For example, when your dog has pricked ears, it means that they are interested in something. When a dog's tail is tucked in between their hind legs, it signifies that they're anxious or scared. A dog ear position chart provides you with a better understanding of your puppy's emotions. you will be able to decode the movement of your dog in terms of his ears, his eyes, and even his tail wagging. Many dog owners today still crop Pitbull ears, but not for the purpose of dog fighting. Your canines have a lot of emotions in them.Cropping Dog ears has become quiet a culture among many dog lovers but it depends on which breed youre going for such as Dobermans. It has one of the largest ears but also one of the smallest bodies. Your canines ears are very capable of communicating and listening. To properly decipher the meaning of a dogs ears, you must interpret the ear position in context with every other signal. When you want to read the body language of your pet, the most common expressions come from a dogs posture, facial movements, and tail movements. In simple and easy words, your dog perks up his ears to let you know they are attentive and waiting for your new command. The answer is yes. There is a space in between the ears causing the tip to include outwards in the direction of the face. Whenever you notice that your dog is moving its ears and shifting between different ear positions quickly, it can mean that your dog is a bit confused about the situation and doesnt know how to react to it. Shiba Inu a Japanese breed with short and rounded ears. It is an easy way to get a dog bite. With these factors in mind, you can learn all about what a dogs ears can indicate. Perked-up ears with relaxed body: When a dogs ears are perked up but their body is relaxed, it can indicate a sense of interest or excitement without any sense of anxiety or stress. While we provide information resourced and canine education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. Concerned perked position refers to the dogs ear orientation when he cannot differentiate between things and is a bit confused in recognizing the difference in situations. Its a fact that dogs cant directly talk to us and tell us whats on their mind but still, they have a natural tendency to share their thoughts via their body language. Wagging tail may mean to you that the dog is happy. We would be sharing different ear positions of dogs and what each one of them signifies. Brindle is one of several color variations within the Pit-bull dog breed; not a separate dog breed. Tail It helps you avoid potentially stressful, painful, or even dangerous situations with your dog and it gives the two of you an opportunity to strengthen your bond through increased understanding. Its very common on the hound breed, most especially the bloodhound and also seen on the field spaniel.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'petaddon_com-leader-2','ezslot_11',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-petaddon_com-leader-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'petaddon_com-leader-2','ezslot_12',120,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-petaddon_com-leader-2-0_1'); .leader-2-multi-120{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. By learning what your dog is expressing through his ears, you can begin to understand him even better to find out what he likes and dislikes the most. As you know biting of ears is very common in fights. (Picture Credit: Nevena1987 / Getty Images). Its incredibly important for dog owners to pay attention to their dog and how they act since the way they communicate is very different from humans. A dog with pointed ears may be indicating to humans or other dogs that he is alert and ready to defend himself if necessary. These include west highland white terrier, cairn terrier, Norwich terrier, and the Yorkshire terrier, among others. What does it mean when a dogs ears are to the side? A dog in different situations will likely utilize these positions to express their state of mind to other dogs or threatening figures. If you suspect that your dogs ears are in a different position because he doesnt feel well, it may be time to make an appointment with your veterinarian. 1. Canines with their tails held up are feeling confident, possibly even aggressive. Its important to read the rest of the dog. Typically, a neutral position is where the years are freely relaxed on the sides, not pricked forward, pasted to the head, or drooping down. These tips focus on seven important aspects of a dog's body: eyes, ears, mouth, tail, sweat and overall body posture/movement. Known to have this particular ear shape is the English Toy Terrier for most terriers, they have a button ear, but this one is unique. I hope you enjoyed the article. What if you have a Basset Hound or a Bloodhound and youre trying to read his body language through ear position? Regardless of the way that your furry friends ears are shaped, they use them to communicate everything from their feelings to their intentions. The large ears that fall to their sides also help them to focus on tracking. Their ears dont typically go all the way back until they are against the head, but just far enough back to give your dog a softer appearance. Canines with their tails pointing down to the floor or maybe tucked among their legs are feeling worried and stressed. Since your dog cannot