Read your Dog’s Face to Understand Dog Behavior Problems

12 Jun 2011

12 Jun, 2011 Dog Training

People have trouble understanding or getting along with people from other cultures; how could it be fair to expect anyone to understand canine culture? Many people try to get a handle on the way their dog behaves by simply trying to get their dog to conform to whatever it is that they want. When things don't go too well, they tell themselves that what they're witnessing is a dog behavior problem. Not to write off the possibility that such a problem could exist, one really needs to know how to understand a dog on his level before labeling him in any way. For instance, did you know that you could read a dog’s facial expressions?

It certainly can be done. Now before you actually sit down and hold your pet’s gaze, you need to know something about dog culture. Dogs don't like being looked at that way. They think it's a stare-down contest. Have you ever seen two dogs in a standoff where they stare at each other without giving an inch? When you gaze into their eyes, they think it's that kind of situation. If you do make the mistake of looking into your dog's eyes and he seems to take it is a challenge, you'll see him tense up and stare right back. Try to defuse the situation as another dog would – gently look away. Your dog will just shake himself and accept your apology.

Well, so much for reading your dog’s facial expressions the wrong way. The right way would be to look at your dog’s eyes on the sly – not directly. If you dog’s eyes are kind of crinkled, that means it's a smile. People crinkle their eyes too when they smile. A dog’s eyes often seem to be all iris. Normally, you don't get to see the whites of your dog's eyes. When you do, sometimes, it can just mean that he's sleepy. Most of the time, the dog isn't pleased when he looks up or to the side. Basically, if you can see the whites, check for other signs of aggression – lips curled in a snarl, clenching anywhere, and so on. Dog trainers actually call this the whale-eyed look. If you see this kind of thing often, that's a way of knowing that you have a dog behavior problem on your hands. Once in a while though, and you'll be okay. But only if you have the good sense to clear out before you get bitten.

A dog's mouth can be a great way to read the dog’s mind too. A tightly closed mouth is often a sign of aggressiveness. There needs to be tension around the lips for it to be interpreted as tension. A dog that is happy for any reason, is going to be kind of loose-lipped (no, that doesn't mean he's going to go around telling people your secrets).

Dogs, when they lick their lips, indicate that they want to appease you or be conciliatory. Dogs that feel intimidated often do this to show that they don't really mean any harm. If you see your dog do this once in a while, you know that you could have any dog behavior problems. A dog that's doing this too often clearly feels intimidated. You're going to have problems pretty soon.