When we think of communication, we generally think of words and other vocal communication. Your dog however uses much more than just sound to communicate. Body language can tell you a great deal about your dog, and actually it tells you more than any noises he might make. If you pay attention to your dog’s body language you can really begin to understand what your dog might be thinking and what he might be thinking of doing before it happens. With attention, you will be able to assess your dog’s comfort with whatever is going on around him.
Emotional cues your dog gives you:
4Dominant
The top of the pecking order in a pack is where many dogs want to be. Dominance is something that is established in a pack and your dog will also want to determine where he falls in his own personal pack. When your dog is trying to get to the top of the group, you will see that your dog attempts to make himself look as big as he can, standing up tall, hair standing up to build up body size, and an alert physical posture with body and eyes and ears.
A dog challenging for dominance will make direct eye contact with the dog or person it is trying to be dominant over. When the other dog chooses to stand up to your dog, they may take things to the next level to determine top dog, but if the other dog shows deferential behavior, the situation rapidly diffuses. When a dog tries to be dominant over people you need to address this immediately. This can rapidly become dangerous for the people as the dog may choose to attack to establish its dominance. Behavior modification to address a dog who is not submissive to humans will need to be an immediate priority for everyone’s safety.
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