1. What am I saying?
Je suis bien content de te voir.
Rester loin

2. Translation
I am happy to see you
Stay away

3. How do dogs communicate?
1. Vocalizations
2. Body Postures
3. Direct Contact
4. Scents or Smells

4. What to observe Ear positions Tail positions
Gaze – Where it is looking
Stance or positioning
Mouth position/baring teeth
Vocalizations
Displacement behaviors – Not in a meaningful context

5. Displacement Behaviors Not in a meaningful context
1. Yawning 2. Lip licking 3. Grooming 4. Redirected Aggression – Can not get to the cause of frustration so takes it out on the closest person/animal.

6. Summary of What to Observe
Pay attention to all parts of the dog’s body
Watch for subtle or sudden changes in the dog’s behavior
Be aware of what is going on in the surrounding environment
Notice the context in which the behavior occurs

7. Observations vs. Interpretations
Observation – describe what you see
Interpretation – What you think is happening

8. Threatening gestures
1. Direct eye contact 2. Facing the dog 3. Leaning over the dog 4. Reaching for the dog

9. Body Postures to observe
Ears
Neutral (relaxed)
Alert (forward)
Back (down)
Pricked ears – stand up on head, ex/ German Shepard
Floppy ears – hang down, ex/ beagle
Cropped ears – Ears are cut, ex/Doberman

10. Body Postures to observe 2. Eyes and gaze
A. Direction of gaze Direct eye contact is a threat Avoiding eye contact – fear/submissive B. Pupils – black center of eye Large pupil = scared C. How open are the eyes?

11. Body Postures to observe: 3. Mouth
Panting – can be hot or stressed (displacement)
Yawning
Baring of teeth
Submissive grin – showing teeth, but not threatining
Lip licking
Happy Face

12. Body postures to observe 4. Tail
When watching tail, notice…
Is it carried low or high
How does it change over the course of your observations?
Is the hair on the tail fluffed up? Piloerection
Is the tail stationary or wagging?
If the tail is wagging, is it moving quickly or slowly
How does the rest of the dog look?

13. Body postures to observe 5. Overall body carriage
Relaxed or at ease
Alert
Crouched or cowering
Play bow

15. Animal Body Language Always observe animals body language before and while handling animals.