Communication and understanding is the basis of all good friendships. Your puppy will be communicating when they are happy, when they are afraid, if they are unsure and if they want some love.
What does your puppy look like when they are relaxed and happy
• Check out your puppy when they are relaxed and chilled so you know the baseline of their body language
• Check out their tail, their ears, their back, their legs, their ears, eyes and mouth
• Now look at all of your puppy as a whole picture
• How are they moving when they are in a relaxed environment
Rules to reading body language
• Assess the whole body of your puppy
• Take into consideration and observe the whole environment they are in
• Check out what they have been doing and what the weather is ….Are they panting because its hot or are they panting because they are feeling afraid? You can see how easy it would be to mis- interpretate
What to look for that may tell you that your puppy is happy and relaxed
• Overall bendy loose body, relaxed features, medium speed of movement
• Tail at normal carriage, with loose movement, helicoptering if really happy
• Soft eyes, almond shaped, blinking at a normal or slower rate
• Mouth is relaxed, slightly open so you can see bottom teeth, skin loose on muzzle
• Loose relaxed shoulders and back with skin and coat loose
What to look for that may tell you that your puppy is a bit unsure
• Overall body is still, as if they are assessing the situation, may be weighted more on back feet
• Body then become smaller than normal
• Tail is slightly lower than normal/tucked, maybe with a slow wag
• Eyes are little more rounded, frequently looking at you or maybe looking at exits or trying to pacify by diverting gaze
• Corners of the mouth maybe drawn back a little, may look like a smile but is a sign of stress
What to look for that may tell you your puppy is feeling tense
• Overall body is still, weighted squarely or slightly forward
• Body may be bigger than normal, standing taller, shoulders and back rigid
• Tail is still, maybe more upright
• Eyes are rounder, with less blinking and more staring, not averting gaze
• Mouth is closed shut and skin on muzzle tighter than normal
Displacement behaviours
A Displacement behaviour is a normal behaviour but out of context, you may see this when your puppy is unsure what to do in a situation commonly seen if they are unsure whether to avoid or approach
You may see your puppy having a scratch when they haven’t got one or starting to sniff the ground or look like they are interested elsewhere. Yawning, self-grooming are other common signs
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