Raising a Paw

Dogs communicate that they want attention by raising a paw and touching you. You probably see this most often when you are sitting and your dog approaches you to put a paw on your knee. In puppies, this is communicated by pawing the air repeatedly

How Your Bernese Mountain Dog Communicate With You – Leaning Against You

If your dog is leaning against you, this is your dog’s way of trying to cuddle with you. Unfortunately, he physically can’t hug you, so cuddling against you is the best way to show affection to you.

Freezing

Have you ever approached your dog with a bone and noticed the way he suddenly freezes mid-chew upon noticing you? Freezing in the middle of the action is a clear way dogs communicate that they are feeling uncertain and want to be left alone. If your dog freezes mid chew or in the middle of another action, it’s best to honor his wishes and give him some space.

How Your Bernese Mountain Dog Communicate With You – Belly Exposure

In addition to face and tail movement, dogs also try to communicate using the rest of their body. If your pup rolls over and bears his belly to you, he is initiating this gesture to appease you (but a belly rub is always welcome), Dogs also communicate with each other this way, rolling over as a sign of passive resistance to a perceived threat.

Play Bowing

If your dog faces you and dives into a bow with his frontages on the ground and his butt in the air, this is known as the play bow and it’s your dog’s way of telling you that it is playtime. If you want to make your dog’s day, try play bowing back at him. Your basic downward dog yoga pose will do the trick and your pup will be grateful that you are trying to speak his language.

Sneezing and Yawning

Dogs sometime try to communicate with us by sneezing and yawning unnecessarily. A misplaced sneeze or yawn ,ears that your dog is uncomfortable and stressed, often around new pets or people. Believe it or not, humans do this when they fell uncomfortable too. This can get confusing because dogs also yawn when they are feeling content around you. The key is to look for misplaced yawning in unfamiliar circumstances.

Tail Position

Perhaps the most widely recognized form of dog communication is tail movement. In addition to the joyful wagging tail, a dog’s tail can communicate a range of other emotions. For example, a slow wagging tail means your dog is feeling cautious and a stiff tail means that your dog is on high alert. A low tail means your pup is felling content but a tuck tail means he is feeling scared. If your dog is wagging his tail vigorously enough to make his butt wiggle then he is elated to see you.

Tongue Flicking

Tone flicking or gum smacking is often driven by anxiety and a desire to appease the owner or avoid conflict, but they don’t mean that your dog knows he’s been naughty and is sorry. Dogs can certainly read our body language and may get worried or anxious if we seem upset, but this is not the same thing as felling guilty or understanding that they have done something wrong.

Eye Contact

Dogs communicate in subtle ways with their faces, specifically with their eyes. Constant eye contact form your dog is a his way of showing his trust and affection towards you. Think of it as an understated I love you. Avoiding eye contact, on the other hand, is a sign that your dog is uncomfortable, scared or cowering after doing something bad.