Decoding the Secret Language of Dogs: How Your Pet Communicates

Have you always wished your dog possibly will talk could talk to you? Well, He does; just not with words. Research shows that dogs have their own way of communicating with their owners, as well as with other dogs.

Secret Language of Dogs

Any dog parents will tell you that their four-legged family members speak volumes with their bodies. Here are some typical signals dogs use:

• Face: Dogs will wrinkle or straighten their foreheads to show confusion or determination.
• Lips, teeth, and tongue: If your dog is happy or wants to play, he may pull his lips back and show his teeth in what appears to be a smile. This is a gesture that is reserved only for human/dog communication; a dog will not do this with other dogs.
• Eyes: A dog’s eyes brighten when he looks at a creature he considers friendly. When he is afraid, his pupils dilate and he shows the whites of his eyes.
• Tail: A recent study published in cell.com shows that the way a dog wags its tail indicates how he feels. If the tail wags more to the right, it is a sign of positive feelings; left-side wagging indicates negative feelings.
• Ears: If a dog’s ears are raised, he is relaxed or listening. If they are back, he might be signaling submission.

How Dogs Communicate with Each Other

Dogs are social animals, and there is the universal language they share when communicating with other dogs.

• Paw slap: This is like a human coming up and slapping you on the back. This gesture puts the dog at an awkward angle, so it’s also a sign that the dog trusts the dog it is playing with.
• Rearing hind legs: When dogs rear up on their hind legs, it’s a sign of affection. It often looks like dancing when dogs do this together when they’re playing.
• Biting: Again, it’s a sign of play. Dogs are careful to avoid sensitive areas on the other animal.

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What Are Dogs Trying to Say When They Bark?

A long string of solitary barks with deliberate pauses between each one is a sign of a lonely dog asking for companionship.

A stutter bark, which sounds something like “Harr-ruff” is usually given with front legs flat on the ground and rear held high and simply means “Let’s play!”

Understanding Each Other

We send our dogs to obedience school to teach them how to understand what we want from them. But they also need to tell us what they need from us, and they do so every day. We simply have to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to understand what they are trying to say.