Speaking “Dog”

Have you ever just watched your dog for a day? Ok, not every minute. But have you just spent some time watching them and noticing things about them? They are talking to us all the time whether we are listening or not. And let's be real, we're usually not. Take some time to listen with your eyes.

Of course you already know that they scream at the door when someone rings the bell, or maybe get very anxious during fireworks, but they almost always tell us long before those things happen. They might hear the car doors open and look to the front door. Check to see if their ears are up and tail wagging softly, or have they stiffened up and raised the hair on their back a little bit? That'll tell you if they're happy for a guest or if they'd be more comfortable if you made sure the guest doesn't try to pet them.

Keep and eye on them during the day and notice what they do. Here are a few things to look for!

Ears- are their ears forward or pulled back? Are the wiggling around a lot? This is a good indicator of what they're paying attention to even if they're not looking at it.

Mouth- look for relaxation, or pulling their lips back into a "smile". They often do this out of nervousness or excitement, not because they think our smiles are cute and want to do it too! Are they panting? Is it even hot? Is it a shallow pant or mouth fully open, tongue nearly on the floor? Are they slowly licking like you gave them peanut butter? This is a warning that they're feeling pressured and might bite.

Body- look for general stiffness or wiggly fluid motions! What makes them raise the hair on their back? If my dog is chilly, he raises the hair on his butt, but if he's upset, it's more near his neck.

Tail- how fast are they wagging? Are they holding it up, down, tucked? Stiff or relaxed?

Watch how they like to sleep and if you notice any changes!

Will they take food from you in public? At what point do they no longer want food? Will they still take it in the back yard but not out front? Good outside but not once you go in a store?

Don't worry too much about what everything means yet, just watch and see what's normal for them and what events cause changes! You'll start to notice that they're "talking" to you all the time.