Dog Language

You proud yourself as a responsible dog owner, we get it but do you know what a dog language is?

Your dog barks, growls, chew things and runs behind them.

The list is a never-ending one, right?

All these aren’t just random acts out of nothing but on the contrary, everything makes sense if you know how to speak dog language!

He’ll use everything in his capacity to help you understand what’s bothering him or what he’s feeling at that moment.

See, your dog usually greets you in certain dog facial expression, he sees you as a friend who knows him and will respond to him.

Your dog always tries to tell you something by his acts.

Now, it’s upon you to understand this dog language.

Here, we’ll tell you why your dog is doing what he’s doing and make you understand the dog body language.

All these might come as quite overwhelming to a new dog parent.

Being fluent in dog language will help you in combating some social skill problems that might be present in your four-legged companion.

You can always take lessons from a dog language translator but you got to start from somewhere on your own.

So, have we succeeded in hyping you up to read this article?

If yes, then start scrolling!

1. Barking:

The signs indicating the problem:

• The dog body language should be your main focal point if you’re experiencing such abnormal dog behavior. 

• If your dog is showing signs of being in distress, he might be suffering from dog separation anxiety. 

• However, if there weren’t any such signs then he might be doing it out of boredom.

• You should not let this become a habit though and with dog training commands can stop dog barking.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Dog Barking is one of the main modes of expression for dogs.

• The dogs use it to express their anxieties, stress, and whatnot. 

• However, excessive dog barking is an issue and needs to be dealt with seriously.

• This way of a loud dog barking can be anything from barking at every moving thing or at every other stranger nearby the dog.

Dogisworld Facts: Your dog can get triggered by anything and start barking. If it’s repetitive, the first thing to do is to find the reason for this bark.

2. Fighting/Playing:

The signs indicating the problem:

• There are some clear indications that can tell if they are only playing with each other. 

• First, it’s the role reversals which means that at one time one is dog chasing, dog biting and next it’s the other dog doing the same thing. 

• Another clear sign is the fake dog biting which is by keeping mouths open while pretending to bite.

• The dog facial expression can also be a good parameter to judge the aggression.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Dog fighting or dog playing can be usually seen in a yard or a park where two dogs may start growling and physically engaging with each other.   

• You can differentiate whether it’s a form of a playing or fighting by looking at their dog body language with each other.   

• The dog aggression with which they are interacting with each other can also tell a lot about whether it’s a game or a fight.

Dogisworld Facts: If you see two dogs engaging with each other, At first glance, you won’t really be able to tell whether they’re playing or are in a fight with each other.

3. Peeing Indoors:

The signs indicating the problem:

• There are some clear ways we can interpret what is the meaning of such abnormal dog behavior.  

• If your dog is showing signs of dog anxiety such as hiding himself, worry lines on the head then it’s could be a case of a medical emergency.

• However, if he’s behaving normally and being playful then it’s pretty normal and a good dog house training will do the job.

The meaning behind the problem:

• In many cases, dog peeing indoors can be an anxious moment for the dog parent.

• A lot of it has to do with house training a dog which includes not allowing the dog to pee indoors. 

• However, this could also be due to some hiding medical condition which needs immediate dog treatment.

Dogisworld Facts: Sudden peeing indoors is likely to happen when your dog is frightened by something or had a change of habit from some external factor.

4. Growling/Snarling:

The signs indicating the problem:

• Growling when combined with conditions such as dog staring at nothing, not letting go of something are the clear signs of frightening.   

• In the case of playing, there can also be a growling dog, snapping but the overall body structure is in a relaxed state.

• The signs of dog stress shouldn’t be ignored as there could be medical conditions involved which could be particularly dangerous to the dog.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Growling/ Snarling accompanied by aggression are all clear indications of a dog frightened by something.

• However, dogs also do these things while playing so you need to differentiate between these two things.

• A dog can get scared due to a number of reasons such as dog separation anxiety or if they are protecting someone or something.

Dogisworld Facts: Growling or Snarling usually is a sign of your dog being threatened and or is protecting something.

5. Destroying By Chewing:

The signs behind the problem:

• If there are dog chewing problems with no abnormal aggression then it’s mostly curious chewing.

• In case of abnormal dog chewing, there are always conditions like chewing when the dog is alone or chewing the exit routes such as doors, windows.

• There are a number of ways you can treat this problem, one way is teaching your dog what should and what is not to be chewed.