tell you when he is happy, scared, or upset, it is a good idea to key into your dogs emotions and knows everything that he is feeling. If you look to see the direction of their ear position, you can at least figure out the general vicinity that they are paying attention to. Are they lip licking? What does it mean when a dogs ears are tilted back? Finally, if a dog will not look at you, chances are good that he is scared. You can better understand what they are trying to convey if you look at their entire body language. It means your dog wants to tell you that he has high energy and can defend himself in an attack. Most vets recommend having it done between 7 and 12 weeks of age. Some ears are large and long while other are small and short. They could just as easily be telling you that theyre just not very happy in general. Are their eyes soft or are they fixed on something? We filtered those supporting ear positioning from those all-body language attributes and helped us better understand the dogs state of mind. Technically called piloerection, the fur can fluff up across the shoulders or down the back and all the way to. Understanding a dogs body language is one of the most important things you can do. This position is when the ears are lifted up and facing forward, but not in an alarmed manner. The flapped ear is a very helpful feature because such breeds do an excellent job in tracking and picking of sounds even long distance, in the process, you wouldnt want dirt, bugs, and insects getting inside their ears. Have you ever seen a dog that is looking straight ahead, yet one ear is tilted sideways while the other is at attention? Dog Ear Positions: Understanding Your Dogs Body Language. Since there will likely be other bodily signals of an aggressive, you can assess the whole situation to determine what your dog needs. If its safe to do so, your best bet is to remove them from that environment and give them an opportunity to calm down and feel safe. The dogs ear will block out sound to some degree using that skin covering the ear opening to the ear canal. By paying attention to your dogs ear positions, you can better understand their needs and desires and respond appropriately. Finally, if your dog has rolled over on his back he is either asking for a scratch or is showing his surrender. Dog ear positions chart is essential to identify your dogs behavior. Folded forward ears: Dogs who fold their ears forward may be expressing a sense of curiosity or interest. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Half-erect ears: Dogs who hold their ears partially upright may be feeling curious or interested in something, but not necessarily on high alert. They may be trying to tell you that they want a treat or that theyre stressed or unhappy with something. If their ears are slightly held back, then your dog is most likely excited to see you or trying to court another dog. Wondering, What does Your Dogs Ear Position mean? In this article, I will explain the importance of dog ear positions, what they may mean, and what positions reflect besides emotion and intentions. Even though there is no age limit to having the procedure performed, most vets will actually refuse to do an ear cropping procedure, after your pit bull has turned a certain age. This ear position may indicate that the dog is preparing to defend themselves or retreat from a perceived danger. Your dogs ears will definitely tell you when he is on alert. Derived from the filbert tree, the ear is shaped liked the leaf of a hazelnut. In some cases, like if your dog has an ear infection, they may be carrying one ear lower than the other and frequently shake their head or your dog may have neutral ears that dont reflect any emotions. Another characteristic of this ear type is that you could see the ears actually touching the ground. You may have an aggressive dog or a relaxed dog depending on their ear position, so it is important to get a strong understanding of what ear positions can mean. When the ears of your canine are directed forward, they may be interested in something and are currently paying attention to it. Anyone that has been around dogs for any length of time whatsoever knows that they definitely have the tendency to communicate. The Brindle Pitbull is a muscular, medium-sized dog with a brindle coat color, wide-set small eyes and short floppy rounded ears. All of these cues will help you better understand whether they are merely paying attention to you or if there is something more serious that is imminent. If they are unhappy, they may move their ears back toward the back of their head. Before we start with the explanation of certain positions, we've made a dog ear positions chart to summarize all the ways that a dog can position their ears and what the main emotions behind them are. Beagle whats commonly known as the Queens favorite as it originates from the UK. Do you know what exactly is on a dogs mind when he keeps on shifting between different ear positions? This is also another variation of the drop ears, however, this style has the ears folding inwards along the back edge. Thats ok because it also means that your dog cannot identify how hes feeling either. Arguably one of the cutest dog sleeping positions, the belly up position is just as it sounds. The Usual Disclaimers Assume links are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission if you click and