Like people, dogs have their own personalities and unique communication styles. While there are universal signs that tell us how a dog feels, we can also learn a lot by observing their individual nuances.
The key to understanding what our dogs are experiencing emotionally is being able to recognise when they lack any strong emotion—this can be called their neutral state.
How to Observe and Learn Your Dog’s Neutral State
How does your dog look when they’re not displaying strong emotions like fear or excitement? Where do their ears sit on their head? How do their eyes look? What position is their tail in?
A lot of this will depend on their breed type and what is typical for their stance, shape, and posture. Since dogs are individuals, these traits are unique for each one, though there are often breed similarities.
Tails, ears, and posture are three of the easiest aspects to read in a dog’s body language.
Dog Body Language: Tails
For example, some breeds have tails that are naturally held over their backs, while others have tails that naturally tuck between their back legs. It’s a good idea to know what a normal tail position is for your dog, as this will help you understand them better.
A tail that drops below neutral can indicate fear or anxiety, and the degree of emotion often corresponds to how low the tail drops. Conversely, a tail held high, like a flag, shows the dog is aroused and interested in something. They may even be signalling potential conflict. Think of a high tail as a flag—the higher it rises above its neutral position, the bolder or more aroused the dog feels.
Canine Communication: Ears
There are many ear shapes, so your dog’s natural ear position will depend on their breed. Generally, the further back the dog’s ears go on their head, the more uncomfortable the dog feels.
When ears are pulled right back, this is sometimes referred to as “seal ears.”When they are pulled out to the sides of the head they are appeasing.
Considering the range of breed types and ear shapes, we must also account for the physical weight and capacity of the ears. For instance, while a Chihuahua might pull their ears directly back, a Cocker Spaniel’s ears may only pull back at the base, curling around the sides of their head—even if both dogs feel the same emotion.
Ear position is also linked with facial tension. When a dog’s face becomes tense, you’ll notice ridges around the mouth and between the eyes. Everything becomes a little tighter with tension and looser with relaxation.
Canine Posture and Movement
Posture can be measured by how loose or tense a dog’s body is. A neutral posture is relaxed and shows no tension. A happy dog enjoying themselves will appear loose and relaxed from their nose to the tip of their tail. They may be wriggly and smiling.
A dog’s smile is often shown with squinty, happy eyes—like the Golden Retriever below.
A scared dog will tense up, try to avoid conflict, and crouch with their tail and rear tucked under in an attempt to look smaller. This is where it gets more complicated because some scared dogs are very good at using aggression to stay safe.
A confrontational dog will also tense up but will try to appear larger. This tension arises because they’re worried about something in their environment. Whether they respond by fight, freeze, or flight depends on their prior experiences, learning, and personality.
Calming Signals
Calming signals are the name given to behaviour changes, by Turid Rugaas. As a natural behaviour, calming signals can also be described as mild or extreme. Some people simply call them signs of anxiety or stress.
A dog will use these signs to show other dogs, people and other animals that it means no harm and is trying hard to defuse any kind of tension. The dog can also use them to calm himself, even when left completely alone. It can be either conscious or unconscious, depending on the situation and the individual dog.
When we try to teach dogs something new, we must look out for calming signals, to check for any signals of worry or stress.
Mild signs of stress can include:
A big nose lick
Glancing away and back
Lip licking
Looking to the distance
Pulling back the lips, maybe in a submissive grin
Lifting a front paw
Yawning
It’s important to look out for calming signals and change your tactics if they start to appear, because it means the dog is feeling pressured or confused.
If the basic mild calming signals do not alleviate the feeling of anxiety, by being properly accepted and adapted to, and the dog continues to feel anxious or stressed, other calming signals will appear.
These can include:
Cowering
Drooling
Dropping to the ground either rolling on his back or crouching over his stomach
Freezing, maybe tucking the tail
Panting
Urinating
Walking slowly
Dogs also use body language to express confusion by showing behaviour out of context - commonly called displacement behaviour.
This type of response means the dog is experiencing two conflicting thoughts or emotions, such as a desire to please but also anxiety because he doesn’t know how or what is expected of him.
Common displacement behaviours include sniffing the floor, fetching a toy, some calming signals, even snuffling and sneezing.
Dogs may scratch themselves as if they have a serious itch, pace around or try to get you to play. If the approach is not changed at this point, the dog’s confidence will drop. He may start to show appeasement signals such as licking and crouching, dropping his eyes and head, or rolling on his back.
At this point, these are clear signs of confusion, the best thing to do is give them space and remove any pressure that’s in the situation.
You will learn the latest and most impactful scientific research on canine emotional wellness. Explore how the work of many leading scientists has shaped our understanding of canine emotions, and discover how awareness of their emotional experiences can foster stronger, more empathetic relationships with your dog.
Topics Covered:
Modern and traditional research on canine emotions.
How to recognise emotional states in dogs.
What we know (and don’t) about dogs’ emotional lives.
Cultivating optimism in our dogs.
Practical strategies for emotional balance.
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