{"id":19180,"date":"2014-06-25T16:02:45","date_gmt":"2014-06-25T15:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petspyjamas.com\/blog\/?p=19180"},"modified":"2025-03-03T13:09:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T12:09:36","slug":"getty-dog-trying-to-tell-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petspyjamas.com\/blog\/getty-dog-trying-to-tell-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What is your dog trying to tell you?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"492715713<\/a><\/span>1.\u00a0<\/span>When they look you\u00a0in\u00a0the eye –\u00a0<\/strong>When your dog is looking straight at you, they are seeking your support and help. Your pet is looking to the ‘alpha dog’ (that’s you!) for guidance on how to react in this new or strange situation. If they have wide eyes as well, they could be scared, so try to reassure them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"121835897\"<\/a><\/span>2.\u00a0<\/span>When they bare their teeth\u00a0<\/strong>– This is often interpreted as a sign of canine aggression, but only when paired with other signs of nervousness or anxiety. If the dog is otherwise relaxed while baring their teeth, they may just be overheated and trying to cool down.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"86286279\"<\/a>3.\u00a0When they refuse to look at you<\/strong>\u00a0– A lack of eye contact is a strong indicator of a very frightened dog. If they are trying not to look at something, they are probably scared of it. This refusal to look up when being told off should be familiar to anyone with small children!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"114140167\"<\/a>4.\u00a0When they yawn<\/strong>\u00a0– This doesn’t always mean that your dog is tired! Dogs tend to yawn when they are surprised, such as when you abruptly pick them up or suddenly come into their line of vision. If they are impatient to move while being kept on a leash, they may also yawn in order to calm themselves down.<\/p>\n

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\"86077636\"<\/a>5.\u00a0When they nudge you with their nose\u00a0<\/strong>– Lo and behold, this is one of the top signs of canine affection. Nudging you with their nose is a dog’s way of saying that they love you – or that you’re in their favourite chair…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"SE205Spirit.tif\"<\/a>6.\u00a0When they have their tail between their legs<\/strong>\u00a0– This is a sign of nervousness or shyness, and usually happens when your dog is feeling intimidated and wants to be as small as possible. If the tail is lowered but not pushed between the rear legs, this could be a sign of tummy ache or another affliction, and you may wish to seek veterinary advice.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"161234325\"<\/a>7.\u00a0When their tail is held high\u00a0<\/strong>– This sort of extreme tail behaviour, held high and stiff either without moving or stiffly waving like a flag, indicates alertness. Your dog is trying to appear aloof and intimidating, so there might be another dog in its sights that it wants to impress.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"87371602\"<\/a>8.\u00a0When they wag their tail<\/strong>\u00a0– As most dog owners will already know, this corresponds with excitement or happiness. Scientific research has also found that tail wagging that favours the right hand side typically indicates a relaxed and happy dog, while left-sided wagging may be more linked to the dog feeling\u00a0threatened.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"463016561\"<\/a>9.\u00a0When their tail is relaxed\u00a0<\/strong>– This is a sign of disinterest or comfort. If nothing is particularly exciting or frightening them, the tail will be held in its natural position, which is different for every breed of dog.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"6542-000014\"<\/a>10.\u00a0When their ears are pricked\u00a0<\/strong>– Pricked up ears indicate that the dog is ready to play, hunt or concentrate. They are truly paying attention and are curious about the sounds they are hearing \u2013 and therefore may well be about to rush off in hot pursuit of a squirrel\/cat\/bird\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"486989477\"<\/a>11.\u00a0When their ears are flattened\u00a0<\/strong>– Ears that are against the dog’s head show that your dog feels scared or intimidated. However, if they are\u00a0forward\u00a0<\/em>but close to the head, this may be a signifier of aggressive behaviour to come.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"141740500\"<\/a>12.\u00a0When the hackles are raised<\/strong>\u00a0– When your\u00a0dog’s fur bristles and their shoulder blades stick up, then they are wildly excited, afraid or insecure \u2013 essentially what we humans might refer to as ‘worked up over something!’<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"200456192-001\"<\/a>13.\u00a0When they wrinkle their foreheads<\/strong>\u00a0– Scientists have found that this sort of dog frown is their way of reacting to something surprising. In a recent test, the dogs generally ‘frowned’ when faced with a jack-in-the-box.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"98210633\"<\/a>14.\u00a0When they have a cold, wet nose<\/strong>\u00a0– Another easy one, this is the classic indicator of a dog in good health. You should also look out for signs of excessive thirst, weight loss or eye and ear infections as indicators of your dog’s wellbeing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"200565202-001\"<\/a>15.\u00a0When they lick their own noses\u00a0<\/strong>– Not to be confused with a lick lip when faced with their dinner, a nose lick is another canine self-calming mechanism, similar to the yawn.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"144815824\"<\/a>16.\u00a0When they tilt their heads to the side<\/strong>\u00a0– This can happen for two reasons, the most common being to hear better if they are confused at a command. The second is because many dog owners see it as something cute and reward it, giving their dog a good reason to repeat this behaviour!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"dv1909032\"<\/a>17.\u00a0When they jump up\u00a0<\/strong>– It may come across as threatening, but dogs do this because they greet other animals by sniffing their faces – and, quite simply, we are just much taller than they are!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"106463410\"<\/a>18.\u00a0When they put their paws\u00a0up<\/strong>\u00a0– This is a classic cry for attention, be it food, love or petting, and can get out of hand if rewarded too often. However, some dogs have a real talent for pawing, and can be trained to salute and high five if they are intelligent enough.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"115004457\"<\/a>19.\u00a0When they act up\u00a0<\/strong>– When you leave your dog on their own, they can experience separation anxiety – especially if they\u00a0are rescue dogs or prone to boredom. This means that they can become frantic and noisy and might even mess in your house. You may need to implement a gradual process of teaching your dog to be independent for extending periods of time in order to avoid this.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"93453595\"<\/a>20.\u00a0When they sit on your foot<\/strong>\u00a0– A dog marks its territory in more than one way, and sitting on your foot is your dog’s way of protecting you from other dogs by saying, ‘this owner is mine; they smell like me’. This behaviour also reinforces the bond between owner and dog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dogs’s are considered man’s best friend – but do you really know what your canine companion is trying to tell you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":19286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,665],"tags":[292,4,18,296],"class_list":["post-19180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-advice","tag-behaviour","tag-dog","tag-health","tag-training"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nWhat is your dog trying to tell you? \/ PetsPyjamas<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dogs's are considered man's best friend - but do you really know what your canine companion is trying to tell you?\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petspyjamas.com\/blog\/getty-dog-trying-to-tell-you\/\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"next\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petspyjamas.com\/blog\/getty-dog-trying-to-tell-you\/2\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is your dog trying to tell you? 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