Pet-Worthy
Learn your dog’s body language by CATHERINE TOTH
It can be hard to understand other humans so figuring out what your dog is telling you can be a real challenge. Karen Hashimoto, a veteran dog trainer with nearly 20 years of experience working with all sorts of breeds, says correctly reading your dog’s body language can help in understanding what he wants or needs.
Averted eyes signals that he’s submissive.
But it takes more than just deciphering his actions. “The main thing is that with a lot of these body languages, what your dog does is very situational and not every situation is the same,” says Hashimoto, who owns Kolohe K-9. “You have to take it with the context.” Here are some common dog behaviors and what they could possibly mean.
YAWNING Like humans, dogs yawn when they’re tired. But that’s not the only reason for the deep inhale, Hashimoto says. Yawning is often used a calming signal, either for themselves or for others around them. For example, if a dog is nervous at the vet’s office, she might yawn repeatedly to calm herself down. “Sometimes dogs yawn at other dogs or people to calm them down,” she says. “It tells the other party, ‘Chill.’” The best way to determine the meaning of the yawn is to look at the situation. If she yawns while stretched out comfortably in her bed, she’s probably just tired. But if she yawns in a stressful situation, she’s likely trying to calm down. LICKING Dogs may lick themselves when they’re nervous or stressed. 10
Sometimes they’ll lick their nose, flicking so quickly it’s almost hard to detect. It often happens when a dog is approaching another dog or when you speak to him in an angry voice. This licking may be a way for the pooch to calm himself down. “Most people don’t see this because it happens so fast,” Hashimoto says. “The dog could just be itchy. But it could also be a calming signal. It all depends on the situation.” WAGGING TAIL A wagging tail is often assumed to mean the dog is happy and friendly. But that’s not always the case. “You can’t just read one portion of the dog’s body language,” Hashimoto says. “You have to take into consideration what’s happening with the entire body.”