Puppy's Life
Say What?
That tail can tell tales—connect with your pup by reading body language.
From her ears to her eyes, Dolly, a Border Collie puppy, has a range of expressions that she shares with owner Judy Suarez while lounging together at their Denver, Colorado, home. Suarez knows Dolly is intently listening when Dolly moves her ears back and forth as Suarez speaks to her. “When she’s really into the conversation like that, I’ll often whisper secrets in her ear,” Suarez laughs. “It strengthens our friendship.”
We love spending time with our new puppies and chatting with them on a daily basis, sharing the events of the day. Pups love to have “conversations,” too—it’s evident from the way they respond that they appreciate us sharing our thoughts. It’s these special times, says animal behaviorist Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., that make us especially grateful for one another.
They’ll sometimes bark back, but most of the time, pups use facial expressions and body language to tell us what they’re trying to say. “Their emotions are so expressive, which might be why we love them so much,” McConnell says.
About Face
Just like us, our furry friend expresses his happiness and friendship through facial expressions and body language. “The more we can learn about the expression of emotion on the faces of our puppies...the more we can learn about our puppies,” says McConnell, author of For the Love of a Dog.
While spending time together, you’ll both notice that your friend’s facial expressions are similar to yours. (Ever tilt your head to the side as you’re listening or get wide-eyed when watching something exciting? He does too!)
Reading these more detailed facial expressions, McConnell says, “makes raising a puppy so much easier.”
Tail Talk
While playing, it’s also fun to learn what your friend is saying by watching your pup’s ears, fur, and tail. While an adult dog has had time to adapt and watch how you express your own feelings, your pup is still learning and uses basic communication.
For instance, he will use the same forms of body language with you as he would with other pups. It’s his way of speaking to you. That’s what Sherri Rush, a Chicago resident, learned with her Golden Retriever, Jesse, who she says was easy to read. “He was fine as a pup—he grew very quickly—and at one-and-a-half, decided he was the man,” she laughs. “He’ll go up on his tip-toes, put his head high, and puff up his hair to make himself look really big.”
Marty, a Chihuahua who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, shows her owner, Ann Williams, that she’s on alert by prancing around the glass doorway in the living room, eyes dancing. “She looks at me with this sparkle in her eyes, and I know she’s telling me she’s on guard,” Williams says. “I’ll stand beside her so we can be on alert together.”
Similarly when your pal is especially excited, his tail might make the wide, circling motion of a helicopter, or his back end will move side to side while his tail is wagging. “It’s the best expression of emotion when going to play fetch,” Suarez says of Dolly. “I know she’s truly happy, and that makes me happy.”
