Can Dogs Use Their Ears to Express Emotions?
Can dogs use their ears to express emotions? The answer is yes, dogs can express their emotions through their ears. So, do you know what it looks like when dogs express emotions?
How Do Dogs Use Their Ears to Express Emotions?
Can dogs use their ears to express emotions? Every dog can easily control the shape and posture of their ears, much more complex than humans. In a sense, a dog's ears can speak.
Can dogs use their ears to express emotions? The movement of a dog's ears is often accompanied by changes in facial expression and sounds, playing an important role in expressing emotions. Dogs in the leader position in a group usually keep their ears erect and facing forward, while dogs in a submissive position often have their ears hanging low.
Can dogs use their ears to express emotions? When understanding a dog's language, we must combine body language with ear posture. Even the same erect ears can express different meanings when paired with different body language.
Language 1: What's going on? — Attracted by new sounds or phenomena around, intently focusing on the target. Expression: ears erect or slightly tilted forward.
Language 2: So fun! — Observing while enjoying new stimuli. Expression: ears erect and tilted forward, head tilted or relaxed, mouth slightly open.
How Do Dogs Use Their Ears to Express Emotions?
Language 3: I'm going to fight, think carefully. — Issuing an offensive threat signal. Expression: wrinkled nose, showing teeth, ears pinned back.
Language 4: I admit you are stronger than me. — Desiring peace, showing submission. Expression: calm facial expression, ears flat back against the head.
Language 5: You are awesome, don't hurt me. — Clear capitulation. Expression: ears pinned back while lowering the hindquarters, tail wagging vigorously.
Language 6: Push me again, and I'll fight back. — Panic, restlessness. Expression: showing teeth, ears pulled back.
Language 7: I don’t like this place, should I retreat or advance? — This is a movement transitioning from anxiety and doubt to attack or escape. Expression: body gently pulling back with a slight outward spreading movement, ears trembling.
Language 8: I'm just wandering around, don't be hostile to me. — Hesitant, more fearful and submissive, hoping for peace more than usual. Expression: ears trembling constantly, usually first extending forward, then briefly extending backward and downward.
Can dogs use their ears to express emotions? Different regions have different ecological environments. To adapt, dogs have evolved ears with different shapes and functions. Dogs with keen sense of smell mostly come from hunting breeds, which all have a pair of long, drooping ears. When tracking prey through scent, the ears hanging to the ground can sweep away fallen leaves or other ground debris while gathering scents to better identify prey.
Can dogs use their ears to express emotions? In contrast, guard dogs and watchdogs rarely have large drooping ears because large, drooping ears do not hear as well as erect ears and are not suitable for early enemy detection. Humans purposefully breed and train dogs to reinforce and amplify some innate characteristics, including ears.
