Dogs communicate primarily through body language by using their ears, their tails, their body position and their eyes. If you look at their overall stance, you can easily tell if your dog is in a confident, assertive mood, or if your dog is nervous, apprehensive or fearful. A confident dog will stand tall, with good posture, ears forward, with tail extended in the air. A nervous or fearful dog will have a cowering stance, often with her ears down.

Down In Front = Playing. Fido can also signal if she’s in a playful mood. The classic “play with me ” position is with the front legs forward and front half of the body down, while the rear half of the dog is lifted in the air. This playful position closely resembles a bow and is a hard one to resist. You will frequently find young pups poised in this position.

Nice To Meet Your Rear End. When Fido meets a new dog, she goes for the most situation-appropriate behavior, which is the rear-end sniffing position. Although not recommended at your own social gatherings, this is entirely appropriate in the canine world. Dogs have anal glands that give off characteristic smells and mutual sniffing is how they get to know one another. Sniff and be sniffed…It’s really not any different than a handshake—if you’re a dog, that is!

Not So Passive Aggression. Beware of Fido’s aggressive moods, which should also be obvious. You may see Fido with her ears pulled back, and possibly hear a growl or two. If you see teeth, that’s another sign that something’s got Fido riled up. Her body will appear tense, and some of the hair on her back, called hackles, may stand up. If you see Fido assume this position, watch out, because Fido is on guard!

Know of any other dog communication signals? If so, please click Easy Edit and share them with the canine loving crowd!