A dog brings people a huge amount of happiness and positive emotions. But is the four-legged friend happy?
After all, many owners forget that a dog is not a person, and his joys are different from those of humans.
The animal constantly “tells” the owner about its condition, but does so in its own language.
To understand whether your pet is happy, you need to pay attention to 5 signs.
Sign one: relaxed ears
A happy dog has relaxed ears. They are located on the head in a natural position. This is one of the signs of a calm and contented animal.
When a dog is unhappy, its ears are noticeably raised. When the ears are pulled back or tense due to excessive alertness, this is usually a sign of stress or fear. It is normal for a pet to react this way to external factors (sounds, other animals, people who look threatening).
If it is near its beloved owner, it will return its ears to their natural position relatively quickly. If this does not happen, the animal will be under stress for most of its life, which means it cannot be happy.
Sign two: attempts to catch a person’s gaze
A happy dog is one with whom the owner communicates constantly. Such a dog constantly catches the owner's gaze, contacting him in this way. Experienced dog breeders first of all pay attention to establishing a connection with the pet.
This is done through play, training, everyday education and joint recreation. Dogs have been bred for hundreds of years to serve humans, so their greatest happiness is to be needed and feel a connection with their owner. If an animal behaves like a cat and "walks by itself", not paying attention to humans, it cannot be happy.
Sign three: wags the tail
A happy dog holds its tail up (except for breeds for which this tail position is unnatural) and wags it. The happier the pet is, the more actively it wags its tail.
Large breeds can even cause considerable pain by kicking a person's legs. Or they loudly bang on the floor or furniture, expressing their joy.
A frightened dog, one that has been under prolonged stress, or one that is sick will have a tail that hangs limply or is tucked under its belly.
Sign four: showing belly
Lying on your back and showing your belly is the highest level of trust in the animal world. The belly is an unprotected vulnerable place with thin, sensitive skin. Opening it means exposing yourself to danger.
If your dog does this regularly, it means he trusts you completely. And trust and a sense of security are the main components of happiness in any living creature.
Sign number five: activity
They say about a happy person that his soul sings, he wants to dance and hug everyone. This is the body's reaction to the production of so-called happiness hormones. Dogs have the same scheme.
If the pet is happy, it runs, jumps, squeals happily, actively plays with a ball or simply "bucks" like a stubborn horse. It wants to have even more fun and be active.
Observe your pet. Over time, you will learn to read his mood and emotions, just as he reads yours.
