5 Ways To Tell If Your Dog Is Happy
All us dog mums and dads want to know is, "is my dog happy". So how can you tell if they are happy, healthy and content? Well, we've gathered some research from our trusted sources include PDSA, Nature's Recipe and RSPCA. Let's fetch some tips!
#1 Body Language
Like humans, we can tell a lot about our four-legged besties by their body language; especially since they can't communicate how they feel to us verbally. One way to tell if a dog is happy by their body language is to see if their body appears to be relaxed by looking at their posture and notice if they are tense or stiff. If they aren't, then this means they're feeling paws-itive about things.
Other relaxed 'cues' are:
- Loose shoulders
- 'Wiggliness'
- Open mouth
- Relaxed ears
- Eyes are a regular shape (not closed or puffy)
#2 Play Time!
Oh yes, dogs LOVE play time! Not only is play time good for bonding, not to mention a break from the world for us humans, but it is also an opportunity to assess how happy your dog is feeling.
If your dog is always inviting you to play with their favourite toy, that's a strong indication your dog is a happy dog, plus, if your dog surrenders his favourite chew toy to you, then that's also a great sign.
All in all, a happy dog is more likely to want to play and jump around if they're happy. A play "bow" is a great sign that your dog is in the mood to play too. It's also good to know that not all dogs are "playful", so don't be too alarmed if your dog isn't engaging in play time, but see if there's anything else on this list that could be an indication on how your dog is feeling.
#3 On Walks
Dog walks are excellent for judging the overall health of our dogs, and this will be the time where most dog mums and dads tend to find out that something isn't quite right with their fur-babies.
Signs of happy dogs on walkies can be that they always wait for you to catch up with them, they come back when you call them and when you can tell they are trying extra hard to obey the rules!
Extra effort certainly earns extra treats, so don't forget your training treat bag to keep those treats handy wherever you go!
#4 Waggy Tails
Oh yes, a tall waggy tail is one of the most common and well-known signs that your dog is a happy and content doggy. If your dog also has "relaxed" ears, this means they are relaxed as oppose to "pricked" ears which are a sign of alert.
Oh we love to see those wagging tails though!
#5 Love & Affection
Without arms and legs it's obviously a little tricky for our pooches to "hug" us, so they have their own ways of showing their love and affection for us hoomans...
"The Look Of Love"
When your dog always looks you in the eye, this is a sign of the love that they have for you:
Snuggles:
Has your dog tried to snuggle into your personal space as much as possible? Yep! This is a sign that they love you too!
Leaning Into You:
A content and happy doggy will lean into you and even lean into your hand when you stroke them.
Snoozy Time:
When your dog quite literally conks out, this can be the result of a very happy dog-day. Mission complete when this happens isn't it?
We hope you have this dose of this "puppy lovee" with five ways to tell if your dog is a happy dog. While all of these equal cuteness overload and cause us to be utterly in awe by the ways in which our dogs tell us they love us and that they are fulfilled, these are all signs that your dog is a happy dog too!
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Nicky, Caroline & The Pups @ PupRepublic
Sources, RSPCA, Nature Recipe, PDSA