Body posture
The most reliable signal a dog has, and the hardest to fake.
For exampleA loose, wiggly body usually means a relaxed, friendly dog. A dog that suddenly goes still and stiff, weight leaning forward, is focused or uneasy.
Species / Dogs
Dogbody language.
A social animal who has spent 15,000 years learning to read us. Here is how to read them back.
106Signals mapped
91Science-backed references
260Unique scenarios
Start with the animal
Who the dog is.
Dogs have lived alongside people for at least 15,000 years, and it shows. They watch our faces, follow our pointing and even evolved a small brow muscle that makes the famous puppy-dog eyes.
But dogs still speak dog. Most of what they say is in their body, and they usually tell you how they feel long before they act on it.
What FaunaVera looks at
The signals we read.
A few of the channels FaunaVera watches and listens to in every dog video, weighed together with context and checked against a dog-specific ethogram.
Tail
Height, stiffness and speed matter far more than whether it wags.
For exampleA wag means the dog is aroused, not necessarily happy. A loose, sweeping wag at mid-height is usually friendly; a high, stiff, fast flick can be a warning.
Ears
Position and movement, read against what is normal for the breed.
For exampleEars pinned flat back often mean fear or appeasement. Ears pricked forward mean the dog is alert to something.
Eyes
Softness, gaze direction and how much white is showing.
For exampleWhale eye, when the whites show as the dog turns their head but keeps watching something, often means they are uncomfortable.
Mouth
Tension, lip licks and yawns that have nothing to do with being tired.
For exampleA quick lip lick or a yawn when there is no food around and the dog is not tired is often a sign of mild stress.
Voice
Barks, growls and whines, always read together with the body.
For exampleA growl is a warning, not bad behaviour: the dog is telling you they want something to stop.
Did you know?
Dogs tend to wag a little more to the right when they see something they like, and more to the left when something worries them.
Common misreads
- “A wagging tail means a happy dog.”A wag means the dog is emotionally aroused. A loose, sweeping wag is friendly; a stiff, high one can be a warning.
- “That guilty look means they know they did wrong.”A lowered head, averted eyes and lip licks are appeasement, a response to your tone and body language right now, not guilt about the past.
- “A growl is bad behaviour that needs correcting.”A growl is an important warning. Punishing it teaches a dog to skip the warning, not to stop feeling uncomfortable.
Being around a dog
Let the dog come to you, keep your hands low and scratch the chest rather than the top of the head. If they lean in, carry on. If they look away or lick their lips, give them space.
See it for yourself
Your dog, read in seconds.
Upload a short video and FaunaVera reads the whole picture for you: an Interpretation, Voice of Animal, practical Tips and Ethogram Insights that explain exactly which signals it saw.
Where this comes from
A few of the studies.
FaunaVera's dog ethogram draws on 91 science-backed references. These are the major frameworks and references it is built on.
- Dog Facial Action Coding System (DogFACS). Objective coding of facial movements in domestic dogs. Read
- Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). A validated University of Pennsylvania behavioral assessment framework. Read
- Family Dog Project at the ELTE Department of Ethology. Research on dog behavior, cognition, communication and the human-dog relationship. Read
- Kendal Shepherd's Canine Ladder of Aggression. A framework for recognizing escalating canine communication and conflict signals. Read
- Barbara Handelman's Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook. A detailed photographic reference for canine behavior and communication. Read
- Ádám Miklósi's Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition. A comprehensive academic synthesis of canine behavior, cognition and evolution. Read
