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March 30th
Dogs are great communicators. They can use their body to express a wide range of emotions, to reduce conflict, and to express a desire to play.
Humans, however, aren’t always very good at reading this body language. We may be able to understand what a dog wants when they bark, but we often miss subtle signs that dogs are trying to communicate to us.
Here, we’ll help you pick up on what your dog is trying to communicate to you. This will help you more easily build a trusting relationship with your puppy.
Dogs have developed a wide variety of ways to tell each other that they mean no harm. Relaxed ears, wagging tail, and an open mouth—these are all signs from a dog that they are content and willing to play.
If you see these signs from a dog, you’ll want to respond in kind and show that you are also willing to play. This will help you both feel at ease, and lessen the chances of any miscommunication.
Dogs are incredibly social creatures. They have developed a lot of different signs to communicate with each other and tell others how they feel.
You’ve probably noticed that dogs behave a certain way around other dogs that are getting too nosy. They may start to yawn, flick their ears, or look down. These are all ways that they try to tell other dogs that they are getting a bit too close.
If you notice your dog making these signs around you, it could be that they are asking for a bit of space.
Remember, dogs are very cautious around each other, and often circle around for a while before approaching. If you run up and give your dog a big hug, this can sometimes surprise them a bit.
Humans greet each other by making strong eye contact. This is our way of conveying interest in another person, and making them feel at ease.
But dogs are quite different. Eye contact is infrequent, and often used as a form of dominance. In fact, too much eye contact will make dogs nervous, and they will try to avoid it as much as possible.
If you try to make too much eye contact with your dog, this may make them nervous and sometimes even aggressive. Remember, no matter how cute your puppy is, they are not a human. Don’t expect them to behave like one.
When dogs meet, they circle around, brush each other’s sides, and, yes, smell each other’s butts. We don’t recommend following this process exactly. But you should learn from how dogs communicate with each other and use some of it with your own dog, as well as new dogs you meet.
Try to approach slowly and let them sniff you. Don’t make too much eye contact, and don’t hug or touch them right away. Let them approach you and greet you, and you can respond with similar gestures.
Over time, you will be able to more directly approach your dog, and they will be more comfortable doing the same with you.
Why take the time to learn how to better communicate with your dog? It’ll help you build a stronger bond, and develop a relationship based on respect and trust.
Still looking for the perfect puppy to bond with? Head over to our puppy finder to find the dog of your dreams.
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