Talking the Talk: Dog Body Language, Part I

Isn’t it weird to think that dogs are the only species that has evolved directly beside us as human beings?  Whether it was for guarding, herding, hunting, or just to keep us company, every single dog breed was created because we needed them for one reason or another.  And yet, for someone who has been at their side for over 16,000 years, we’re not too fluent in their language!  While most people can take a look at a dog and tell if they’re generally scared or angry or happy, there are several smaller signals and motions that many of us may miss.  In fact, there are some subtleties to dog language that we are still learning!  Here at daycare, we spend a lot of time studying the nuances of dog body language.  It’s a critical skill that is invaluable when you are supervising a room filled with twenty (or more) dogs.  Here are some of the sentences and phrases we see every day from our own canine students:

Let’s start with something simple: Play!  Play behavior is usually very loose and wiggly, but it can change in style depending on the type of dog.  Bully breeds, for example, are more muscular dogs and tend to be pushy and loud when tussling with friends.  Retrievers, meanwhile, often prefer to have a toy in their mouth while they play.  Here, Max – the spotted spaniel mix – is laying on the ground and his mouth is slightly open while his lips are loose.  His front legs are slightly spread apart and not directly in front of his body, while his back legs are off to the side.  It’s not easy to get up from this position quickly, so Max is showing that he is comfortable and trusts Roxie, the Vizsla.  He’s saying, “Hi Roxie!  Won’t you come play with me?”

Then, Max rolls over.  Sometimes a dog presenting their belly is seen as a dog that might be afraid.  But Max is a very confident dog.  He is showing Roxie his belly to let her know that he isn’t a threat.  Roxie tends to be very assertive when she plays.  This isn’t necessarily a bad style of play; all dogs have different play styles, just like children.  Max knows that Roxie likes to be in charge and is letting her know that he’s alright with her calling the shots.  In return, Roxie gives him a sniff.  Dogs sniffing each other is a fairly well-known polite behavior, but a dog inviting a sniff is even more polite: it’s the difference between saying, “Hello,” and, “Good afternoon.”

Roxie responds perfectly!  She says, “Of course I’ll play with you!” with one of the most recognizable words in dog language.  With her forelegs out, head down, and rear high in the air with her tail straight up, she is showing a textbook play bow.  It’s a combination that’s unmistakable: the game is on!  Dogs will often play bow right in the middle of a game.  It lets their friends know that they’re still having lots of fun.  Max’s tail is held horizontally and is swishing back and forth.  He’s ready to go!

Sometimes play can get a little awkward.  We see this a lot with young dogs who are still working out the kinks of communication.  Xavier the Great Dane is a huge dog!  Though his body language is wonderful, especially for a ten month old puppy, his size sometimes intimidates his friends.  Mugen, the brown lab mix, climbs up onto the play gym to get a better survey of the situation.  His ears are forward and his legs are very straight and tense.  He’s saying, “Hey.  I want to play with you, but I want to be in charge!” Xavier, meanwhile, isn’t sure how to take his new, lower, perspective.  He lifts one paw off of the ground to say, “Please don’t be upset with me.  I just want to be friends!”  Raising one paw is one of many of what dog behaviorists call a calming signal, which a dog will usually display when they want the approaching dog or person to relax (or even outright cease and desist).

Like with any interaction, sometimes one dog wants one thing and the other dog wants something different.  Here, Pons – the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel on the left – really wants a friend to frolic with.  He bounds up to Gigi.  She’s a real rocket and loves to play, but usually on her own terms!  She is turning her head away from Pons.  It might seem rude to us, but it’s actually a very polite behavior!  This is another example of a calming signal.  Gigi is saying, “I see you, Pons.  But I’d rather not play with you right now.”

So what happens if dogs don’t always see eye-to-eye?  Just like us, dogs can and do have disagreements.  This is one of the most important, yet difficult, parts of supervising any group of dogs! We, as daycare staff, must recognize these behaviors and minimize those disagreements: making certain that the dogs understand both us and each other to then maximize the number of positive play interactions.

Come back next week when we take a closer look at some daycare disputes!