Dog Facial Expressions Are Not Unlike Our Own

Ever wonder what your dog’s facial expressions mean? Spoiler alert: It’s not always ‘I need a treat.’ Just like us, dogs use their faces to communicate a wide range of emotions. While their fur and different features might make it harder to decipher than human expressions, there are some telltale signs that can clue us into what they’re feeling.

First off, let’s talk eyes. If your dog’s eyes are relaxed, slightly closed and not wide/tense, that can mean they’re content and happy. Squinting or blinking slowly can also be a sign of trust and affection, much like when a human gives a warm smile. Imagine your dog saying, ‘Life is good and so are belly rubs.’ Conversely, eyes pulled wide open or darting away can signal stress or fear. Imagine the dog saying, ‘I’d rather not be in this situation, how do I get out of it?’

The mouth is another key area. A relaxed, open mouth generally means a happy pup. Compare this to a human’s broad smile. On the flip side, a tightly closed mouth or showing teeth in a snarl can be a sign of stress or aggression. Think of this as a human gritting their teeth or grimacing in anger or frustration. (Like your expression when you just realized your dog ate an entire pizza off the kitchen table.)

Next up, ears play a crucial role in expressing emotions. Perked up ears indicate curiosity, confidence, or alertness, while ears laid back can mean your dog is feeling scared or submissive. Human ears don’t move in the same way dogs’ do, so it’s not easy to compare those directly, but we can talk about brows and facial tension lines next…

Brows, the area on a dog’s forehead between and above their eyes can be very expressive. Dogs use their “eyebrows” to show curiosity, worry, or tension by raising or wrinkling them, just like we do.

Put all of this together and often times you can tell how a dog is feeling just by asking yourself, if that was a human face, what expression would that be? Pay attention to those details and you can unlock a deeper understanding of what your dog is trying to tell you in any given situation.