Dog behaviour and body language

Dogs are social animals that have lived alongside people for well over ten thousand years. They read human gestures and moods with unusual skill, but they communicate mainly through posture, movement and scent, and many problems between dogs and owners begin with signals that were missed.

What dogs need

Beyond food and shelter, a dog needs company, exercise, the chance to sniff and explore, rest, and predictable routines. Breeds were developed for different jobs, and much of what owners find troublesome is simply that work with nowhere to go: a collie herding children, a terrier digging, a hound following a trail, a retriever carrying things about.

Dogs do not act out of spite or guilt. The "guilty look" a dog gives on being scolded is a response to the owner's tone and posture, not an admission. Nor are they trying to dominate their owners; the idea of a household dominance hierarchy has been abandoned by behaviour scientists.

Reading body language

• Relaxed: loose body, soft eyes, mouth slightly open, tail carried naturally and wagging widely.
• Playful: the play bow, with front legs down and hindquarters up; bouncy movement; frequent pauses.
• Uneasy: yawning, licking the lips, turning the head away, lifting a paw, showing the whites of the eyes, ears back, tail low or tucked.
• Frightened: crouching, trembling, trying to move away or hide, freezing.
• Warning: body stiff and still, hard stare, closed mouth, raised hackles, lifted lip, growl.

A wagging tail means arousal, not necessarily friendliness: a high, stiff, fast wag often goes with tension. Signals are read together and in context.

The ladder of escalation

A dog that is uncomfortable usually begins with the mild signals of unease. If those are ignored and it cannot move away, it may stiffen, stare, growl, snap and finally bite. Punishing a growl removes the warning without removing the fear, and makes a bite without warning more likely. The useful response is to give the dog space and work out what worried it.

Most bites to children come from a dog the child knows, at home. Children are taught not to approach a dog that is eating, sleeping, in its bed or tied up, and not to hug or lean over dogs. Young children and dogs are never left together unsupervised.

Common behaviour problems

• Distress when left alone: barking, howling, destruction or soiling that happens only in the owner's absence. It is treated by building up time alone very gradually, not by punishment.
• Fear of noises, particularly fireworks; see pets, Halloween and fireworks.
• Reactivity on the lead: lunging and barking at dogs or people, usually from fear or frustration.
• Guarding food, toys or resting places.
• Excessive barking, chewing and digging, most often from boredom or lack of exercise; see chewing and destructive behaviour in dogs.

When behaviour changes

A sudden change, such as new aggression, restlessness at night, house soiling or reluctance to be touched, often has a medical cause, including pain, failing sight or hearing, and age-related decline of the brain in older dogs. A veterinary examination comes first. For established problems the vet can refer the owner to a qualified clinical animal behaviourist.

Everyday teaching is covered under training a dog.