What is Your Dog's Body Language Telling You?

If you are like most dog owners, you laid your eyes on your dog and simply knew it was the one. He looked up at you with those adorable eyes. And there was no way not to take him home with you.

Often, there is an instant bond between the two parties. This feeling of connectedness is also an important part of your communication with your dog. By the time you've had your dog for a while, you will have had situations when your dog needed something, and you immediately knew what it was.

This almost intuitive understanding of what your dog needs, is based on reading your dog's body language like his wagging his tail or jumping up on people.

As you can imagine, reading a dog's body language can be quite effective, if you know what exactly it is you are looking for; and how to interpret what you see.

The tail: a dog's tail is the best indicator of how they are feeling. Dogs use their tail to show if they are excited or fearful. A dog that is happy or excited usually can't stop wagging their tail.

However, a frightened dog or an insecure one will probably tuck in his tail between his legs. And if a dog is upset, there will be yet another way he will be holding his tail: dead straight. So, as you can see, the tail can tell you a lot, so pay attention to it.

Next, the ears: you'll be able to see how a dog is feeling with their ears too. Ears that are cocked back or against the head are a sign that your dog is angry or upset.

If you ever have your dog show this sign, leave him alone. In contrast, if his ears are relaxed and simply in their normal position, you are good to go.

In conclusion, if you want to learn how to read your dog's body language, you are best off to start noticing changes in the tail and ears. Those two body parts contain a wealth of information about your dog's mood. So pay close attention, observe, and learn.