Reading Body Language
4 cards · about a minute
Read the whole dog
No single signal means anything on its own, a wagging tail on a stiff body is not a happy dog, it is an aroused one.
The tail is a dial
Height reports arousal and speed reports intensity: high and fast is a dog who has decided something, low and slow is a dog still asking.
Eyes and mouth
A soft, blinking eye above a loose open mouth is a dog at ease; a hard stare with a closed mouth and a wrinkled muzzle is a dog about to act.
The quiet warnings
A lip lick, a yawn, a turned head or a half-moon of white in the eye are polite requests for space, a dog ignored there stops asking politely.