Dog’s Ears Back: What could this probably mean?

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Dog’s Ears Back

As man’s best friend, dogs have made excellent companions for ages. Their obedience, love, and attention to details are unmatched. This ability to connect with our best friends is made possible by the uniqueness of our ability to communicate either verbally or non-verbally.

Over time, dogs have developed highly expressive modes of communicating their feelings to us through their bodies. One of these is the ear position. Dog’s ears back can be a significant indicator of how it feels or what it needs to know.

What does the dog’s ears back position mean?

To read the correct expression, you need to carefully study the appearance, shape, and position of the dog’s ears, just as with other parts of its body.

To help you better understand the dog’s ear position communication modes, this article will elaborate on the back position. Read along and learn how to interpret what your canine friend could be trying to tell you.

By now, you already know that your dog’s ears are not just for listening purposes. They can be used for talking too. You just have to listen. The ears when laid back can be in a very different position, each of which tries to tell you something.

Let us now take a look together at some of the positions and what they communicate.

Ears slightly laid-back:

This ear position can communicate a lot of messages. You have to spot other dog body languages in order to unlock it’s true meaningfully. If the ears are laid back together with the mouth relaxed, the head lowered and the tail freely wagging, then the dog is being happy and is feeling very friendly.

In this state, the dog is relaxed and is not worried much about its surroundings. It gives the actions around him very minimal attention since it feels safe. This could mostly be when he is near you.

But when Poppy’s eyes are closed with the head lowered, tail tucked and showing the “whale eye,” then he is being defensive and anxious. The probability of biting is also high.

Ears tightly pinned flat back:

If your furry companion stays still, eyes wide open, tail tucked, the body low on the ground and the hind legs under him, then the dog is extremely terrified and might leave the scene very fast at the most opportune moment.

Ears laid back low:

This is when the dog has his ears back and low on his head. He has squinty eyes; he lowers his body and raises a paw. This shows submission especially when he recognizes a leader. Most of us have experienced this after coming back from work and finding the house in a mess, and he knows he is the one who has been messing around the house.

Then there is submission after losing a fight:

This is categorized by rolling his back on the ground and showing the belly. The dog’s adrenaline is high and is preparing to take flight. This shows he has given up and should not be hurt anymore.

Ears down and partially flattened on the head:

This shows an anxious dog. There could be something in his surrounding making him uneasy. He feels helpless and senses fear. If your dog is in such a state, do not provoke him as he can attack anyone out of desperation.

Apart from the laid-back ears, look out for whining noise, dislike to people and objects, rapid panting and dilated pupils.

Ear positions changing:

There are certain instances where the dog shifts the positioning of the ears as it stares and you. At some point, they will be in the “dog’s ears back” position, sometimes in the “dog’s ears forth” position and so on.

This depicts uncertainty in the communications between you and Poppy. Neither understands the other. The shifts in-ear position show that the dog is puzzled and is waiting for clear communication of what to do.

What is some of the other dog ear positions beside the “ dog’s ears back ” position?

As a loving pet owner who always strives for the best for his best friend, there are a couple of the dog ear positions that you should be aware of. Just as earlier stated, a dog does not only use his ears for listening to stuff around him. They use them to communicate with us as well.

dog’s ears back

Here are some of the other ear positions and what they could probably be said about the dog.

1. Pricked ears

This ear position tells you that your dog is quite intrigued by something in his vicinity. He raises his ears up to listen closely. You should then check to see what could be attracting his attention. This can happen too during playing time to show that he is paying attention and is interested in whatever activity you two are involved in.

2. Ears straightened up

This normally manifests dominance in your canine friend. This posture is accompanied by wide open and staring eyes, the mouth stays closed or remains slightly opened. The dog then maintains a tall posture to dominate his subject. The tail stays stiffened and fluffed up, rising from the rest of the body. Occasional low grunts and growls can be heard.

What if my dog’s ears are cropped?

Most of the ear position gestures are accompanied by movement of other body parts. In cases where your dog’s ears are cropped and cannot, therefore, position them to communicate, look for the alternatives. The dog’s tail, face, and other body postures are perfect alternatives for communication.

Conclusion

The “dog’s ears back” position is a critical nonverbal communication method that your dog normally adopts when something is up around her. There are instances where the dog’s attention may be attracted elsewhere and not respond to your verbal calls.

In such a case, look at the dog’s ears and figure out what is going on in the furry friend’s mind. He might be too focused on an unfamiliar object or sounds around him. This would be communicated by pricked upright ears.

You should, therefore, be attentive to the dog’s ear positions and communicate better with your friend.