Wouldn’t it be great if our pets too could talk just like humans? It would become so easy for all of us to understand their emotions and needs. 

While this is a dream of every pet owner, pets have a unique way of expressing their feelings and emotions-they convey emotions through their body language and sounds. Whether you have a cat or a dog as a pet, reading their body language is necessary to understand what your pet is feeling. 

Sometimes people may misinterpret their pet’s body language and draw the wrong conclusions. For instance, yawning in humans generally gets associated with boredom and tiredness, which is opposite to what your dog must be feeling because excessive yawning in dogs could result from anxiety. This difference can cause confusion between pet owners and pets. Therefore, you should pay a bit more attention and try to learn about your pet’s behavior. 

Although all of us can tell when our pet is feeling happy, we also need to look out for other emotions to help and support our pets. Your pet’s body language and sounds can tell you a lot about their mental state. 

Apart from getting your pet’s favorite treats and Dog Clothes from the pet life store, learning about your pet’s body language can also help in strengthening your bond and connection with them. This article will help you know your pet’s thoughts and mental state based on their movement and body language. 

1. Panting 

Panting can be a normal response in pets. Since dogs cannot sweat like humans, panting helps the dogs to cool themselves down. While panting, dogs quickly inhale, humidify, and exhale, which in turn increases the evaporation of water from their nose and lungs, and the evaporation of water reduces the temperature of their body inside out. 

Generally, a large amount of water can evaporate when your pet dog is panting, so make sure to keep a bowl of freshwater around your dog on hot days. Dogs also often pant when they’re excited about treats or meeting new people. This kind of panting is usually rapid or shallow. 

However, panting is also related to stress, so if your dog is panting, yawning, and his eyes are wide and weary, probably your dog is in a stressed state and uncomfortable about something. 

Cats also pant when they play or run for a long time, and resting can quickly bring their breathing to a regular pace. However, just like dogs, panting can be seen in cats when they’re stressed or fearful. 

So if you see your dog or cat panting without doing any physical activity, you may need to help your dog calm down by removing any triggers that can cause them stress. 

If you find your pet panting more than usual, seeing a vet is essential to rule out any underlying health condition. 

2. Whining

Whining in dogs could be because of multiple reasons. Dogs usually whine because they want attention or food from you. They may also express excitement and energetic behavior through whining. During an injury or painful condition, many dogs whine to express their discomfort or pain. So, it is very tricky to distinguish between various types of whining. However, you can look for other indicators along with body cues to identify the cause of whining in your dog.

1. Your dog may whine and try to get your attention if you have not been focussing on him. 
2. Your dog may whine and sit at the exit door because he either wants to relieve himself or want to go for an outing or walk.
3. Whining along with lack of activity could be because of pain.

These subtle movements and clues can help you figure out the reason for whining in dogs. 

3. Tail Movements

Generally, people consider tail wagging in pets as an expression of happiness. However, it is not entirely true. Tail wagging in dogs only means emotional arousal, and that emotion could be excitement, frustration, or worse. The speed and direction of your dog’s tail can tell you a lot about the state of your dog.  

A tail wag towards the right side means the dog is feeling positive and happy. Tail spinning in a circle is no doubt a happy wag. However, a faster twitch-like wag means your dog is in an alert state. 

In cats, tail tapping while sleeping means a happy state, and a straight-up or whipping tail means aggression and defense. 

4. Body Posture

The body posture of your pet can often alert you about their feelings and intentions. 

Muscle tightening in dogs is a way of expressing power, and they usually do this to become alpha dog. You may see your dog doing this in the presence of other dogs. Dogs in a calm state will have a relaxed body, and if they’re comfortable and happy, they might show their belly as an indication that it is time for you to pet them. While cats usually stretch their body when they’re relaxed, however, an arched back and standing hair (piloerection) mean that your cat is in an alert state and ready to fight. 

Conclusion

As you appreciate your pets listening to your commands, your pets will also appreciate your effort in learning their language. And besides, it will create an understanding between your loving pet and you.

Link

Understanding Dog Body Language: Decipher Dogs’ Signs & Signals (akc.org)

What Is Your Dog Thinking? | Discover Magazine

Why Is My Cat Panting? | Trudell Animal Health

Dog Panting: Why Dogs Pant and How to Tell if It’s Too Much | PetMD