Have you ever experienced this?
A baby starts to cry. You try to soothe her, but she just won’t stop crying. Then the mother returns, makes some subtle gesture, and suddenly… the crying baby begins to giggle.
You know what’s happened in this case? You simply do not understand the child’s body language. But the mother does.
Goldendoodle dogs are similar to babies in a lot of ways. Like babies, they constantly exhibit small telltale signs, which serve to communicate with their owners. But since most owners do not know how to read a doodle’s body language, these signs fall on deaf ears.
But not to worry! In this guide, we’re going to teach you a bundle of tricks to read your dog’s body language perfectly.
What does science say about a dog’s body language?
Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a veterinary behaviorist and professor at Texas A&M University, had this to say on Goldendoodle body language:
“Dogs have some vocal ability; the range of sounds they can produce is relatively limited. A few sounds are specific, like a growl, but most are more generalized.”
Indeed, doodles give off common sounds like growling. But don’t expect them to growl like your average big dog. Small dogs are unique and different from large dogs, remember?
Michelle Mullins, a certified dog behavior consultant, said:
“They use the communication tools that are available to them. While body language tends to come second for humans, with dogs, what they’re feeling and what their body is saying is exactly the same thing.”
How to read your dog’s body language
When a Goldendoodle is frightened
Goldendoodles behave like most dogs when they’re scared. They cower away. This is when you see them hiding behind stuff, cowering under the bed or behind the couch.
When you find your dog acting like this, it simply means he’s scared of something or someone. It could be that a bigger dog has walked into the compound or someone terrifying has stepped into the house. In some cases, it could even be because the owner is doing something terrifying.
In any case, you need to understand this sign, as it’s prevalent in dog aggressiveness. Research has it that when dogs are scared, they tend to exhibit aggressive behaviors like barking, biting, etc. Don’t think it above your dood to show off his aggressive side if you continue to terrify him.
When a Goldendoodle is anxious
You think humans are the only ones who get anxious about things? Well, you’re wrong. Our canine friends do, too.
To understand when your doodle friend is anxious, take a look at his eyeballs. Dogs’ eyeballs generally tend to turn “half-moon” when they’re anxious about things.
By “half-moon,” I mean that you can clearly see the white part of their eyes. When your doodle’s eyes look like this, it means he’s pretending to look away from what he’s anxious about, even though his eyes are still fixated on it.
As in the case of fear, you need to look out for when your Goldendoodle is anxious about things, as this could cause a mood swing in him.
Other signs of anxiety include:
- Lip-licking
- Averting eye contact
- Lifting a front paw
- Yawning when not tired
- Holding perfectly still
When a Goldendoodle is happy
It’s easy to spot a happy dog any day, anywhere. They’re loose-bodied, rolling all over, and sometimes snuggling without stopping.
When your doodle is happy, you’ll see his eyes looking a bit squinty, his mouth slightly open, his tail playfully wagging, or his head and ears tilted downwards. All of these are meant to tell you, “Hey, I’m happy with this environment and everything that’s going on. Please, can I have some more?”
There’s no better time to train and play with your dood than when he’s in this state. He’s running around at will, obeying instructions, and exhibiting every trait you hope to see while training a dog.
In a nutshell, a happy dog is a trainable dog. So try to keep your dog happy as often as possible.
When a Goldendoodle is playful
Goldendoodles are more playful and livelier than most dogs. As such, it’s not so hard to decipher their play language.
Like in the happy state, when a doodle dog is feeling playful, he may start wagging his tail steadily in a way that will make you notice him. Other times, you may see him bouncing off the ground and jumping around as though he’s trying to catch something.
Goldendoodles, in particular, have a unique pose they make when they’re eager to get you in on their playtime bliss. They push their front paws and legs down and stick their behinds up in the air. When you find your dood doing this, it simply means he’s inviting you to join in on the game.
In some cases, you might even see your dog “smiling” with an open, relaxed mouth. If there are other dogs around, you might see them taking turns chasing each other.
When a Goldendoodle is aggressive
We’ve touched slightly on this before. Now, let’s give it a good dive.
Dogs tend to get aggressive mostly when they’re irked or scared. If you’re guilty of annoying your dog or treating him with a scary approach, then expect him to respond with the following signs.
- Eyes wide open
- Mouth wide open with bared teeth
- Fixated and strange stare
- Stiffened legs, muscles, body, and tail
- Barking
- Growling
- Biting
- Snapping
If you see your dood displaying regular signs of aggressiveness, it’s time to consult a veterinarian. Otherwise, you risk escalating the condition. A behavioral vet will give proper advice on what to do, like proper training, a better human-pet social relationship, triggers to remove, etc.
Conclusion
It’s important to learn a dog’s body language because you need it to communicate with them. When you can’t decipher a dog’s message, it becomes impossible to relate to them, let alone attend to their immediate wants and needs.
