How Dogs Communicate
Understanding your dog’s body language and behaviour
Like humans, dogs display a wide range of behaviours and communication signals when interacting with humans, dogs or other animals. All of these behaviours and body language signals can be interpreted positively or negatively depending on the context and situation.1-3
Below we have provided some examples of positive and negative communication signals and behaviours in dogs, e.g. in different situations and during various types of interactions.
Positive Communication Signals
- Tail wagging: A wagging tail can indicate happiness, excitement, and friendliness in a dog.4 But there are also many nuances between different tail positions while wagging, e.g. speed and angle can indicate different meanings and intentions of the dog.5 Read more about this below.
- Relaxed body posture: When a dog's posture is relaxed and shows little to no tension in the muscles, it signals a sense of comfort and ease.
- Playfulness: When dogs engage in playful behaviours, such as a 'play bow' (crouched posture with front legs extended and the rear end elevated) and joyful barking, they show a positive and friendly disposition.6 However, be aware that displaying a bowing posture in certain situations may indicate insecurity or mental or physical overload.
- Affectionate behaviours: These include licking someone’s hands or face, leaning against their owners, and cuddling with them are all signs of affection and a secure dog-human bond.7
- Responsive to signals: Whether this be vocal or sign cues, a dog that responds well to given signals and is receptive to training shows a happy willingness to cooperate and please their owner. More specifically, the dog is attentive, looks at the owner and behaves in a calm and focused way.
- Socialising with other dogs: Interactions with other dogs that involve mutual sniffing, play, and appropriate body language demonstrate good social skills.8 In general, the dog’s body should be curvy, loose and with a low muscle tone, i.e. not too much tension or stiff body postures.
- Gentle mouth: When dogs interact with humans, a soft and gentle mouth, without wrinkles and muscle tension, during play or taking treats, is a positive sign. This means that they take food or toys carefully and the human should not feel any teeth on their fingers.
- Calm greeting: A dog that greets people calmly without jumping up or excessive excitement displays well-trained dog behaviour. Teaching a dog to remain on all fours during greetings helps prevent overexcitement and unwanted boisterous behaviour such as jumping up and getting clothes dirty.
Negative Communication Signals
- Growling or snarling: These aggressive vocalisations often signal that a dog feels threatened or uncomfortable.9 The cause should be addressed to avoid future problems, but it's good to remember, however, that this is also a normal part of dog communication. Be aware that if you punish your dog for growling or snarling, then in order to communicate, they may resort to snapping or biting to 'escape' from the unpleasant situation. There is also a playful growl/grumble sound that some dogs display when playing with other dogs. It is important to observe how the other dogs react to this, as not all dogs are used to it or perceive it as positive.
- Raised hackles: When the fur along a dog’s neck and back stands up — this is an involuntary reaction known as piloerection. This response indicates a heightened emotional state, e.g. due to fear, anxiety, or aggression. Dogs cannot consciously control this reaction, comparable to goosebumps in humans.
- Baring teeth: This is a clear sign of aggression and should be taken seriously. It is important, to figure out the cause of this behaviour and change the situation accordingly based on the dogs needs.
- Stiff body posture: A rigid, tense stance suggests that the dog is on high alert and/or feeling threatened. Therefore, this posture often reflects heightened stress or discomfort.
- Nipping or biting: Dogs may resort to nipping or biting when they feel threatened, scared, or provoked and want to distance themselves from the stressor. Puppies need to learn to regulate the strength of their bite, which is called 'bite inhibition'. To help learn this, they have sharp baby teeth, which give them immediate feedback if they bite too hard, e.g. when playing.
- Excessive barking: While barking is natural behaviour for dogs, excessive and continuous barking may indicate anxiety or frustration. In this case, it is highly recommended to seek professional help to search for the trigger.
