Smiling Angel — Samoyed

　　Every dog has a different personality, but their ways of expressing emotions are quite similar. Dogs show different feelings through their distinct body language and various body parts. As a qualified owner, understanding the emotions they want to express is a required lesson. Never misunderstand them just because you didn’t understand their signals.

The Saddest Dog in the World — Pug

　　1. Dog’s Inner Thoughts and Emotional Expressions
　　1. Dog’s Ears
　　Can also express emotions. When the ears are firmly pinned back, it means the dog wants to attack. When the ears are gently pinned back, it means happiness or being coquettish.
　　2. Dog’s Eyes
　　Show mood changes. When angry, pupils dilate and eyes lift, turning into a scary glare. When sad and lonely, eyes become moist. When happy, eyes sparkle brightly. When confident or seeking trust, the gaze will never waver. When pressured or guilty, the dog will avert its gaze slightly. When distrustful, the eyes flicker unsettled.
　3. Dog’s Facial Expressions
　　Eyes shoot fierce light, showing teeth, growling, fur standing on end. Tail is stretched straight, keeping a distance from what it is angry at. If the front part is lowered and the rear is raised in a pounce posture, it’s ready to attack.
　4. Dog’s Tail
　　Most accurately expresses emotions. Wagging tail means joy; drooping tail indicates danger; tail not moving shows unease; tail tucked means fear.
　5. Dog’s Body
　　When fearful, the dog’s fur stands on end, body trembles continuously. At the same time, the tail hangs low or is clamped between the legs.
　6. Dog’s Head Droop
　　Indicates sadness; the dog often droops its head, appears listless, looks pitifully at the owner, or hides quietly in a corner.
　　7. Dog’s Jumping
　　Expresses joy. Dogs also “smile”; mouth slightly open showing teeth, wrinkles on the nose, soft eyes, drooping ears, humming sounds from the mouth, body gracefully twisting, plus wagging tail.

Sometimes When Dogs Lick People, It’s Not What You Imagine

　　2. Understanding Dog’s Emotional Expression Through Body Language
　　1. Wagging Tail
　　Wagging tail usually means friendliness, but not always. Dogs may wag tails when fearful, excited, or confused. A scared puppy may wag its tail low and clamped between its legs; an angry challenger may raise and quickly wag its tail while attacking.
　　2. Bowing
　　When a puppy raises its hindquarters and lowers its front body, wagging its tail energetically and eyes shining, it’s saying: come play with me! If your expression is serious, the dog will express in especially friendly ways to get your attention.
　　3. Light Licking
　　If your dog keeps licking its own nose, it’s clearly uneasy. Maybe judging a new situation, hesitating whether to approach a guest, or trying hard to focus and understand a new command. If unfamiliar, do not rashly approach dogs that keep licking their noses—they could be very nervous.
　　4. Rolling Over
　　If your dog shows its belly with paws raised, it’s showing humility and submission. If this posture is shown to you, it means more: trying to avoid an expected scolding, but more often, a dog with its belly up is telling you how happy it is by your side—come on, rub my belly!
　　5. Arching Back
　　This action shows certain sexual intentions and sometimes occurs even with neutered dogs. Certainly, if they are a good match, you can arrange them to mate happily; otherwise, avoid cross-gender interactions during heat periods. If a dog does this to a person, suddenly making a noise can divert its attention.
　　6. Mounting
　　When your dog mounts another dog or stands and presses the other dog’s body with its paws, it’s saying: I am the alpha, don’t forget that! Mounting is not only performed by males; competitive females do it too. Owners often do not understand why same-sex dogs mount each other. Actually, it’s a dominance action with little sexual meaning.