Fun Fact: Dogs can make close to a 100 facial expressions, mostly using their ears. Dogs don’t necessarily understand their owner’s language (contrary to what most dog lovers would say), but they absolutely understand their emotions. So, how can we understand theirs?
Unless you want confrontation, avert your gaze and relax your body, which signals to the dog you don’t want “trouble”.
Similarly, you’ve probably noticed you dog doesn’t like direct eye contact. Trying to make direct eye contact signals to the pooch you are looking for “trouble” and unless the dog is tense you’ll just scare your Fido for no reason. At least that’s how the dog will interpret your behaviour.
If your dog’s mouth is tightly closed, you can be sure there is tension in your pooch. On the other hand, if you see that the lips to the sides of the muzzle are soft, you have nothing to worry about. If you dog licks its lips, rest assured it is pleased with the situation, whatever it may be. If the dog is drooling more than normally and there are no steaks in sight, it’s advisable to take the dog to a vet as excessive drooling not characteristic of the pooch’s breed may be a sign of medical problems.
Learning to read your dog’s facial expressions strengthens the bond the two of you have and can prevent very unpleasant situations.