Page 4 - Kind News September/October 2023

HAPPY DOG?

Can you tell when a dog is happy or scared? Dogs tell us so much
about how they’re feeling without making a sound! How? They show it in their bodies. Let’s look
at two emotions, or feelings, that we commonly see in dogs: fear and happiness.

When a dog feels the emotion of fear, he will
either try to fight or escape what is happening
(This is called “fight or flight.”) A dog choosing
to escape may lean his body away
from you. He may hunch his back,
tuck his tail between his legs, and
lower his head. He may also look
away from you and show the whites
of his eyes. This is called whale eye.
A scared dog’s first act may be to
bark or pull back her lips, which pushes
her whiskers forward. If a dog feels the
need to escape but can't, like when
on-leash or being hugged, she is more
likely to fight. Her hackles, or fur on
her back and neck, may be raised to
make her look big. She may bark,
growl, or bite.

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