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Canine Body Language
Your Dog is Trying to Tell You Something.聽 Dogs communicate their wants, needs, happiness and fear primarily through body language. Are you ready to learn what your dog is trying to tell you? Download this e-book to learn more.
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鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 it be great if our dogs could talk?鈥� says Amanda Nascimento, head of Integrative Veterinary Medicine and Research at聽. 鈥淚f you listen closely, they can.鈥�
Dogs don鈥檛 just bark to communicate. There聽are lots of different dog sounds our pups use to express how they feel, and some breeds vocalize differently. Sometimes, owners double as detectives in attempts to decipher the different sounds dogs make. Are they barking because they鈥檙e happy or are they alerting you to danger? And are they whining because they want you to play or is it because they don鈥檛 feel well?
It鈥檚 not as complicated as you might think. Some dogs vocalize more than others, and many can express several interesting sounds. Common ones we all know include barking, growling, whining, or crying. Determining when dog sounds are communicating pleasure, pain, excitement, or anger is something owners can work to accomplish.
Barking
We鈥檝e all known a dog who loves to bark. Some bark more than others. Some have deep, rumbling barks, while others have yappy, high-pitched barks. Your dog may bark when they hear a noise or see something outside the window. They may also bark when the doorbell rings, someone comes home, or even to get your attention to indicate that they want to eat, play, or come in from outside.
As most dogs bark to communicate, this is likely among the common dog sounds your pup makes. 鈥淢any dogs have different barks that their people learn to differentiate over time,鈥� says Nascimento.
Deciphering Barking
Once you鈥檙e used to your dog鈥檚 distinctive bark, it鈥檚 easier to understand what they mean.聽But clues like pitch, body language, and tail behavior can help. High-pitched barks may be welcoming, while deep barks may be your dog issuing an alert. A bark accompanied by a wagging tail often spells joy, while a crouched, angry bark with hackles up can indicate your dog is feeling fear or aggression.
Whining
Whining or crying is another way dogs, especially puppies, express their needs. A dog might whine for you to take them outside, feed them, or play fetch. The high-pitched cry is often your dog鈥檚 way of expressing what they want or letting you know they鈥檙e unhappy. Dogs may whine when they鈥檙e scared (for example, during a thunderstorm), or if they have separation anxiety and are left alone.
Dogs may also whine when in pain. Think of a dog who steps on a burr and whines when they put their foot down. 鈥淥w, that hurts,鈥� the cry says. Conversely, some dogs can whine in excitement, such as when they are greeting you after a long day.
Deciphering Whining
Look for clues that can help you decipher what your dog鈥檚 whine might mean. Is it dinnertime or do they need to go outside? Are they in pain or just unhappy being left alone?
Their body language, like crouching with their head or ears down, could mean pain. Some dogs whine in anticipation while you prepare their food or a treat. When you hear a whine, ask yourself, 鈥樷�漌hat is my dog wishing for right now?鈥� Look to body language to help figure it out.
Howling
Some breeds enjoy a good howl, while others don鈥檛 often make these deep-throated dog sounds. The behavior is likely an evolutionary holdover from wolves. Howling is a way wolves communicate with their pack (for example, by guiding another wolf back to safety). Dogs are just trying to communicate, too.
Just like how your dog pees on or marks every branch they pass to let others know they were there, howling may be a way to claim territory. The howl can communicate things to other dogs, such as 鈥淚 am here鈥� or 鈥淭his yard is mine.鈥�
Dogs can also howl to get attention. Or your dog might be triggered to howl by hearing other dogs in the neighborhood, a siren going by, or even music.
Deciphering Howling
Look at what your dog is doing when they howl. Is it a greeting? Have they found something? Or are they just announcing that they are rulers of their domain? Some dogs may have pent-up energy they need to release 鈥� the same way a good scream can be cathartic for humans.
Purring
Think cats have the leg up on purring? Not so fast. Dogs sometimes purr, too. This throaty, 鈥渂rrr鈥� sound is often called a 鈥渞umble鈥� by trainers and usually signals happiness. These dog sounds are usually a cross between a low rumble, a loud purr, and a grumbly growl.
Deciphering Purring
The best clue to distinguish what the purr means is to see when your dog does it. For most, it鈥檚 either an excited or happy noise, like when they鈥檙e about to go for a car ride. For others, it鈥檚 a noise that spells their total and utter contentment, such as when they鈥檙e lying next to you being petted.
Growling
Most of us instinctively know some of what the unpleasant sound of a dog growling indicates. Your dog can be afraid, angry, aggressive, possessive, or in pain and is warning you or someone else of their mood. Again, they鈥檙e communicating to you that something has them riled up. Some dogs also 鈥減lay growl鈥� 鈥� a lower, softer, rumbling growl that indicates they鈥檙e engaged with you or another dog in play.
Deciphering Growling
Growling can be one of the more concerning dog sounds. Since it can quickly escalate to snapping or biting, handling a growl takes finesse and may require the help of an experienced trainer.
Your dog gives off body language clues in their ears, tail, stance, and tone during a growl that can help you figure out whether the threat is serious or playful. In a where humans listened to various types of growls, researchers found people are actually quite good at discerning when a growl is serious versus when it鈥檚 playful.
Singing
Some vocal dogs try to sing along by howling to music or sounds on television. If a noise has the right pitch, like an operatic aria, your singing dog may belt out a chorus. Many owners with singers find it an endless amusement. But if you need to curb the behavior 鈥� for instance, if it bothers the neighbors 鈥� training can help.
One way trainers accomplish this is by exposing the dog to soft music that doesn鈥檛 trigger singing. But if you want to encourage singing, dogs can be taught to croon on command, rewarded with treats for singing, or played their favorite trigger music to engage in song.
Deciphering Singing
We may never know why dogs sing, but experts think it鈥檚 an instinctual reaction left over from their wild canine cousins, the wolves. Dogs aren鈥檛 in pain or hearing something in a frequency that hurts their ears 鈥� most who engage in singing enjoy it, and so do their owners.
Many dogs learn that these noises get them certain results and continue to use them to talk to their owners. Dogs learn from repetition and use the noises that work best to get the results they want.
Nascimento describes how French Bulldogs can make sounds that resemble a scream. 鈥淚n this way, they are teaching their humans to 鈥榮peak dog鈥� to be able to communicate their wants and needs better.鈥