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People sometimes mistakenly think a dog is being aggressive when, in fact, he’s grinning submissively and trying to communicate the exact opposite of aggression.Ī dog who’s signalling his intention to act aggressively will often retract his lips to expose his teeth. This signal is almost always accompanied by an overall submissive body posture, such as a lowered head, yelping or whining, and squinty eyes. They pull their lips up vertically and display their front teeth (canines and incisors). Some dogs show a “submissive grin” when they’re feeling extremely submissive. When he’s feeling uptight, he might yawn in an exaggerated fashion. He might flick his tongue in and out, or he might lick if he’s interacting with a person or another animal. His lips might be pulled back slightly at the corners. You might see his teeth because his mouth is slightly opened.Ī dog who’s frightened or feeling submissive probably has his mouth closed. If his mouth is open, he may be panting-this is how dogs cool their bodies. When your dog is relaxed and happy, he’s likely to have his mouth closed or slightly opened. Even though they can’t use their mouths to talk, the way they position their lips, jaws and teeth speaks volumes. The Mouthĭogs do a lot more with their mouths than just eat and drink. In this case, he won’t appear rigid or tense, and you won’t see much of the whites of his eyes. It’s different than the eye of a dog who, for instance, is resting with his head and opens his eyes to give you a sideways glance.
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Known as “whale eye” this is often seen when a dog is guarding a chew bone, toy or favorite spot. If your dog doesn’t look directly at you, but instead looks out of the corners of his eyes so that you see a good deal of the whites of his eyes (the sclera), he might be leading up to an aggressive outburst. Maybe he’s been scared of people in the past, and so he isn’t very confident about dealing with people now. It can also indicate that he’s worried about interacting with you. A dog who averts his gaze when you look at him is signalling that he’s submissive. Looking away is what dogs do when they don’t want to appear threatening. A dog who looks directly at you, actually staring at you with a tense facial expression, is another matter indeed.Ī direct stare is much more likely to be a threat, and if you’re in close proximity to such a dog, it’s wise to slowly look away. A dog who looks at you with a relaxed facial expression is being friendly and hoping that you’ll notice him. Yet most dogs learn that it’s okay, even pleasant, to look directly at people. Dogs rarely look directly into each other’s eyes because this is considered threatening behavior. The direction of your dog’s gaze can also be telling.
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Dogs who submissively grin may also squint their eyes. Dogs who are in pain or not feeling well often look as though they’re squinting their eyes. If your dog’s eyes seem smaller than they usually are, this can also mean he’s feeling frightened or stressed. An aggressive dog is also likely to have eyes that look larger than normal. He may be stressed by something or he may be frightened. Eyes that appear larger than normal usually indicate that a dog is feeling threatened in some way. Some dogs have round eyes, while others are more almond-shaped. When your dog is relaxed and happy, his eyes will be their normal shape. Your dog can, within limits, vary the shape and size of his eyes or the direction and intensity of his gaze. Dog FacesĮven though dogs’ faces and heads come in many shapes and sizes, your dog’s basic facial expressions can tell you a great deal about how he’s feeling. It’s not possible to understand your dog’s feelings and intentions by looking at just one aspect of his body language. Your goal, however, is to be able to observe the entire dog and the situation or context he’s in, in order to accurately determine what he’s trying to say. Dogs use facial expressions, ear set, tail carriage and overall demeanor to signal their intentions and feelings to others.īreaking their body language down into components is helpful at first for building your observation and interpretation skills. It helps to first learn about the various components that make up dog body language. These skills will enable you to interact with dogs with greater enjoyment and safety.
#Scared look over the shoulder how to#
Once you learn how to “read” a dog’s postures and signals, you’ll better understand his feelings and motivations and be better able to predict what he’s likely to do. ĭog body language is an elaborate and sophisticated system of nonverbal communication that, fortunately, we can learn to recognize and interpret.