If only our dogs could talk 🗣️
“If only they could talk…”
We’ve all said it!
“If only my dog could talk, what would they say?”
Well, here’s the thing…
Dogs CAN talk.
They just don’t communicate in the way we do. Instead of using words, our dogs are constantly communicating with us through their body language, behaviour, facial expressions, vocalisations and movement.
The question is: are we listening?
Whether you’re a dog owner, a dog professional, or simply someone who spends time around dogs, learning to recognise and understand canine communication is incredibly important.
Because when we learn to listen to our dogs, we can respond to what they are actually telling us rather than waiting for them to become louder.
So what are the benefits of learning our dogs language 👀
🐾 It can keep our dogs safe
Think about two dogs meeting for the first time.
Rather than simply asking, “Are they friendly?”, we should be looking at what both dogs are communicating.
Are their bodies loose and relaxed? Are they choosing to approach? Are they able to move away? Are they showing signs of uncertainty or discomfort?
A dog turning their head away, moving away, becoming still, licking their lips or avoiding interaction may be communicating that they aren’t comfortable with what is happening.
If we recognise those smaller signals, we can give the dog space and change the situation before they feel the need to communicate more strongly.
🧡 It improves welfare
Understanding body language gives us a much better insight into how our dogs are feeling.
We might notice that our dog is becoming overwhelmed on a busy walk, uncomfortable around a particular person, worried about being handled, or simply needs some space.
And it isn’t all about spotting when something is wrong!
Learning our dog’s body language also helps us recognise when they are happy, relaxed, playful, excited and enjoying themselves.
The more we understand, the better we can meet their individual needs and give them more opportunities to experience things they genuinely enjoy.
🛑 It can help keep people safe too
Understanding canine communication isn’t just about protecting dogs — it can help protect people and other animals too.
Even the most sociable dog has boundaries.
A dog may tolerate something for a while before communicating that they’ve had enough. If those signals are repeatedly missed or ignored, the dog may eventually feel they need to communicate in a much more obvious way.
This is particularly important when children are interacting with dogs. We shouldn’t rely on a dog simply “putting up with it”. Instead, we should learn to recognise when a dog wants space and help them get it.
And this brings us to something really important:
A bite should never be dismissed as coming completely “out of nowhere”.
That doesn’t mean that every bite is predictable or that a dog will always display obvious warning signs beforehand. Dogs can bite for a variety of reasons and their communication can be subtle, suppressed, or easily missed.
But understanding the smaller signals can give us a much better chance of recognising discomfort and intervening appropriately.
📣 When whispering becomes shouting
One of the things I find particularly interesting about canine communication is what can happen when our dogs’ smaller signals repeatedly don’t work.
Imagine your dog feels uncomfortable when another dog approaches.
Perhaps they initially turn their head away.
Then they move away.
Maybe they become tense, lick their lips, freeze or try to avoid the interaction.
But the other dog continues approaching, or their owner keeps bringing them closer.
Eventually, your dog may growl.
If that still doesn’t create space, they may bark, lunge or snap.
From our perspective, it can look as though the dog has suddenly become “aggressive”.
But from the dog’s perspective, they may simply have progressed from whispering to shouting because the whisper wasn’t heard.
This is one reason why continually exposing a dog to situations they are uncomfortable with isn’t necessarily going to make them “get used to it”.
If the underlying emotion isn’t changing, repeated exposure can sometimes result in the dog becoming more practised at displaying the bigger behaviour.
This can be particularly relevant when we are supporting dogs who display reactivity.
👀 Look at the whole dog
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is looking for one individual body-language signal and deciding exactly what a dog is feeling.
A wagging tail doesn’t automatically mean a dog is happy.
A growl doesn’t automatically mean a dog is “aggressive”.
A dog rolling onto their back isn’t always asking for a belly rub.
Context matters.
We need to look at the whole dog, including their posture, movement, facial expression, ears, tail, environment and what is happening around them.
And, most importantly, we need to consider the individual dog.
💚 So, what would your dog say?
If your dog could talk, they might be telling you things all day long.
“I’m uncomfortable.”
“Please give me some space.”
“I’m excited!”
“I don’t want to say hello.”
“That was fun!”
“I’m worried.”
“Can we go home?”
“I really like this!”
Our job isn’t to expect our dogs to fit into our world without question.
It’s to learn enough about their world that we can understand what they’re trying to tell us.
Because sometimes, the difference between a dog who is struggling and a dog who feels safe isn’t teaching them to stop communicating.
It’s simply learning to listen.
🐾 Dogs are talking. We just need to learn their language.
