2. Canine Body Language

Question 1

What are some possibly responses to a stimulus?

Answer 1

Freeze, fight or flight

Question 2

How do dogs communicate?

Answer 2

Eyes, ears, muzzle, posture, hair coat, tail

Question 3

How can you use eyes to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 3

How open are the eye lids?
Widely separated - “whale eyes”, white of eyes visible, sign or arousal or fear

Question 4

How can you use ears to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 4

Position of the ears. Middle of head - relaxed
Middle of head, raised + unsure (airplane ears)
Retracted along neck: fear, submission/appeasement, play - ALWAYS retracted during a bite
Pointing forwards: alert, interested, possible attack

Question 5

How can you use muzze to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 5

Normal: Jaw closed, jaw open w/ tongue out, relaxed muzzle
Anxious/defensive/aggressive: Licking lips, yawning, drooling, close mouth prior to biting

Muzzle retracted, teeth may show - all teeth (defensive) only front teeth (aggressive)

Question 6

How can you use posture + center of gravity to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 6

Relaxed - weight evenly distributed
Invitation to play - Play bow, rocked back w/ front legs lowered
Anxious - C shape spine, head aversion, moves away
Submissive - Body lowered, tail low, lying down, belly exposed
Aroused - leaning forward, head outstretched

Question 7

How can you use tails to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 7

wagging from base is usually friendly
Short stiff wages, tip of erect tail = aggressive

Question 8

How can you use haircoat to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 8

Piloerection - a sign of anxiety or offense

Question 9

How can you use the overall appearance to guess the dog’s mood?

Answer 9

Focused on something else, look at all clues and approach with caution if not focused on you
Arousal - tail up, eyes soft, ears relaxed, assessing situation
Submissive - low body, ears not flat, no teeth showing, ears + tail close to body
Fear/anxious - head looking away, whale eye, body tucked up

Question 10

Ladder of stress signs

Answer 10

 Yawning, blinking, nose licking
 Turning head away
 Turning body away, sitting,
pawing
 Walking away
 Creeping, ears back
 Standing, crouched, tail tucked
under
 Lying down, leg up
 Stiffening up, staring
 Teeth exposed
 Growling
 Snapping