Reading your Dog's Body Language

By: Allyson Smith We may not realize it, but every movement our dogs make communicate their feelings. The position of their ears, tail, head and even fur can indicate whether they are feeling aggressive, fearful, submissive, or playful. Learning to read these signs is not only helpful in creating a stronger bond between owner and pet, but also for avoiding potentially dangerous situations. Below are some general guidelines for reading your dogs body language to determine how he/she is feeling. Fear: A dog who is demonstrating fear will usually pull her ears all the way back and keep them low on the head. She will avert her eyes and try to avoid looking at you or anyone who approaches. She may be panting heavily, trembling, and may growl and/or show her teeth. Some fearful dogs will make "puppy yelps" or high-pitched yipping noises or whines. Her tail will likely be tucked between her legs and her body will be tense. Many times, a dog who is afraid will crouch low to the ground, not move or may try to hide behind her owner or under pieces of furniture. Dogs who are very afraid may express their anal glands which smell terrible. If your dog is demonstrating fear, it is best to keep visitors away as she may "fear bite" and injure someone. Aggression: The most obvious sign of an aggressive dog is that both lips will be drawn tightly back showing most, if not all, of his teeth. His ears may either be forward or back but will be held close to the head and usually don't move. Aggressive dogs will look directly at you with narrowed eyes. They usually emit a low growl or grumble. The fur down their spine ("hackles") is usually up and they may be snapping their jaws. The body will be tense and the tail is usually straight out from the body or up in the air and held firmly in position. You may even notice that the hair on the tail appears puffed up. If you spot an aggressive dog, or your dog is showing signs of aggression, you should walk away or take your dog out of the current situation. Submission: A submissive dog can show some signs similar to fear because she is trying to demonstrate that she is not a threat. Her ears will usually be held back, either partially or completely. Her body posture is often crouched a bit and she may be tilting her head sideways to look up at you, rather than look directly upward. Her tail will be held low or tucked between her legs, but you may still notice her wagging the tip of her tail. Some submissive dogs will "smile" which can be difficult to tell apart from snarling. Usually, a smile is lopsided whereas a snarl is relatively symmetrical. However, if teeth are ever shown, be sure to ask an owner before approaching their dog. A submissive dog may urinate on the floor when you approach or express her anal glands. In a play situation, a submissive dog may raise one paw, or roll on her back. Happy / Playful: A happy dog will have his ears forward with his tail in the air and wagging. His body will be loose and he won't appear stiff. Often times, the whole back end will wag with the tail. His will look at you with wide eyes and may be barking. A happy dog will investigate his environment sniffing around. His body will not be held low, nor his tail tucked. He will not be snarling and showing his teeth and his tongue may be hanging loosely out the side of his mouth. Even if a dog appears happy, always be sure to ask his owner before approaching him. Some happy dogs can become fearful around strangers. In a playful situation, a happy dog may roll on his back or play bow, which is when he bows the front of his body to the ground and leaves his back end in the air. Alert: An alert dog will have her ears up and forward. She will make direct eye contact and her head may be cocked to the side as if she is listening to something. Her body may lean forward and she will be standing tall. Whereas dogs in all of the other states described are likely to have their mouths open panting, growling or barking, an alert dog will usually keep their mouth closed. Her hackles may be raised or flat, or may go up and down dependent upon what she hears or sees. She will seem attentive and focused. Be careful when approaching an alert dog. If you are what has alerted her, her attitude may change rapidly to fear or aggression as you approach. Always remember, ask the owners permission before approaching any new dog and heed the warning signs! Case of the Month: The Importance of Yearly Examinations and Vaccinations By: Dr. Jenny Sing For all pets, regardless of age, their annual physical examination that accompanies the vaccinations is an important tool in evaluating your pets' overall health. For many pet owners, this is the only time of the year in which their pet is evaluated. And owners should use this time to ask questions about their pet, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, and discuss any concerns they may have. The physical examination may seem routine to the untrained eye, but in reality it is a very comprehensive evaluation of many systems. On the pets' head alone, we are looking at the eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, lymph nodes and salivary glands. We can see age related changes such as cataracts, eye and ear infections, gum disease, oral tumors, etc. We are listening to their heart and lungs to evaluate the rate, rhythm, lung sounds and presence of murmurs or other problem signs. The abdomen is palpated as your veterinarian watches and feels for any signs of pain, distension or presence of masses, internal and external, and the mammary glands and checked for new or growing lumps/bumps, discharge or sensitivity. The anal area is looked at to be sure that there are not problems with defecation, anal masses or glandular problems. Your pets' weight is recorded at each visit to monitor significant changes either up or down. Weight fluctuations can simply be related to dietary changes or may be a big signal that there are underlying issues such as diabetes, thyroid disease or liver and kidney problems. Your veterinarian will most likely question you about a lot of your pets' behaviors, such as their water consumption, urination, diet, sleep patterns, etc. Many of your answers can give your vet vital clues in the search for underlying problems. Why do vets look so carefully for these underlying problems? Because when found early, your pets' prognosis for treatment and improvement are much greater. It is generally healthier (and more cost effective!) to prevent disease than to treat it. Pets over seven years old qualify for AARP. Well, not entirely, but we do refer to pets as seniors once they reach seven years old ("seniors at seven" program). For pets that are seven or older, we recommend running annual blood and urine tests to monitor kidney and liver functions and help catch disease early on. Some of the common problems that we screen for are diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and thyroid disease. All of these problems can be life-threatening if left untreated. Early recognition and treatment is the key. If a heart murmur is found on your pets' yearly examination, your vet will recommend doing some tests to evaluate the function of the heart. Baseline EKG and chest x-rays are done to look at the overall shape and size of the heart. If needed, we may recommend an ultrasound of the heart to look more in depth. This looks inside the heart at each of the chambers and at the valves and identifies specifically where the problem is. This allows us to better evaluate how the heart is working, the prognosis of the problem and make assessments about what medications may be necessary in order to help the heart work more efficiently. Please make sure to utilize your appointment to the fullest. Set up a time that you are not in a rush and bring a list of questions and/or concerns that you may have so they can be discussed. We want to address your pets' overall health as well as maintain the vaccination status to help your pet live the longest, happiest life possible!