Friend or Foe?

What to look for when meeting a new dog.

Most people who have dogs have some basic knowledge of canine body language. Yet many pet parents have no idea what the signals their dogs are sending and receiving from another dog mean. For example, does a wagging tail always mean the dog is happy? It does not. In many cases a wagging tail is more like a stop sign.

It is important to look at the whole dog, actually at both whole dogs, to get an idea as to what their interaction might be like. 

Even if your dog is “always” friendly, he might be getting some strange signals from another dog that make him approach with a different intention than usual. As a general rule of thumb, if the dogs’ bodies are very loose and wiggly, the interaction will be friendly. When the bodies tighten and move slowly the signals being sent are a bit more complex.

If you don’t know the dog approaching, start by looking at the body since it is the most apparent from afar. Loose and wiggly means proceed while slow and stiff means back off.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a dog’s hackles are up. Depending on the dog’s hair type it can be very dramatic and seen from far away or it can be quite subtle, hidden under curls. Some dog’s hackles go up from sheer excitement, but in most cases hackles go up to appear bigger and tougher (signs not associated with friendliness).

A wagging tail has been misinterpreted by humans for a long time. There are several different types of tail wags judged by speed and position. A tail that sticks straight up is a sign of extreme dominance and therefore a “back off” signal, even if it is moving slightly from side to side. A mid height wag says “hi, there! Good to see you!”, specially when moving more to the right side of the dog’s body, from the dog’s perspective. When the same wag is moving more towards the left it says “I’m no threat to you” but the dog is a bit more reluctant and unsure of himself. A low wag and eventually a tail tuck mean the dog is showing signs of submission or even fear. By far our favorite tail wag is the one that goes round and round, which is a sign of extreme happiness. 

Depending on the dog’s breed or mixes of breeds, tail movement may be harder to read, but for most dog’s, who’s tails haven’t been docked, this is the dog tail to human dictionary.

Facial expressions are quite specific too, but just like with humans, a smile can mean very different things so looking at the whole dog is very important to make a good assessment. When a dog is happy, his face will be mostly relaxed eyes gently open, floppy ears (for those who’s ears can actually be floppy… so not for German Shepherds), mouth relaxed maybe even a bit open, tongue can be in or hanging out. 

When a dog’s face muscles are tight it can be a sign of pain or distress, as well as a sign of aggression. If the eyes are very open, showing some white it is most likely a sign of aggression, while eyes that are almost shut with a tight face tend to show mostly distress and pain. A tell tell sign of a dog expressing “BACK OFF!” is when they hold eye contact and growl. In many cases a dog fight can be prevented when you turn the dog’s attention away, after that you might even see the dog shake, as a sign that he is back to normal and relaxed.

Most of us know to back up when a dog bears his teeth or snarls, but did you know there are a select few out there that actually bear teeth and smile with joy? We know this makes it confusing, but it most cases you are very right to back away from a dog showing his teeth. 

Another rather fun thing to see when dogs are about to meet is a play bow. The dogs have already decided from afar that they will be buddies and want to play.

So when you are out on your walk with your dog and both dogs have happy relaxed bodies then you can proceed, but always ask the person walking the other dog if they’d like to “say hi”, many owners and dog walkers don’t want the dogs to meet so its always friendlier to ask. And as the dogs approach each other make sure the bodies continue to look relaxed and happy during the WHOLE interaction. Keep a loose leash so you are not adding information to the interaction. They should approach from the side and smell each other side to side. Frontal approaches can be signs of aggression so allow them to move freely rather than forcing them to face each other. Pay attention to both dogs at ALL times!!!!!! If you see any changes in body language, quickly move away before either dog has a chance to fully form a negative thought. 
Remember every dog has good days and bad days. They are also allowed to walk away instead of being forced into an interaction they don’t want. Listen to what your dog is trying to tell you so that every interaction is a happy success.