buy. Another variation to the pricked ears is a blunt ear. This ear position can be a warning sign to other dogs or humans to back off and give the dog some space. Different sizes of dogs will have very different barks and as your dogs owner, you will be able to determine the different pitches of the barks to interpret your dogs message. In this case, you must find out the stimuli that made your dog alert and confused; it can sometimes be an alarm or a siren, so you can quickly switch it off to bring your dog to a normal relaxed position. The one breed with the filbert ear is none other than the sheep-like looking Bedlington Terrier. While the ears are the best way of determining what your dog is thinking or feeling, it is not the only way. Your dog is saying that there are no worries on his mind and he feels safe with you. Neutral Position (Picture Credit: Olga Pankova / Getty Images) When your dog is relaxed, their ears will sit. Some have neutral ears or flattened ears. Since pointed ears can be a combination of both alertness and fear, humans must analyze the situation to determine why a dog is feeling threatened. These hybrids are small-sized dogs. If you have ever seen a cowering dog on the street or met a rescue who has suffered abuse, you will likely see flattened ears in addition to other postures of submission or fear. These include relaxed, flat, perked, or pointed. If your dog has his ears in this position and is wagging . Can Dogs Drink Yakult and Probiotics? A Must-Know Guide. If you feel any tensed muscular body orientation with the eye up, it will signify that the dog is ready to attack. When your dog is calm and relaxed, its ears are in a natural position- up/down (depending on the breed). The position that you should hope to see in a puppy is a puppy play stance. Have you ever wondered what your dog is trying to tell you? My dogs, for example, have a tendency to hold their ears back when they are really excited to see me, a friend, or when theyre about to get a treat that theyve really been looking forward to. Every canine has different ear sizes and relevant positions for the different things they might feel. Pricked ears: When a dogs ears are pointed forward, it usually indicates that they are interested in something or excited about a potential reward or activity. This surgical procedure is only done on puppies, never on adult dogs. In this case, you should monitor your dogs body language as a primary way to determine what they are feeling and if they feel any pain or discomfort. You will usually notice this behavior when their ears seem to become flatter and closer to the dogs head. (Picture Credit: Lourdes Balduque / Getty Images). Dog Breeds that are commonly classified as Pit Bulls include Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and American Bulldogs. Many small animals will have small ears like the chihuahua, Shih Pooh, Shih Tzu, and the likes. Mixed-breed dogs with these physical traits are also often called Pit Bulls. Understanding the dog ear positions chart can also help to protect you in case you ever encounter an unfamiliar dog that may exhibit threatening messages with his ears. This type of situation may indicate that your dog is suffering from an ear infection. By knowing what your dog wants to express, you can begin to understand it even better than before and make your bond even stronger. Whale Eyes: When dogs look out at different things and are fixated, the white part of the eye sclera is visible. I have listed the most common dog ear positions and their meaning. Just as emotions exist on a spectrum, your dogs ears do too. This can happen when a dog suffers some type of traumatic injury to their ear. However, in some breeds the pointed ears indicate something. Yawning: Yawing with relaxed ears signifies that your dog is calm and comfortable with the environment. A pit bull's ears may also stand up when trying to establish dominance over another dog or animal. From your first glance, you will notice that dogs have different ear types and shapes. The main way that pups communicate their emotions is through dog ear positions which can generally be categorized as relaxed, flat, pointed, or perked. The bigger issue is that we dont always know how to listen. Continue with Recommended Cookies. But besides all those ear positions, some dogs constantly keep shifting from one position to another. It would be best to eliminate whatever is getting the dogs attention. Remember, you might be able to figure out when your dog doesnt feel well physically by the way that they hold their ears. If you make a silly sound or speak to your dog, sometimes they will manoeuvre their ears as if they are listening and trying to break down exactly what you are saying. In addition, young puppies may react . When the ears are extremely back, this means that the canine feels that there is danger. This high tail position also releases more of the dog's scent from the anal glands, announcing the aggressive dog's arrival and marking his territory. Stick with us till the end if you want to know what does different ear positioning of your dog signifies. This dogs eyes are looking directly at something and their ears are pricked. But did you know there are ways that we can start to learn the universal language of pups a little better too? Dogs can drop or lower their ears when they are both happy and nervous. 