Although you’re never going to be able to have a debate on the meaning of life or the merits of dog chow with your dog, you can get a lot of information from your dog by watching her body language. In fact, once you figure out the signals, you can begin to predict what she’ll do next. If you watch your dog, you can detect when she’s feeling excitable, fearful, or aggressive, so you can anticipate and prepare for her actions before they occur.
Many dog signals are universal. When a dog has her rear end up and front end down with her tail wagging in a "play bow" you can be pretty sure she is trying to invite someone (canine or human) to play. However, some signals depend on the dog. For example, right now my dog Cami is wandering around the hallway carrying a chew toy. She is making rrr-ing noises and has flattened ears and squinty eyes. If you didn’t know her, you might think that the flattened ears and vocalizations mean that she being aggressive or afraid. But nothing could be further from the truth. For Cami, these mannerisms signal that she is very proud of herself and wants everyone to know just how wonderful she is.
Even though tails, ears and eyes can be a great indicator of canine mood, a lot depends on the breed. Some dogs carry their tails and ears higher than others. Cami is half Samoyed, so her tail normally curls over her back. If her tail is low, she’s unhappy or afraid. But greyhounds or whippets naturally hold their tails this way, so unlike Cami, a greyhound with its tail between its legs may be perfectly happy.
Because of these differences, it can be very difficult to "read" a strange dog. This difficulty is why the staff at the shelter take many safety precautions when working with the dogs they receive. It takes time and observation to learn a dog’s body language and not doing so can result in serious injury. So be careful when you encounter a dog you don’t know. Most dog bites are really just the result of a failure to communicate.
Next time…more common canine mannerisms and what they mean.