Understanding what your dog is saying to your through their body language is paramount.  Learn more about some basic signals your dog may be sending you and how to interpret these signals in order to promote a healthy and happy dog and owner.

Relaxed dog signals

A relaxed dog will have a gentle wag and a tail roughly in line with its spine although breeds like German Shepherds naturally carry it lower and docked breeds higher.  Learning the difference between a dog that is vocal and wants to play is vital in order to take the correct approach in training, as they differ greatly.  If your puppy is biting and mouthing you this is not a sign of aggression but it is important to recognise the difference see mouthing and biting in puppies. Remember dogs are naturally sociable and we have the responsibility to exposing them to a variety of stimulus in a positive way, so get your puppy out there now and let him meet and greet and play!

Socialise

Introduce your dog with dogs that are reliable and relaxed.  Dogs that are too keen to play are likely to aggravate your dog and what begins as play can quickly turn into a fight or a display of aggression.  Choose dogs that you know to allow your dog to interact with which will allow a positive experience and allow your dog to become more relaxed around other dogs.

TOP TIP: Breeds such as Rottweiler’s and Bulldogs conformation tends to be interpreted as dominant.  This is a case of not judging a book by its cover.  You need to look for subtle signals in these breeds.

Reading your dog

When observing your dog and choosing dogs for it to socialise with it is important you look at your puppy’s body language.

Calming signals such as a lowered relaxed tail way and head, show the other dog that it is not a threat.  A relaxed body posture, avoiding eye contact and attempting to sniff the ground or the other dogs behind are all good signals and important ones at that.  If your dog is not demonstrating these it is unwise to proceed towards the other dog. 
There are a few things you can do tell your dog ‘good’ and reinforce with a treat when they demonstrate the above or throw treats onto the ground, as your dog eats these treats it will signal to the other dog a calm manner due to the lowered head and apparent sniffing behaviour.

Dominant gestures include a fast wagging high tail, raised head, hackles up (hair standing up on neck) and large amounts of eye contact.  If your dog is displaying these do not allow interaction with other dogs until these have subsided through training or it will end in tears!  When your puppy puts his head over the other dogs neck or stands over him as shown in this picture, this is also an indicator of dominance, but don’t panic, it is normal for one to be ‘top dog’ and does not mean your dog will become aggressive.  It is best in these situations to allow the dogs to sort out their pecking order between them.  Getting involved will aggravate the situation and may cause problems rather than solve it.  A small growl or bark is not to necessarily something to worry about.  It can be used in play or as a warning signal that they are being pushed too far.  If you have a dog who has demonstrated aggression, if you see this display, simply distract your dog to another activity, preventing aggression and leaving both dogs with a positive experience.

Fearful behaviour.

Rolling on their back and urinating, hunched body posture and tail between legs are indicators of fear.  It is very important you recognise this as most dog aggression comes from fear based problems which can be caught early by observing submissive behaviour. 
Teach your submissive puppy obedience commands such as sit and stand in order to use these in the presence of other dogs avoiding eliciting the fear response and reward confident behaviour.  So every time they see another dog they get a treat therefore the other dog is a positive influence and they will become more confident.

Playing

It is vital that you are aware when a dog is playing as opposed to being aggressive.  Dogs will use their paws, mouths and play bow towards each other to initiate play.  Just because a dog stands over another dog does not mean instantly it is aggression.  Dogs will often do this and mouth each other at the same time.  You should allow this to take place and don’t worry too much about them being vocal either, if you get involved you are likely to cause friction between them so leave well alone whilst keeping a watchful eye should things escalate.  If you do not like rough play then calmly say no and engage them in another activity.

Signs of stress

Licking lips excessively, yawning, scratching and trembling or urinating.  If your puppy is exhibiting any of these do not pander to him but engage him in another activity or make the current activity pleasurable using treats and play.

Aggression warning signals

Ears will either go back or extremely forward dependent upon the emotion felt.  Fearful dogs tend to pin their ears back.  The weight will be distributed onto their back legs and the tail will be excessively high or low with a fast, tense wag.  Excessive eye contact is another warning signal and you should endeavour to distract the dog if it becomes fixated upon a person or another animal (always muzzle a dog you suspect of being aggressive for safety reasons).  Just before an attack dogs will freeze, this is one of the last warnings a dog will give, it may only last a second or less but it is present and you must train yourself to look out for it if you have an aggressive dog but it is useful to know with any dog or puppy.  A lip curl or growl often follows, although many dogs will delve straight into attack mode.

TOP TIP: The majority of aggression cases are based upon fear so be very wary of chastising a dog when it is in this state, you will make the aggression worse. It is advised to consult a professional behaviourist in these cases.