All dogs share and understand an unspoken language. Because they are by nature a pack animal, they have to make themselves understood by other pack members and they don’t want to have any misunderstandings which could cause them trouble within the pack. It must be really frustrating for them when we humans sometimes don’t understand what they are trying to tell us.

Body language is the unspoken language that dogs use and your dog’s body language will reveal how confident he is feeling. When your dog meets another dog that he feels is lower in rank than him, he will show dominant body language but if he meets another dog who he feels is higher in rank than him, he will adopt a submissive posture. If a strange dog enters your dog’s territory eg. his garden or his dog kennel, then his body language will tell you what he is feeling and even what he intends to do about it !!

As a dog owner, it’s really important for you to understand your dog’s body language. Your dog should always see you as the ‘pack leader’ and he should always display submissive behaviour towards you and any other family members. A dog who acts dominantly towards humans could be uncontrollable and possibly dangerous. I’m not saying that your dog should be afraid of you - just that he should show you and other members of your family some respect. If you want your dog to get off the sofa and go into his own dog bed then you should be able to either ask him to get down or take hold of his collar and coax him down. If he growls at you then he is being the aggressor and this behaviour should not be allowed.

We all recognise a wagging tail as a sign of a happy dog but there are other ways to tell whether your dog is contented. If you have a dog that can curl his tail over his back then this is also good sign to see. If your dog has bright, alert eyes and his lips are relaxed or if his tongue is hanging out of its mouth then your dog feels content and relaxed. If he lies on the ground or in his dog bed and thumps his tail on the bed or the floor when you pass him, then you also have a happy dog.

But did you know that a wagging tail is not always a sign of a happy dog ? As with cats, this can sometimes mean that your dog is frustrated or confused about something.

Your dog may be frightened if he tries to make itself look very small as they do this to try and convince their aggressor that they give in, that they are already beaten and that they are not worth bothering about. Most dogs won’t attack their own young so a dog who’s frightened will instinctively imitate a puppy by cowering and crouching down low to protect himself from any assault.

A frightened dog also tends to hang its head, hence the expression “a hang dog look”, he will draw back his ears if he feels there is danger looming and he will place his tail between his legs to cover the scent secreting glands that lie under his tail. This will help to prevent his personal smell from being evident - another way of protecting himself.

If an aggressive dog shows that he means business then you may find your dog will roll over onto his back, exposing his tummy which is a very vulnerable area . This is the ultimate demonstration he gives to his aggressor that he means no harm. It is worth knowing that an absolutely terrified dog will have staring eyes, the whites of his eyes will show and his pupils will be dilated.

If your dog displays puppy-like behaviour towards you and your family, it means that he thinks you and your family are the ‘top dogs’. Just like a puppy licks its mother’s face to get her attention, an adult dog may jump up at you or reach up to lick your face to gain your attention.

When two dominant dogs meet, to lower the risk of a fight, the two dogs will try to ease the tension by using threating body language towards each other. Doing this means that neither dog will lose his status. A dog will also do this if he feels threatened by a human and should be seen as a danger sign. Are you doing something that makes the dog think you may be dangerous ? This can sometimes just be approaching a dog with your hands raised upwards or out towards the dog - he may think you are going to harm him. It’s better to approach a dog slowly and with you arms by your sides until the dog feels safe enough to approach you.

You can tell an aggressive dog by the way that he comes towards you confidently, staring straight forward with his head and his tail held high. Look for the fur on his shoulders and back which will be standing on end. This makes the dog look bigger than it really is - the exact opposite to a frightened dog’s behaviour. The ears on an aggressive dog will be pointing forwards to show that he is alert and ready for action and not at all bothered about his ears being torn in a fight. When he holds his tail high, he exposes the scent-producing glands which tell the other dog exactly who it is dealing with !!

If the other dog doesn’t back down, the aggressive dog will snarl, wrinkle his nose and bare his teeth, showing the other dog just how dangerous he is if provoked into a fight. Every muscle will be taut as the dog stalks forward using a stiff legged motion. At the last moment before attacking, the dog will pull his ears back to protect them whilst fighting.

If your dog wants to play he will show puppyish behaviour and adopt the same posture as a submissive dog. He will hold his head low, bow his back, stick his bottom in the air and stretch out his paws. His tail will be held high and may wag it excitedly. Most dog owners will have seen this type of behaviour many times.

If dogs misunderstand one another’s body language then this can lead to real trouble. Dogs with the “easiest to read” body language are those who look like the wolf because all dogs come from the wolf. The German Shepherd is a good example of this. Dogs which look nothing like the wolf sometimes have difficulty making himself understood.

Spaniels for instance can’t prick up their ears or flatten them against their heads because they long, floppy ears. Some dogs have a long fringe of hair hanging over their eyes which means other dogs can’t read their intentions - Old English Sheepdogs can have this problem if they are not clipped around the face.

Dogs with long flowing coats like Afghan Hounds and Yorkies can’t raise their hackles and dogs with naturally short tails or docked tails can’t wag them to show that they are happy or confused or tuck them between their legs when they feel scared.