By Suz Redfearn
WebMD Feature
How many times have you wished your dog could talk so you could know exactly what he’s thinking?
But he doesn’t need to speak to clue you in. Veterinary behaviorists say if you learn to read your dog’s actions, it’s not hard to figure out what’s going on in his head.
Debra Horwitz, veterinary behaviorist and lead editor of Decoding Your Dog, says the key is looking at your whole dog, rather than a portion of him, like just his tail. Observing what your dog does with his face, body, and tail in any given situation will let you know if he’s feeling relaxed, concerned, scared, or aggressive.
When you look at your dog, what do you see?
Is he happy?
“When a dog is happy, his whole body looks soft,” Horwitz says. “And when a happy dog wags his tail, the tail wags his whole body. He has relaxed ears, a soft pant, eyes are soft. Everything about him says, ‘I’m cool. I’m good.’”
Is he interested and stimulated?
A dog that’s doing what his genes tell him to is a happy dog, Horwitz says. When a retriever is fetching, her body language screams, “I’m totally into this!” Same thing goes for a terrier who gets a chance to sniff out a critter or whip a new toy back and forth, and a border collie that’s being directed through an obstacle course. Presented with a mere hint of these activities, the dog may run out of pure joy, wag its tail, bark, grin, and spin in circles.
Once you find out what makes your dog happy in this way, offer him this activity as often as you can.
Is he concerned?
Let’s say you’re outside with your dog, and another dog suddenly shows up on the scene. If your dog doesn’t know this dog, he’s likely to show his concern by stiffening his tail and wagging it in a way that doesn’t wag the body.
“That kind of tail wag says, ‘I’m thinking, I’m assessing,’” Horwitz says.
The wagging tail may go straight up, which shows a heightened alert.
When a little nervous, your dog may draw his ears closer to his head and pant a little faster, or may close his mouth to enable him to sniff to check everything out. He may also open his eyes wider to let in more light.
Is he fearful?
Dog owners often confuse fear in a dog with shame or guilt, says Melissa Bain, assistant professor of clinical animal behavior at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
You come home from work to find your dog has had an accident in the house, or maybe he’s chewed your shoe. You express strong disapproval, giving him a stern talking-to. He reacts by holding his body close to the ground, pinning his ears back, and tucking his tail between his legs.
source : Your dog can tell you a lot by the way he acts. Know what to look for.
