How To Tell If Your Dog Is Happy

cristina February 14, 2018 0 Comments

Do you have a wonderful Labrador pup home , you try your best for him to he healthy, happy, but…it is sure enough? The question is how to tell if your dog is happy? How can you understand what they need ?

Now, of course depends of the breed of dog you have but here we will talk about our furry babies, Labradors.Every dog has different character but they have some things in common , they are very active, very expressive and kind dogs.

To understand how they feel you have to understand their body language.

They show you

The first sign you can see is their OPEN MOUTH.

Most of the time the mouth of your Labrador is slightly open and in this way he shoes you he is happy.Something like in my happy choko

the photo:) This is my boy, my chocolate Labrador. So a happy and relaxed Labrador will have his mouth pen and his tongue out. This is just to help you to understand their mood.

When a dog is scared he keeps his mouth shut and put the lips back away from their teeth. In this way you can understand the other dogs if are submissive or scared.

When your dog is relaxed his tongue will be hanging out but you have to be sure that he is not licking his lips.An excessive lip licking without food around is a sign that he can be stresses and fearful.

Another way they show you if are happy is LOOKING STRAIGHT IN YOUR EYES

Normally dogs avoid eye contact but with the time they understand that eye contact with their owner is good, is comfortable is pleasure because they know if they look at us they have a treat, a hug,stroke ,anyway,attention. So when your dog is looking straight in your eyes you know he is happy, is comfortable with you, but only if he looks to you in a relaxed way.

If a dog is looking in your eyes but from a strange position like ,with the head pointed somewhere else but with his eyes from a sideways angle and very tense, with the white of the eye showing he is not happy at all, is ngry and you have to be careful.

angry labrador If you see something like in the picture…run:) But you have to know that a Labrador very rarely is aggressive. It has to be in danger or things like this, to protect him self, Normally are very calm and sweet dogs.

POSITION OF THE EARS

Usually Labradors have the ears point up and that flop over, and this is how they are when happy and relaxed.Having a Labrador home you will know which is his natural ear position. But is they rise a little bit and are higher you know that he wants to hear something he i s very alert.

If his ears are moving sideways that you know something scare him.

HIS HEAD HELD HIGH

So when are scared or uncomfortable we try to be small, tucking our head in,and also our Labradors do the same.

If your dog is sitting proud and looking the view or anything else he is happy, comfortable ,satisfied.They express many feelings thru the head position. Choko looking the view If he is like my Choko here in the picture you know he is relaxed, seeing the view.

PLAYING BOW AND BOUNCING RUN

If you own a Labrador you have seen him many times playing with other dogs and you learnt a little about his body language.

So when they are playful and happy a Labrador lower his front and is bending their fore paws. With this he call you to play with him and for sure is happy. Playing is the greatest pleasure for a Labrador ,after the food of course:)

When a Labrador is playing and is happy he is running around a lot,up and down and jumping when he runs he is for sure happy but when you see him running in a vertical position, going straight to a point again pay attention because he has seen something, maybe a cat maybe an enemy …

WAGGING OR RELAXED TAIL

It is a waggling tail sign that your furry baby is happy?

So if your dog is high and stiff means he feels danger . If he hold the tail very low he is scarred or in pain.

If he move it left and right , rapidly, smooth and natural he is happy. But also if your Labrador’s tail is not waggling it is relaxed, doesn’t mean he is not happy.So the important is to see him relaxed, in a natural position, with a natural movement.

They can talk but they have many ways to show us their feelings. You just have to love them and learnt o listen to what they want. I am sure every loving dog parent knows his personal body language. We all now what they want.Me I just feel it . I know when he wants out or when he is bored, when he is happy…Everything.

So, this is how we understand their feelings but how we make them happy and keep it this way? Each dog is different but all have some things in common so in a next post I will tell you about this.

Have a nice day and good to see you again.

Cristina