How Dogs Communicate

Decode Your Dog: The Signals You’ve Been Missing

Ever wish you could truly understand what your dog is thinking and feeling? How Dogs Communicate is your guide to reading the subtle signals, body language, and tiny gestures that reveal exactly what a dog is saying.

Learn to interpret the tilt of a head, the flick of a tail, and the smallest shifts in posture. From playful excitement to stress, curiosity, or uncertainty, you’ll gain the confidence to recognise it all.

Explore how breed, body structure, and environment shape a dog’s communication — giving you insight into everyday interactions as well as challenging situations.

By the end of this course, you’ll see dogs in a whole new way. Understand their messages clearly, reduce misunderstandings, and build a stronger, more trusting bond — whether you’re a dog owner, trainer, or enthusiast.

Start communicating with dogs on a whole new level and enjoy a deeper connection that goes beyond words.

What people are saying

Very good easily comprehended explication of dog communication, dog to dog and dog to human. Particularly good for the novice but a great reminder to those that think they know dogs very well.

— Susanna Sierra-Morgan

Really enjoyed this course! Informative, interesting and the course is the perfect length of time to suit everyone . Thank you 😊

— Vicky Tate

Very Helpful and Informative Course. This course covers many aspects of canine behaviour, and helps us to depict what they are saying. If you wish to learn more about how dogs communicate and how to make them more comfortable, then take this course!

— Ethan Clemons Molinia

Course curriculum

1

Welcome!
- What Will This Course Cover?
- What Is Canine Body Language?
- Does a Dog’s Breed Affect Their Ability to Communicate?
- Why This Matters & What You May Begin to Notice
- Understanding Stress
- What do you see?
2

The Basic States
- The Four Basic Communication States
- Calm Dogs
- Playful Dogs
- Alert Dogs
- Scared Dogs
- Coming Up Next
3

The Head & Face
- The Head
- Facial Tension
- Furrowed Brow
- Sneezing
4

The Ears
- Perked Forward
- Pinned Back
- Sideways
- One Ear Up / One Ear Back
5

The Eyes
- Blinking
- Look Away
- Soft and Hard Eyes
- Squinting
- Staring
- Whale Eye
6

The Mouth
- Closed Mouth
- Drooling
- Lip Licking
- Lip Tucking
- Panting
- Smiling
- Yawning
7

The Legs & Feet
- Paw Raise
- Sweaty Pads
- Tippy Toes
8

The Tail
- The Tail
- Neutral Tail
- High Tail
- Low Tail
- Tucked Tail
- Windmill Tail
9

Body Signals
- Body Tension
- Hackles
- Penile Presentation
- Shedding
10

Body Position
- Leaning Away
- Leaning Forward
- Play Bow
- Tap Out
- Hyper-vigilance
11

Body Movements
- Shake Off
- Stretching
- Humping
- Move Away
- Pacing
- Zoomies
12

Displacement Behaviours
- Displacement Behaviours
- Genital Check
- Scratching
- Paw Nibbling
13

Vocalisations
- Vocalisations
- Stress Vocalisations
- Types of Vocalisations
- Breed Vocalisations
14

Warning Signals
- Warning Signals
- Growling
- Muzzle Punch
- Rushing
- Snapping
- Stalking
- Teeth Baring
- Tongue Flashing
15

Myth Busting
- Myth Busting
- Guilty Look
- Wagging Tail
- Rolling Over
16

Review and Reflect
- Reading Dogs Is a Skill, Not a Test
- Practice in the Real World
- What do you see now?
- Knowledge Quiz – Certificate Requirement

Laura McHugh

Laura is a fear free dog trainer who specialises in games based training. She is passionate about helping people understand what their dogs are trying to say, so they can build calmer, more confident relationships together.