1. For example, your dog may have perked ears if they are watching something that interests them. Open Teeth: When you are eating or drinking something, and your dog starts to stare at you with open teeth and perked ears, they want you to feed them with food. Cutting off a dog's ears is barbaric and completely unnecessary. Ears play a huge role in body language. Other breeds like the Beagle and Dachshund have folded ears. The ear is also smooth to touch with velvet to silk texture, most especially at the tassel found at its tip. As such, its easy for them to move their ears around and express how they are feeling through that type of body language. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. . Dogs show fear and submissive behavior by dropping and flattening their ears back over the head. In fact, you might be surprised just how much you can learn from a dog by watching their ear movements. Are Ear Positions Always Indicative Of Mood? Rest assured, you can use this information across the board, regardless if your dog has pointed ears, neutral ears, flattened ears, folded ears, or anything in between. Attentive or perked ears also represent that your canine is alert and ready to do the action. In some cases, dropped-back ears signify love and friendly devotion. When a dog's hackles are raised, it means the hair along their back is standing up. Ears down and at the lower back means your canine is being submissive. But we recommend you read the ear positions until the end to understand your dogs emotions better. In situations like these, its time for you to be your canines guard. Do not pet a dog with a wagging tail if you do not know the dog. The main way that pups communicate their emotions is through dog ear positions which can generally be categorized as relaxed, flat, pointed, or perked. (Picture Credit: kiszon pascal / Getty Images). Remember, a dog in pain may be faster to lash out so its important to look at their body language and ear positions to determine if they are feeling any discomfort. If you have any queries, you can drop them down; we would love to respond to you. Some people have the misconception that these types of dogs scarcely move their ears at all because they are simply too heavy to be moved. Although understanding your dogs emotions through their ears is harder for dogs with floppy ears, it can still be done if you take time to analyze their body language as a whole. It is a way of asking for something like playing, treating, and going for a walk. I will be back soon with more informative and interesting pieces of writing. American cocker spaniel its ears are very large probably because they are also very hairy. Are There Other Signals You Can Pick Up From The Position Of A Dogs Ears? When your dog has flattened ears, there are a couple of different things they may be trying to tell you. Some canines drop back their ears to get some love. If your dog's ears are just very slightly positioned back, it probably means your pup is in a friendly mood. When dogs change their ear position, they may also be reacting to things that they smell or hear. Its only seen to cover an inch of the ears. Dog ears arent just for listening theyre for talking too! Above, we had thoroughly mentioned all the ear positions that dogs make with their symbolic meaning and physical appearance hope that they all were helpful. New York, NY (November 21, 2008) The American Kennel Club was advised this week of the AVMA's newly amended policy on ear cropping and tail docking following its adoption by the AVMA . It might be good to help your dog figure it out. Here are the most common ear positions for dogs, and what they might mean. They are excellent at hunting and retrievals. They may also be reluctant for you to touch their head on the side where they are experiencing pain. You can still see them move their ears forward slightly when something intrigues them. Dogs have a tendency to communicate in much the same way, regardless of their physical makeup. A dog that is shifting his weight to be more over his front legs might be feeling upset and ready to pounce. Also called the round ear, its yet another variation to the pricked ear. They may be paying attention to more than one thing at a time. A dog might use the same ears up movement when he is completely immersed in playing and giving it his whole attention. Similarly, dogs also do the same. It is possible to glean more information from the position of your dogs ears. Pitbull ear cropping modifies the natural shape of the Pitbull's ears by removing part of the pinna so that the cartilage stands erect. This is why many people have the procedure done before 12 weeks of age. For example, the dog might have been injured in a dog fight or virtually any other type of accident. When a canine with pointed ears is relaxing, its ears get angled slightly. Ears back - scared or submissive. The ears will be standing tall and rigid in a straight-up position. If you think that a dog only speaks with their tail, think again. Dogs may adopt this ear position when they are feeling threatened or intimidated by a person, animal, or situation. The way that your dog is standing can tell you a lot about how he is feeling. If thats the case, that particular ear may not naturally sit in the same position as the other one. Body language is a big indicator of the mood in humans and can also be a big indicator with dogs. If your