Dogs use expressive body language to communicate with their peers, other animals and, of course, us.
Everyone knows what tail wagging means. But what does it mean if the dog flattens his ears or put it back?
Of course, we will tell you that in the following guide.
My dog flattens his ears – why is he doing this?
There are a few reasons why dogs lay their ears back or lay them back.
It becomes almost covering the entire spectrum of emotionsof which a dog is capable.
Triggers of these emotions can include: joy, aggression or even pain be.
Stress, fear and insecurity are also expressed with flat ears.
What finally triggered the big ears? You can do it at the accompanying body language which we will now present to you in more detail.
Dog pricks its ears – body language and its meaning
When a dog flattens or «flaps» its ears back, it indicates peaceful and friendly behavior when accompanied by a casual wag of its tail.
Big ears can also have other meanings. Here it is important to pay attention to the overall body language of the dog.
Dog lays ears back when happy
Already knew? Big ears alone do not say everything about the state of mind of your furry friend.
The position and the movement when putting it on also determine whether You should stay with him or, better, run away at short notice.
In general, however, the following applies here: Your dog is happyto see you and therefore lays its ears back.
Dog puts on ears and pant
If your dog lays its ears back and pant at the same time, it can do that different reasons have.
On the one hand, it may be that your fur nose warm or hot is. Panting is then used to lower body temperature. Flat ears can also occur here, but do not have to.
On the other hand, it may be that Your dog stressed is. Something scares him, which causes his ears to flatten. Panting is then another attempt to manage anxiety and stress.
Dog puts on ears when stroking
Behind laid ears when stroking can including pain hide, so your dog may be sick.
But it could just as well be that your fur nose just happy and content is and enjoys being caressed by you.
Dog flattens its ears when I come home
If your dog flattens its ears when you come home, the joy of reunion behind it.
It is important that you always pay attention to how the rest of the dog’s body «set up» is and how it is with the other gestures and especially facial expressions behaves.
If your dog «smiles», everything is fine. if he doesn’t maybe even shows the flewsshould you to be on the safe side at half past seven be.
Because apparently has something upset your dog. And it can be enough if you smell like another dog or a person that he can’t smell and/or classify.
Dog lays ears back and wags its tail
One classic double messagea confused dog not knowing if he is dog or cator what’s going on there?!
Big ears can definitely be an aggressive reaction – or a warning that your dog is no longer to be trifled with.
Tail wagging – we said so happily just now – means your dog is friendly and in a good mood.
So what now when both means of body language occur at the same time? Has your dog forgotten what he is? Does he want to be a kitty? Did he talk to one and she gave him the wrong communication tips?
We can put your mind at ease. In fact, it is very likely that your dog is just looking forward and happy. It is therefore neither a species aberration nor a double message.
Dog puts on ears when walking
Does your dog flatten its ears or back while you walk with them? Then it may well be that he heard or smelled somethingwhom he does not trust.
The flattened ears are a first sign that a potential threat or danger lurks around the next bend in the road.
It can also be the case that your dog wants to express something else with the big ears. Namely, that he is traveling with peaceful intentions.
In fact, flat ears mean that Your dog looks smaller. Thus for other dogs is less threatening.
He pulls too still the rod between the legs, your dog submits his counterpart. Here zthe dog eaves his ears by the way backwards.
Again: that The interplay of the individual means of communication determines the messagethat your dog wants to communicate.
Dog lays ears back and growls
This fact can be extra growl be underlined. Of course, this does not mean that flattened/back ears and growling can only occur when walking.
To growl is sort of your dog’s next alert levelwhen danger is imminent. This lets a possible enemy know that your fur nose is not to be trifled with.
He makes by growling draws attention to itself and at the same time tries to put the enemy to flight.
Good to know:
This is not unusual, especially for dog breeds that are guard dogs were bred. These have one particularly strong protective instinct. And the big, bad wolf doesn’t always have to be lurking around the next corner.
Dog lays ears back and barks
With this behavior, your dog has the the highest alert level has been sounded for the time being. Growling may be the first acoustic signal that your dog uses to draw attention to itself.
But the barking that occurs parallel to the big ears is even clearer. This has an advantage for your dog that should not be underestimated: It frightens and frightens. Nobody will approach that quickly, but will very likely look for the distance.
Dog lays ears back when sleeping
Maybe your dog just dreamed of something that filled him with either joy or fear has?
Then it can also happen that he lays his ears back while sleeping. It is important that you let him snooze in peace and don’t wake him up. Otherwise he may be frightened.
How do I react if my dog flattens his ears?
First of all, keep the following rule in mind: First of all, stay calm. Especially when your dog makes one or two unencouraging noises. Because panic would be more than just counterproductive here.
Furthermore: Observe the rest of the body language. Are there signs your dog is about to attack? Or are there signs that signal: Hey, everything is fine, I’m glad to see you?
Do you master the body language of your dog or you can interpret them correctly depending on the situationthat’s the reaction you should show in latched dogs.
Conclusion
A dog lays its ears back or flat. So far so good. This is initially only a part of canine communication.
Especially in combination with other «linguistic resources». but the meaning of big ears can sometimes change very quickly.
And that doesn’t automatically mean that your dog is a happy four-legged friend. It is important that you can correctly read and interpret the individual signals on their own or in combination with one another.
Then the big ears will soon no longer be a mystery for you.
We simply assume that your dog has laid its ears back several times. why did he do that? What insights were you able to gain? We would be happy if you tell us about them in the comments!