• Making your dog get used to separation from you is another way of keeping this abnormal dog behavior to a minimum.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Destroying by chewing things can be very normal behavior for dogs.   

• This is because dogs use chewing to discover the things around which is good for the development of your dog. 

• However, if there’s a hint of aggression attached to it then there can be a condition in your dog.

• Such abnormal dog behavior can be due to a number of reasons such as dog separation anxiety, dog illness, and whatnot.

Dogisworld Facts: Your dog destroying things by chewing could be because he’s either exercising his jaws or is suffering from some condition like separation anxiety.

6. Jumping On Strangers:

The signs indicating the problem:

• This is not a complex gesture, dogs simply do it by jumping and standing with their back legs to greet people.

• However, you have to make sure that he has a correct dog body language.

• You should try and make his greeting look like a friendly one and not something that intimidates the guest.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Jumping on people is a dog behavior that can be traced back to the ancestry of the dogs. 

• Dogs do it simply to reach the face of the human. 

• This can be interpreted as an act of dog greeting a human which it most probably is under all circumstances.

Dogisworld Facts: Jumping on someone new is basically your dog’s version of saying “Hello” to that person. 

7. Pulling The Leash:

The signs indicating the problem:

• While he’s pulling the leash, you should have a closer look on his body language. 

• If he has a stressed dog body language like putting forearms down and sticking his backside in the air that means something’s bothering him. 

• However, if he has a relaxed dog posture with a loose body and bouncy feet then it’s at a completely normal state. 

The meaning behind the problem:

• Pulling his leash can mean different things in a situation for a dog. Here again, dog body language is the answer to all the questions.

• One of the reasons could be that dogs don’t get used to the speed of walking along leading to pulling their leash.  

• There also could be something that is troubling your dog in the first place which is resulting in a dog pulling leash. 

Dogisworld Facts: A dog will pull his leash if he’s distressed from something or simply he’s just being a dog.

8. Ignoring:

The signs indicating the problem:

• While you’re calling the dog, he continues to be in his state.

• The dog has his nose to the ground, the tail is pointing up and no sort of attention to what you’re telling him to do.

• There might be something else in his vicinity that is getting his attention more than your dog commands.

The meaning behind the problem:

• When you try calling your dog and he’s not responding to you indicates he isn’t getting what you’re telling him to do. 

• The reason for such a behavior is perhaps your dog training isn’t enough.  

• Also, there are changes from the classroom to the outside world where it might be hard for him to comprehend your taught dog commands.

• You are maybe using a too small dog treats which is not catching the attention of your dog.

Dogisworld Facts: Ignoring your call indicates that your dog simply hasn’t learned the command which you’re trying to call him by.

9. Early Biting:

The signs indicating the problem:

• You can look for the dog body language to check if your dog is in distress or not.

• If there’s a loose dog posture, the tail is wagging then he’s in a perfectly normal condition.

• However, if there are signs of distress like a tucked tail, making small body structure then you have to check what is bothering him at that time.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Puppies are used to biting everything. This is the most common thing among all dog breeds.

• They generally bite things to explore the world which is around them. 

• However, if there was something in the past that caused dog fear then he will try to attack it by the means of biting.

Dogisworld Facts: Biting is just a way by which your dog is discovering his world. But, if there are distress signs attached you need to take things seriously. 

10. Chasing:

The sign indicating the problem:

• Dog chasing is something that comes most naturally to a dog.

• It’s something that he’s got from his ancestors.

• This habit shouldn’t be something that amuses you as an owner as there are serious chances of getting a dog injury in this process.

• Also, a habit such as this can also cause injury to family members especially small kids in his vicinity by movement.

The meaning behind the problem:

• Basically, whatever your dog sees moving, he’ll try to chase and get it. Be it cars, delivery men or whatnot, your dog will give it a chase. 

• However, you shouldn’t let this become one of the dog habits.

• The basic repercussions you can implement is keeping a dog leash when you take him outside.

• There are also dog treats which can help you in controlling your dog by diverting his attention from a nearby moving object.

Dogisworld Facts: Chasing is something that comes naturally to a dog. This usually happens as it’s in his instinct to chase something that is moving.

This was all about dog language from our corner.

Wait! We would really love to hear back from you in the comment section.

Do tell us if you tried understanding what your four-legged companion was trying to say in his dog language.

Or, if you’ve mastered some of these skills do tell us what are they and how did you do it?

As always you can reach to us in the comment section for anything and everything related to dogs.

Happy Petting To You Guys!