Unfortunately, our dogs can’t speak to us about how they feel or if they need something, so we have to depend on physical behaviors and body language. When they wag their tail are they happy or scared? What does their barking mean? Does it mean something when they follow you around?
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Keep in mind that things like breed, age, and general health will affect their behavior. Before starting to talk about signs your dog may give you, remember that if your dog is healthy and well cared for you can figure they are happy.
Signs that your dog is happy
Here are some behaviors that indicate a happy dog
- Relaxed ears: Ear shapes vary by breed, but relaxed ears are usually a sign of happiness. When our Yorkie gets upset his ears will be pinned back or alerted up.
- Wagging tail: A relaxed body and wagging tail shows a happy dog. But if their tail is wagging and their body stiff may mean they are scared or on alert.
- Wiggling and dancing: Oh happy dog! Our female Lab jumps around and shakes her whole body. I say she is being prissy.
- Smiling: I swear our female Lab smiles. She will have a slightly open relaxed mouth that looks like a smile. Some teeth may show but not in a snarling manner.
- Tongue hanging out while sleeping: Not exactly sure why this happens, but it looks like they are so content that holding the tongue in is not worth it.
- Meeting you at the door: All three of our dogs will wait at the door if I leave the house. They are excited to see “Momma” at home.
- Rolling over to show their belly: If they wiggle and roll around leaving their belly showing they are happy. They also probably want a belly rub.
- Snuggling: We let our dogs sleep in the bed with us – we have 3 dogs so it’s usually one at a time! If they like laying close like a child, I’m sure they are happy. Our little Yorkie likes to lie close to us in our chair.
- Asking to play: Do they bow down, rear in the air, and chest toward the floor? Or do they bring you their sleep as peacefully as our dogs! According to experts, happy healthy dogs sleep 12-14 hours a day and lay around another 5 or 6 hours. If your dog doesn’t sleep like that, there is a chance something is wrong and you should have a veterinarian check them out.
- Appetite: Happy healthy dogs have healthy appetites. Changes in eating habits can be a sign of illness or unhappiness.
Things To Remember
Remember, these are just general rules. You know your dog best! As a dog ages, you will most likely see changes in a lot of these behaviors. Make regular visits to your vet and discuss any concerns with them.
Our dogs can sense when something is wrong with us and react accordingly. So, the healthier and happier we keep ourselves, they will be content.
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