- Avoidance or hiding: If a dog avoids interactions or hides from people or other animals, it may indicate fear or discomfort. Most likely, the dog will display various calming signals (e.g., lip licking, looking/turning away, crouching, pawing) to express their high stress level and to de-escalate the frightening situations. 10,11
- Resource guarding: When a dog becomes possessive of food, toys, or other items, it can lead to aggressive behaviours to defend their valued resources. In this case, the dog’s body will be highly tensed and ready to attack.
It is important to note that every dog is individual and has different needs and past experiences. Each dog’s behaviour should be interpreted within the context of their unique personality, breed tendencies, and specific circumstances.
Understanding a dog's body language and respecting their boundaries are crucial factors for building a positive and trusting relationship with them. If you encounter problematic behaviours, then seeking guidance from a professional dog trainer or behaviourist using reward- and choice-based methods is highly recommended.
Body Language
Visual communication
- Tail: How a dog wags their tail, both in the speed and the width, can reveal a lot about their emotional state. A wide, fast wag often signals positive emotions, such as excitement or happiness, when greeting someone. In contrast, a slow, stiff wag with minimal movement side-to-side may indicate negative emotions, like uncertainty or discomfort when encountering an unfamiliar dog or human. The tail position also plays a crucial role. A horizontal tail typically reflects a neutral emotional state, while an erect tail may indicate alertness or confidence. If the tail is tucked in, then this often signals fear or submission. Please note that certain breed-specific differences may occur that affect tail wagging or tail posture, e.g. curled or short tails. Amputated tails also severely restrict communication.
- Eyes: A dog's eyes can offer valuable clues into their emotional state. Pay attention to whether the eyes are open or closed, squinting, widened, or showing the whites of the eye — known as the 'whale eye', which may indicate discomfort or a high level of stress. You can also distinguish between two general eye expressions, namely 'hard', meaning intense staring and a fixated gaze, indicating tension and unease. Or 'soft', which shows round or almond-shaped neutral eyes typically reflecting calmness and comfort.
- Width of the pupils: Large pupils often indicate a high level of agitation, e.g. due to fear, excitement, aggression, etc. Note that when there is bright light around, the pupils will be smaller due to the light conditions.
- Ears: Note that this is highly dependent and influenced by breed-specific shape and morphology.
- Relaxed: Loosely hanging to the side or down (droopy ears), no muscle tension, especially in the base of the ears (e.g. in pricked ears).
- Attentive: Standing up and facing the front.
- Nervous: To the side, back, down or close to the head – high muscle tone, ears turn to the middle of the head resembling a roof-/triangle shape (expressing an inner conflict/stress dilemma).
- Defensive aggression: In this state, a dog's body language typically shifts to a downward and/or backwards posture. For example, the ears are pinned back, crouched posture, tail tucked in tightly, facial stress display such as tension in the lips that can look like a long, straight line from the side, wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes and squinted eyes.
- Offensive aggression: In this state, a dog's body language typically shifts to a forward and upwards posture. For example, mouth open, tension in the lips that can look like a small ‘C’ shape from the side, baring teeth, wrinkles on the nose and snout, raised hackles, tail up high and stiff, tensed muscles, pointed ears to the front, stiff legs, and body posture.
- Fear and confidence:
- Signs of fear: Trying to appear small and displaying the so-called calming signals.11
- Signs of confidence: Trying to appear bigger by standing tall with a stiff posture, raised tail, upright ears, and a forward-leaning stance.
- Sounds/vocal communication: This can include growling, whining, howling, barking, and these behaviours will depend on the respective context.4
In order to understand and correctly read a dogs' body language, it is important to pay attention to all parts of the body and their posture during the given situation.
Source
1. Beerda B, Schilder MBH, Van Hooff JARAM, De Vries HW, Mol JA. Chronic Stress in Dogs Subjected to Social and Spatial Restriction. I. Behavioral Responses. Physiology & Behavior. 1999;66(2):233–242. doi:10.1016/S0031-9384(98)00289-3
2. Beerda B, Schilder MBH, van Hooff J, J.A.R.A.M, Vries, Mol J. Behavioural and hormonal indicators of enduring environmental stress in dogs. Animal welfare 9, 2000, 49-62. 2000;9.
