How to read your dog's body language. Greeting Your Dog.

A nonverbal analysis of dog human interaction
Would you like to be able to read your dog’s body language? Would you like to communicate with your dog more effectively and know all the secrets of dogs greeting? Here is a dog body language test followed by the answers.
How many times have you had an entire conversation with your dog? We talk on and on thinking of course, that our dog understands every word we say.
There is so much communication that a dog can understand. How many of us feel we have had an entire “conversation” with our dogs without saying a word? I love the greeting dance when you come through the door to your dog at the end of the day. Here is a greeting between a Sparky the dog and you the pet parent. This is followed by a nonverbal, “bark, by wag" analysis of what you and Sparky are truly communicating.

You come through the door and shout “Sparky, I am home" and hear him bark two sharp short bark in high pitch.

Sparky comes running to you. His head held high, his mouth open his tongues hanging out.

You bend down and say, "I missed you so much.” and begin to pet him.

Sparky tail is wagging. The tail is down and relaxed and swinging broadly, but his hips don’t move!

“I missed you Sparky." "Did you miss me?” You say, as you scruff and pet Sparky.

Sparky brings his nose up to your face and sniffs you. He gives you muzzle nuzzle and licks your face.
What have you and your dog said in your greeting dance?

What do you think you are Sparky were saying?
Here is a nonverbal interpretation of the dog and pet parent interaction.

You come through the door and shout “Sparky, I am home" and hear him bark two sharp short bark in high pitch.
These are good barks, saying, “Hello, I see you!” two nice short barks is good, one high bark means, "You surprised me." (If it was one low bark it would mean “back off." If your dog gives a low barks with marked pauses in between, “This may be an intruder I am sending out a warning.”

Sparky comes running to you. His head held high, his mouth open his tongues hanging out. Head high is confident, but combined with open relaxed mouth with the tongue out it says, “I feel good, I am relaxed and happy to see you.” I didn’t meantion Sparkys ears in the test. They may be up and rotated forward in expectation then relax when he sees you.

You bend down and say, "I missed you so much.” and begin to pet him. It would be better if you actually crouched down on his level and let him come to you as bending down and going forward and reaching out can be seen as aggressive and or scary for some dogs. However, Sparky knows you are friendly as he responds to you nicely.

Sparky tail is wagging. The tail is down and relaxed and swinging broadly, but his hips don’t move! (Wags vary by bread and dog personality. You need to check your dog for his happy norm you can wave a treat at him and see what his tail does to know what his tail does in happy mode.)
Many dogs have a relaxed broadly swinging tail to show happiness. Some dogs have an “excited happy’ wag that differs from their relaxed or contented happy tail. They may make fast little circles wags with their tail. Laboratory research suggests that positive feeling make your dogs tail wag more to the right and negative feeling make it wag more towards the left. If Sparky's hips go down, he is showing he respects you. Low hips with a tail wag are a more submissive wag. That’s not bad. The dog is just letting you know you are in charge. Dogs with docked tails may swing their hips to communicate happiness or excitement.

“I missed you Sparky." "Did you miss me?” You say, as you scruff and pet Sparky.
You’re using his name in a positive emotional setting of greeting which makes him feel recognized and want to come when his name is called.

Sparky brings his nose up to your face and sniffs you. He gives you muzzle nuzzle and licks your face. Dogs, “see” with their noses, greet, and give a handshake by sniffing and the muzzle nudge can be an affectionate doggy hug. (It can also mean I need to go outside now! Muzzle nudges and face licking are behaviors that are a can be affection or a desire to be fed.

How many times have you had an entire conversation with your dog? We talk on and on thinking of course, that our dog understands every word we say.

There is so much communication that a dog can understand. How many of us feel we have had an entire “conversation” with our dogs without saying a word?
Here are tips for training dogs not to jump on guests or dogs that bark too much when guests come through the door.
The door is the mouth of the cave and your dog may feel the need to defend the house or be chief greeter and attack guests.
If you have a new puppy or you are training your dog not to jump, wait to fully acknowledge and pet him until you are a few feet from the door at your “greeting station.” If he is a jumper and you can stand not loving on him, wait until he sits to pet him. Reward him for what you consider good behavior and ignore him if he is doing something you consider wrong. When your dog behaves immediately give him rewards be it praise, treats, scuffing or good belly rub. For some being, good means your dog stays down and doesn’t bark in a way that might scare guests so when though I say his name and my voice lovingly greets him once I enter the house I wait till he sits to touch him. However, as soon as his little rear hits the floor he gets, “Good Boy” praising. Then I come down to his level and he gets lots of scruffing and pets, and he comes in to sniff, and muzzle nudge. Goodness, I love the greeting dance.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

When is a dog's wagging tail not a happy sign?

When is a dog's wagging tail not a happy sign?

Tails and their wags just like a human mouth and smile can show a range of moods from happy to anxious. Broad tail wags combined with a relaxed muzzle and lips show friendliness. A fast tight tail wag with rear end down of the dog down shows anxiety. When a dog is laying on his back he is not always signally scratch my belly.
Just like kid giggling kid in a tickle fight yells “uncle!
you win”, when your puppy lays on their back with their tummy exposed and gives a fast little wag, your dog is saying "I am submissive." "You win."

In most breeds, when a dog is walking and holds his tail high he is showing dominance. Some research on dog body language even shows wag side difference's for different emotions. When your dog is really happy the tail goes more to the right and if your dog is fearful and anxious the tail wags more to the left. Do a baseline test for your dog to see if you see a wag difference. It is really interesting to me as a body language expert because a dogs tail shows emotions in a similar way that a humans gestures show emotions and people have a right side left side preference. Fear and anxiety more to the left. To read more about about right hand bad left hand good gesturing type in Gestures on this blog.



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel