Communication
Reading Dog Body Language
Dogs communicate continuously and subtly. Learning the early signals prevents most bites and most misunderstandings.
Look at the whole dog
A wagging tail is not a reliable indicator of friendliness. A high, stiff, fast wag signals arousal, while a low loose sweep signals relaxation. Read the tail alongside the ears, mouth, eyes, weight distribution and speed of movement.
Early warning signals
These appeasement and stress signals come long before a growl. Respond to them and the dog rarely needs to escalate.
- Lip licking when no food is present
- Yawning when not tired
- Turning the head away, or looking away with a whale eye showing white
- Freezing or slowing down
- Shaking off as though wet when dry
- Scratching or sniffing the ground suddenly in a social situation
Never punish a growl
A growl is valuable information: the dog is telling you it is uncomfortable rather than biting. Punishing growling teaches dogs to skip the warning, which produces the bites that owners describe as coming from nowhere.
Children and dogs
Most bites to children happen at home with a familiar dog. Teach children not to approach a dog that is eating, sleeping or in its bed, and to let the dog come to them. Supervise actively — being in the same room is not supervision.