3. Beerda B, Schilder MBH, Van Hooff JanARAM, De Vries HW. Manifestations of chronic and acute stress in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 1997;52(3–4):307–319. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01131-8
4. Siniscalchi M, d’Ingeo S, Minunno M, Quaranta A. Communication in Dogs. Animals. 2018;8(8):131. doi:10.3390/ani8080131
5. Tami G, Gallagher A. Description of the behaviour of domestic dog (Canis familiaris) by experienced and inexperienced people. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2009;120(3–4):159–169. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2009.06.009
6. Sommerville R, O’Connor EA, Asher L. Why do dogs play? Function and welfare implications of play in the domestic dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2017;197. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.007
7. Topál J, Miklosi A, Csányi V, Antal D. Attachment Behavior in Dogs (Canis familiaris): A New Application of Ainsworth’s (1969) Strange Situation Test. Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983). 1998;112:219–29. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.112.3.219
8. Bradshaw J, Rooney N, Serpell J. Dog social behavior and communication. In: The domestic dog: Its evolution, behavior and interactions with people,. 2017. p. 133–159.
9. Blackshaw JK. An overview of types of aggressive behaviour in dogs and methods of treatment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 1991;30(3):351–361. doi:10.1016/0168-1591(91)90140-S
10. Mariti C, Falaschi C, Zilocchi M, Fatjó J, Sighieri C, Ogi A, Gazzano A. Analysis of the intraspecific visual communication in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris): A pilot study on the case of calming signals. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2017;18:49–55. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.12.009
11. Mariti C, Papi F, Ducci M, Sighieri C, Martelli F, Gazzano A. Domestic dogs display calming signals more frequently towards unfamiliar rather than familiar dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2010;5(1):62–63. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2009.10.007
2. Beerda B, Schilder MBH, van Hooff J, J.A.R.A.M, Vries, Mol J. Behavioural and hormonal indicators of enduring environmental stress in dogs. Animal welfare 9, 2000, 49-62. 2000;9.
3. Beerda B, Schilder MBH, Van Hooff JanARAM, De Vries HW. Manifestations of chronic and acute stress in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 1997;52(3–4):307–319. doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01131-8
4. Siniscalchi M, d’Ingeo S, Minunno M, Quaranta A. Communication in Dogs. Animals. 2018;8(8):131. doi:10.3390/ani8080131
5. Tami G, Gallagher A. Description of the behaviour of domestic dog (Canis familiaris) by experienced and inexperienced people. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2009;120(3–4):159–169. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2009.06.009
6. Sommerville R, O’Connor EA, Asher L. Why do dogs play? Function and welfare implications of play in the domestic dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2017;197. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2017.09.007
7. Topál J, Miklosi A, Csányi V, Antal D. Attachment Behavior in Dogs (Canis familiaris): A New Application of Ainsworth’s (1969) Strange Situation Test. Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983). 1998;112:219–29. doi:10.1037/0735-7036.112.3.219
8. Bradshaw J, Rooney N, Serpell J. Dog social behavior and communication. In: The domestic dog: Its evolution, behavior and interactions with people,. 2017. p. 133–159.
9. Blackshaw JK. An overview of types of aggressive behaviour in dogs and methods of treatment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 1991;30(3):351–361. doi:10.1016/0168-1591(91)90140-S
10. Mariti C, Falaschi C, Zilocchi M, Fatjó J, Sighieri C, Ogi A, Gazzano A. Analysis of the intraspecific visual communication in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris): A pilot study on the case of calming signals. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2017;18:49–55. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.12.009
11. Mariti C, Papi F, Ducci M, Sighieri C, Martelli F, Gazzano A. Domestic dogs display calming signals more frequently towards unfamiliar rather than familiar dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2010;5(1):62–63. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2009.10.007