dog does the same in front of another dog, he wants to show that the other dog has more energy and is more dominant than me. As you can see on the dog ear positions chart, there are four main categories for a dogs ears. For example, the greyhounds ear shape was a way to aid the dog move faster, the shape would streamline its head giving them faster speeds and momentum. The best thing to do in this situation is to get your dog away from whatever hes threatened by. But this concerned perked and alert ear position differs from that and has a different symbolic meaning. Everything from a dogs head motions and tail movements to a dogs eyes can tell a story. You might be thinking that its easier to read body language regarding your dogs ears if you have a dog that has straight perked up ears to begin with since you can see the ears clearly. Rotated or tilted ears: Some dogs may tilt or rotate their ears in different directions, which can indicate a variety of moods and intentions. The cocked ear is an erect ear with the tip slightly bent over. It shows that the dogs are anxious or feel guilty about a past act. I love to mention and link to various products and gear I actually use. Dogs communicate by moving their head and body with the positing of their eyes, tails, and ears. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. You will notice that a dog perks his ears in response to interesting noises that he wants to investigate. Maybe theyre not responding to you because he is keenly focused on something else. Following are details of the various breeds with pictures. Dogs may adopt this ear position when they are feeling overwhelmed or in distress. The position that your dog is holding his tail while he is wagging means something. Therefore, you have to take the perked ears into context with everything else. The attentive perked position is usually observed when you are playing with your dog showing that he is perked, alert, and ready to take action. If your dog pins their ears all the way back, it means that they are sad, fearful, in pain, or angry. Alongside neutral ears, a relaxed dog will have other body language cues such as an open mouth, a relaxed face, and a . The cropped ears are prevalently seen with the Doberman Pinschers, but other breeds with cropped ears include the great dane, boxers, cane Corso, the American pit bull terrier, among other breeds.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'petaddon_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-petaddon_com-leader-1-0'); Further Reading:Doberman Ear Cropping Styles. Meaning Also referred to as erect ears, this is the most envied type of ears. Since these dogs are hunting dogs, psychologists explain that the drop-ear is actually a helpful characteristic. The standard ear positions vary from neutral to fearful. Whatever you might prefer to call this breed, they are far from being pocket-sized as their name suggests. This is a common ear position for dogs who are feeling content and at ease. But, we can mistakenly assume that they understand more than just those few keywords. Their ears are changing positions theyre trying to decide how they feel about their current situation and the sounds around them. Depending on the context and their overall posture and body language, this can escalate to defensive aggression, so it's important to approach them calmly and with caution. This is a good sign! A dog in different situations will likely utilize these positions to express their state of mind to other dogs or threatening figures. A dog will lie down on his front legs, sticking his haunches in the air. Reading out someones emotions with just the help of their body posture is an important technique used by interviewers in humans. In truth, tail wagging is just an indication of the emotion of some variety. This ear position is common for dogs who are exploring a new environment or investigating a new object. So, in this case, the most helpful approach to inculpate your dogs ear position exactly and what it is signifying is we take the help of other body language attributes, which include the use of eyes, ears, tail, and facial expressions to express their feeling. This dog may be a bit concerned and working to figure something out. If youre only looking at your dogs ears, your dogs eyes, your dogs facial expressions, or your dogs tail, you could easily miss something. The ears drop down like curtains lying flat on their face. Because if not, it would start leaning a bit forward with barking and lunging to access the other opponent. A wriggling canine showing you its stomach is probably to be a completely happy and snug canine. Our dog blog provides insightful information on the issues related to dogs. Other Nordic breeds like the Belgian malinois, semi-domestic canids, and dingoes can also have such ear shapes. A similar train of thought can be followed for Border Collies, Aussies, and dogs of similar breed. An American Staffordshire Terrier with cropped ears smiling. Do Dogs React To Sounds With Ear Positions? What does it imply when a dog puts one ear up and one ear down? Only barking isnt effective for better communication, so barking with the help of different ear positions and body movements will help you better understand what your dog is up to. Slightly back ears. Although care is taken to disinfect the ears and antibiotics are given, infections can still occur.