The Secret Language of Dogs

When you get home from work after a long day your furry friend greets you at the door.

His tail is wagging and he's licking your face letting you know how much he missed you all day.

Although your dog can't speak to you, he communicates with you by his body language!

Research shows that dogs have their own way of communicating with their owners, as well as with other dogs.

Any dog owner will tell you that their four-legged family members speak volumes with their bodies.

Here are some typical body language signals dogs use:

Face: Dogs will wrinkle or straighten their foreheads to show confusion or determination.

Eyes: A dog’s eyes brighten when he looks at a creature he considers friendly. When he is afraid, his pupils dilate and he shows the whites of his eyes.

Lips, teeth and tongue: If your dog is happy or wants to play, he may pull his lips back and show his teeth in what appears to be a smile. This is a gesture that is reserved only for human/dog communication; a dog will not do this with other dogs.

Ears: If a dog’s ears are raised, he is relaxed or listening. If they are back, he might be signaling submission.

Tail: A recent study shows that the way a dog wags its tail indicates how he feels. If the tail wags more to the right, it is a sign of positive feelings; left-side wagging indicates negative feelings.

Barking: Just like their human owners, dogs like to talk. However, unlike body signals, barking can represent different things to different dogs. The pitch or volume of the bark will increase with the dog’s level of emotion.

Communicating with your dog can be easy- you just have to open your eyes, ears and hearts to understand what they are trying to say!