Monday-Friday Noon to 5pm •
Saturday & Sunday 11am-5pm
Did you
know?
Understanding a
dog’s body language
When you see this paw, you can click on
it to learn more.
Nervous
Brandi, the dog in the picture to the right,
is nervous and fearful! You can tell by her
ears folded back, the licking of the snout, and
the hidden tail. Her back is arched. She is
looking for safety from her handler, as you can
tell by her leaning into the person who is
holding her.
More on dogs’ body
language
Unsure Axel, on the left,
looks up to his handler for guidance. He is not
quite sure what is expected of him, as you can
tell by the dropped back ears, and the hunched
back.
Confident /
Relaxed
Missy (above) is comfortable. Her ears are
relaxed but listening, her tail lays on her
back. She is slightly interested in something
on her right, as you can see by her body
leaning in that direction.
Aggression
The folded back ears on an aggressive dog are
folded flat against the head, almost
“tucked under”. This comes from
their readiness to fight: They fold the ears
flat against the head, so the opponent cannot
bite them off.
Alert
Smokey (right) is interested in something in
front of him. His body leans forward, his ears
are a bit open to hear better, and his mouth is
slightly opened. His legs are spread apart a
bit. He is ready to get in the action if there
should be any.
Fear
Hardy (above) is very afraid of the camera
flash. He is making a mad dash to exit, his
ears are folded back in apprehension and his
eyes are wide open, like a kid’s when he
gets caught doing something wrong.
Dominance
TC (left) is letting other dogs know that he
will not be messed with. His mouth is open, his
teeth can be seen, his ears are tight (not
relaxed), his tail is stiff and pointing
upward. TC is ready to show anyone who’s
the boss.
Curious
Skeeter (above) wants to know what’s
going on behind the fence. His whole body is
relaxed and the mouth is wide open in a playful
mood. Skeeter adopted our
webmaster
When you see this paw, you can click on
it to learn more.
Alert
