Long before the growling or biting discussed in our article on aggression, dogs constantly communicate their emotional state through a rich body-language vocabulary that is often misread by humans.

Calming signals

These subtle signals, described notably by ethologist Turid Rugaas, allow a dog to defuse tension or express discomfort without resorting to aggression:

  • Lip licking outside a feeding context
  • Yawning outside a tiredness context
  • Looking or turning the head away
  • Freezing or slowing down movements
  • Shaking off after a tense interaction, as if to "shed" accumulated stress

Learning to recognise these early signals allows you to step in before a situation escalates, directly following on from what we discussed in our article on managing aggression.

General body posture

A relaxed posture: weight evenly distributed across all four paws, supple movements, tail in a position neutral for the breed.

A tense posture: rigid body, weight shifted forward (offensive posture) or backward (defensive posture), raised hackles along the back.

Ears and tail: indicators to read in context

Contrary to a simplistic reading, the position of the ears and tail must always be interpreted according to context and each breed's specific build — a wagging tail does not systematically mean joy; it can also accompany a state of tense excitement or anxious agitation.

Why this skill matters day to day

Whether it's anticipating a tense situation between two dogs (see our article on introducing a new dog into a household), recognising stress in a competing dog (see our article on competition preparation), or simply better understanding your own dog day to day, reading body language remains a cross-cutting skill that directly improves the quality of the relationship between a dog and its owner.

A skill that is learned and refined

Contrary to a sometimes overestimated intuition, reading canine body language accurately requires real learning — watching videos commented on by professionals, attending dedicated training, or simply attentively observing your own dog in varied situations all help develop this essential skill progressively.

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