Top 5 Ways To Interpret the Body Language of Street Dogs
Top 5 Ways To Interpret the Body Language of Street Dogs
Dogs are precious living creatures who demonstrate unconditional love and loyalty unlike anyone else. Their companionship can be a real stress-buster for us - whether we pet them, play with them, or talk to them. However, dogs cannot communicate verbally like us, so it can sometimes be difficult to understand their feelings. But by searching online for “street dog helpline number near me,” you can get in touch with a reputed animal NGO like VASTRA and help any stray dog in distress.
Even though dogs cannot speak like humans, they have their own distinct ways of communication. By learning to interpret a canine’s body language, we can be in a better position to know what they are trying to tell us.
Top 5 Ways To Interpret the Body Language of Street Dogs:
- Tail
According to its movement or position, a dog’s wagging tail can denote a range of varied emotions, such as:
- Happiness - Sweeping the tail from side-to-side in slow motion is the sign of a happy dog. When the dog wags its tail like helicopter blades, it is very happy!
- Excitement or frustration - When a dog is emotionally aroused, it can wag its tail out of excitement or even out of frustration.
- Aggression - Fast twitching of the tail could indicate high arousal in the dog, but not in a positive way.
- Confidence - A dog is as assertive as the height of its wagging tail; the higher it is, greater the dogs confidence.
- Fear or stress - When the tail is pointed towards the ground or tucked between the legs, it means that the dog is stressed or frightened.
- Ears
Dogs can communicate a lot through their ears. When the dog is calm and content, its ears will be naturally relaxed. But if its ears look tense and upright, it means that it is feeling aggressive. Also, if the ears are pulled flat against the dog’s head, it can denote fear or submission.
- Eyes
Soft eyes with relaxed eyelids indicate that the dog is happy and calm. Conversely, cold- looking eyes depict a dog’s negative frame of mind. A dog that avoids eye contact is most likely stressed or in some discomfort.
- Mouth
When a dog is relaxed, its mouth is open and it could be panting. Rapid panting, closed mouth, etc. are the signs of a tensed dog. Drooling in the absence of food can indicate extreme stress or fear. When a dog shows its teeth, it may not necessarily be aggressive - it could also be a ‘smile or a submissive grin especially if it is only displaying its front teeth!
- Facial Expressions
A dog may yawn when stressed to calm itself down as it helps lower blood pressure. Smacking of lips is normal after consuming a tasty meal, but sometimes it can also be a sign of anxiety.
While interacting with street dogs, you must look at all their separate body language signals together from head to tail to get the complete picture. Animal welfare is a prominent cause that many businesses contribute towards for fulfilling their Corporate Social Responsibility in India . If you’re an individual desiring to volunteer or donate, you too can contact a trusted animal NGO like VASTRA.
