Dogs’ ears come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, and they’re one of the most expressive parts of the body. You have to look closely to read them correctly, however. Positions that look almost the same can mean entirely different things.
Raised slightly. Dogs who are happy and comfortable will raise their ears slightly, as though they’re saying, “I’m happy, and I’m paying attention. Just tell me what to do.” When your dog is relaxed, with his tail low and the ears pricked slightly and a little forward, that’s the sign of a happy, confident, alert dog.
Raised high. Dogs raise and rotate their ears to locate and identify sounds. When your dog finds something to be particularly excited about, like the sound of footsteps coming up the front walk, he’ll prick his ears high and point them forward in the direction of the sound. This is a sign that he’s alert and ready for action. When he raises his hackles (the fur on the back of the neck) as well as his ears, then he’s also feeling threatened. A dog who wants to say, “Back off! This is my territory!” will try to make himself as big as possible. This includes lifting his ears as high as he can and raising his hackles, which makes his head look larger than life.
Relaxed, slightly down, and back. When nothing exciting is going on, which is most of the time, dogs keep their ears in a relaxed position. This is what you’ll often see when you’re petting your dog or rubbing his head. It means he’s not particularly excited, just relaxed and content. He may draw his ears back a bit, leaving you plenty of room to rub the top of his head.
Flat and back. Just as dogs try to make themselves look larger when they’re feeling aggressive, they shrink a bit when they’re nervous. When your dog lays his ears flat against his head, and his tail is low and between his legs, you’ll know he’s afraid and is perfectly willing to back down from whatever is threatening him. Submissive dogs usually put their ears back and flat against the skull when they’re faced with an aggressive dog or person. Ears that are flat and back aren’t always a sign of submission. Dogs who assume this position, along with other “fighting postures” such as snarling or growling, may be getting ready to attack. Moving the ears back helps ensure that they don’t get bitten in the scuffle.
Sweeping back and forth. As with humans, dogs sometimes have mixed emotions and aren’t sure exactly how they feel. This ambivalence is often expressed in the way they move their ears. You might see your dog’s ears wavering back and forth when you reprimand him and he doesn’t really like what he’s hearing. It’s his way of saying, “I accept your reprimand…reluctantly.”
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