What Does It Mean When Dogs Ears Are Back

Hip wagging means a dog is really deep in play.

What does it mean when dogs ears are back. Ears up and head cocked to the side is a very common uncertainty curiosity gesture. Dogs often pull their ears back tightly when they are about to bite and this pinned ear posture may be your dog trying to protect her ears from getting injured. In this case the ears being totally back is a strong sign that the dog is very scared. To help you better understand the dog s ear position communication modes this article will elaborate on the back position.

A lot of times you will see a dog s ears somewhat back when they are hanging out on their front porch while looking around and observing their surroundings. If a dog s ears are gently pulled back accompanied by happy tail wag it means they re feeling friendly and up for some cuddles. It may be harder to see this in floppy eared dogs like cavaliers or cocker spaniels. The term dropped or pinned ears refers to ears that appear pasted pinned or dropped and held tight to the dog s head.

If the ears are just loosely pinned back and down your dog is being submissive. Dog ears that are pulled back can often indicate fearfulness this is especially if combined with other facial and body signals associated with this emotion. For these breeds watch the base of the ear rather than the ear itself for any backward shifts. Dogs use highly expressive body language and ear position can be a significant indicator of a dog s mood.

You can assess a dog s fearful emotion by their lowered body posture lowered tail ears back panting yawning lip licking avoiding eye contact and attempts to hide escape or retreat. Aggression is shown by bowed legs ears bent back and tail turned up. But if their ears are flat and pinned back or to the sides your pooch is definitely signaling fear. You ve probably seen your dog do this when you find your trash bin spread all over the kitchen and he knows he has been naughty.

If your dog s ears are pinned back and dropped low it can mean two things and it s easy to tell the difference. A paw raised and touched to another dog or owner means the dog needs something. If your dog s ears are tightly pinned look for other signs of anxiety such as panting overall body tension or a flicking tongue. Ears that are held tightly pressed back signal a canine in a defensive position.

There is a good chance you will see this happen during a thunderstorm or maybe even. Dogs can drop lower their ears when they are both happy and nervous. To read him correctly study his ears and correlate what they are saying with the appearance of other parts of his body including his eyes mouth tail and general posture. To read the correct expression you need to carefully study the appearance shape and position of the dog s ears just as with other parts of its body.

Head shaking denotes the end of a certain.