Dog ear position offers great insight into your pet's emotional state. While people often rely on speaking to communicate, dogs rely heavily on a combination of body positions, from wagging tails to dog ear positions. In combination with other body language, understanding dog ear position meaning can help you understand their needs and respond appropriately.
Common Dog Ear Positions and Their Meanings
Have you noticed that your dog's ears flatten against their head when they get caught doing something mischievous? Or how they perk up when they see a squirrel run past? Dog ear expressions are a barometer of canine mood, and knowing what to look for can be a great way to better understand your pup. While dog ear position meaning changes depending on the rest of the body, here are the basics of how their emotions affect their ear position:
Erect and facing forward: Alert, interested, or potentially aggressive
Ears relaxed (different between ear conformation): Neutral
Ears dropped sideways: Nervous and/or happy
Ears swiveling/changing position: Concerned, ambivalent, curious, trying to figure things out
Ears flattened tight against the head: Fearful or submissive
Do Ear Positions Differ from Breed to Breed?
Canine body language varies somewhat between breeds depending on the shape of the ears. Individual dogs may also express themselves in unique ways with dog ear positions, in the same way that people might speak with distinctive accents from different parts of the world.
Your dog's ear conformation—the shape of the pinna, or visible ear flap—dictates how well you can easily read dog ear language.
Dogs with erect or prick ears, like German shepherd dogs, offer more obvious differences in dog ear position meaning.
Floppy ears, called drop ear conformation, also vary. For instance, a cocker spaniel with very furry and long dropped ears positions them differently than a short haired beagle. But a collie's ear has just the tip dropping over. How much the ear drops, as well as the amount of fur, impacts dog ear position meaning.
In all cases, take into account the rest of your dog's body language, and not just the ears. Consider what the tail does at the same time, for example.
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Do Ear Positions Always Mean Something?
Dogs use a combination of body language, which means trying to understand dog ear position meaning by itself proves confusing. What it means when dog ears are back depends on what the tail says, the body position, if fur lies smooth or hackles raise, and many other things. In some cases, dog ear movement simply means your friend hears something interesting, exciting, or scary. Based on those other body signals, let's clarify the most common dog ear positions alongside other body signals.
What Does It Mean When Ears Are Facing Forward?
If your pup is alert and interested, they'll also show a tail that is motionless or gently wagging. Typically, it will be held low or horizontal and have a closed mouth, wide eyes, and smooth fur. An aggressive dog will also show forward-facing, erect ears, but they will have a high-held tail with short jerky wags. You'll also notice the fur on their shoulders is raised and they will bare their teeth.
What Does It Mean When Ears Are Dropped Sideways?
A dog with ears dropped sideways is typically either nervous or happy. In the former case, they'll hold their tail low (possibly tucked) with fast wags and potentially raised fur. They may lick their lips, close their mouth or yawn, averting their eyes. A happy dog, on the other hand, will have wide, loose tail wags, smooth fur, a relaxed mouth, and squinting eyes. They may also encourage play by bowing.
What Does It Mean When Ears Are Swiveling?
Concerned or curious pups will swivel their ears as well as tilt their head and wag their tail low or horizontally. Typically, they'll show wide eyes but have a closed, relaxed mouth.
What Does It Mean When Dog Ears Are Back?
Dogs that have flattened ears may be either fearful, submissive, or aggressive. Fearful and submissive dogs will show clear behavior in other ways, including a tucked tail, turning their head away, or rolling to show their tummy. They may also crawl with wild wags or urinate in a low position.
Aggressive dogs, on the other hand, will slick their ears back just before an attack.
Understanding common dog ear communication helps you better interpret what your dog says to you.
How Do Dog Ear Positions Develop?
Puppies learn a great deal about body language and ear position communication from other dogs, primarily the mother. During play and other interactions, pups learn what their mother means when her ears turn sideways, perk forward, or slick back against her head to show displeasure. Depending on the breed, some dogs inherit specific ear conformations that dictates how mobile (or not) the ear becomes. Health also impacts ear movement, since achy or irritated ears are more uncomfortable to move and hold in unnatural positions. Ask your vet if your dog could benefit from regular ear cleaning, especially if they seem inflamed or itchy.
As dogs mature, interacting with the world around them will impact their behaviors and how they communicate with other pets and humans alike. Socialization helps dogs better understand and accept the environment and other creatures, allowing them to feel more confident and less likely to react with fear or aggression. In turn, the ears of confident dogs turned sideways signal happiness more often, while in poorly socialized dogs, the dropped ears are more likely to indicate nervousness.
All dogs are individuals, despite inheriting certain genetic predispositions. Understanding common dog ear communication helps you better interpret what your dog says to you. And that increases and deepens the bond you share.
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