Body Language - The Ears

So many ears! All different shapes and sizes from small and pointy to big and floppy and everything in between.

Like all other body parts of a dog, the ears will indicate the state of mind that a dog is in. And like all other body parts you can tell your dog is relaxed and happy when his ears are in their natural position; whatever that may be.

The following list indicates the position a dog's ears will be depending on his state of mind. Of course some breeds ears are not physically capable of providing as much information as others so you will need to consider the situation, and what the rest of your dog's body is telling you.

• Alert - ears are raised and will turn towards a sound
• Aggressive - ears pinned back
• Anxious - ears partially back
• Dominant - ears are up and alert
• Fearful - ears flat back
• Playful - ears are up
• Relaxed - ears are in their natural position
• Submissive - ears are flattened

Are you listening to what your dog's ears are telling you?

Body Language - The Eyes

We say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. When it comes to our canine companions, it can also be a window into their emotions. Remember that old expression "sad puppy dog eyes"? The next time you look at a dog, study her eyes closely. Are they bright? Do they appear large or small? Are they studying you?

Size Matters

A dog's eyes will appear different sizes depending how they feeling.

Normal size generally indicates:

• happy
• relaxed
• friendly
• alert

 Larger than normal size generally indicates:

• frightened
• stressed
• aggressive

Smaller than normal size generally indicates:

• frightened
• stressed
• in pain

You probably noticed that a frightened or stressed dog could have either smaller or larger than normal eye size. So you really have to take into account the situation and look at the rest of the dog's body to make an accurate assessment.


Direction

If a dog looks right at you with relaxed features (remember those puppy eyes) then she is happy, relaxed and probably looking for you to notice and give her some attention.

If a dog stares at you with tense features it can indicate that she is challenging you or trying to look threatening to you. If you don't know the dog, it would be a good idea to look away. In dog language that is like saying you mean no harm.





If a dog doesn't turn towards you but stares at you from the corner of her eye with her head lowered then beware. This is known as "whale eye". The whites of the eyes are large and shaped like crescents.

This dog is under stress or is guarding something and could turn aggressive if approached.