the ways of our beloved family pets and there are definitely the more common displays that we have come to know and understand; HEY it’s time to play, eat, go for walkies or snuggle up for a cuddle. Even the low growl or loud bark when a stranger walks by lets us know she’s telling them” I have my people covered”!
It’s the less obvious or less frequent signals that we need to learn up on so we can be sure we are giving the correct mindfulness and care to our furry ones.
Anxiety
Avoids eye contact. Fattened ears and their body and tail slightly lowered. Yawning can also indicate extreme stress in this context.
Fear
Some dogs will cower, whilst others may show submission or bark and growl. A tucked tail and darting eyes as they focus on the source of fear is often telling.
Vulnerable
Whether it’s a new pet or a human being introduced to your doggo, they often feel vulnerable and whilst we think laying on their back is actually them asking for a belly rub it can often be that our furry one is being submissive. No eye contact, tail tucked and even a few drops of urine.
Our fur kids have their own unique ways of communicating and how nice is that excited welcome home folks after a long day! But keep your eye open for the less than happy situations.
At Pooch Palate we have a range of nutritional pet treats; so if you would like to spoil your doggo have a look at what’s available; you would definitely be rewarded with a good hand licking and waggy tail.
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