Understanding puppy sounds is imperative as that is the only way one can maintain a good relationship and make it an admirable family pet. Puppies have their own stave their own style of communication by using their tail, body and even smells. Similarly, a dog relies mainly on body language, that is, they pay careful attention to what humans say with gestures, such as a raised eyebrow or a nod of head. One of the predominant vocal signals in dog is barking.
It is used by these animals during play, or when they are defending something or somebody, or as a greeting. Barks are often looked upon as a dominance signal but it does not necessarily mean aggression. Dogs use howls when they need to express emotion, and to acknowledge their whereabouts to their peers if left alone. Whines, yelps and whimpers communicate a feeling of submission, pain or fear in dogs. Growls and snarls act as warnings. Dogs use these to indicate to strangers to back off and stay away from an area. Growls indicate deeper concern, and can appear with either an open or closed mouth. Puppies which are taught to not to growl are more likely to bite without warning. This makes it quintessential for all dogs to learn proper bite indication. Snarls in dogs involve showing the teeth and does not always accompany sound; they often signify slight fear.
A dogs’ laugh sound is simply an exhalation of breath. Dogs also exhibit a lot of emotions with their tail. Tail wagging rightwards depict positive emotions and vice versa. A wagging tail is a distance-reducing signal that improvises the dog to be friendly. It is often observed that dominant and confident dogs hold their tails high, and wag rapidly in tight sharp arcs. However, the aggressive ones also hold their tails high, often tightly arched over their back with just the end moving rapidly back and forth. Low lying tail declares submission or fear. Dogs show their affection by licking. Eyes also communicate a lot in dogs. Alert pups keep their eyes widely open. An unblinking stare shows the dog is posing a challenge, while averting them depict submission. When the lips lift vertically upwards, the dog is showing aggression or fear.
Lips pull back horizontally to show more teeth like a grin, it justifies submissive feeling, which is often used as a pleasant gesture toward a dominant individual. When they are erect and facing forward, the dog is interested and possibly aggressive. The ears flatten against the head by varying degrees depending on how fearful or submissive the dog feels. When the dog leans to the right or to the left it generally indicates curiosity for a sound which is new to it or recognition to a familiar word. Thus, a dog shows a mixture of emotions by using these signals and it is best for a pet owner to understand them to make the relationship with the pet reach its acme of existence.
