Decoding Canine Bliss: 15 Happy Dog Indicators

There are times when you might have noticed that your dog is not at all in the right mood. Then there are occasions when it is pretty obvious that they are mad at you. However, you can always be sure about one thing with dogs – at least this is applicable – they will never play hard to get.

Dogs are always eager to communicate how they feel, and this is especially so when they are feeling happy. It is common knowledge that they do not speak our language, yet their way of communication is as effective as any. They communicate through body language.

You must recognize the signs and differentiate the signs of happiness and affection from the other ways that they feel. In any case, non-verbal communication is something we all are pretty well acquainted with, right? 70% of the effective communication we make every day includes our tone or voice commands, body language, and facial expressions. As such, you should be able to understand what your dog is attempting to communicate, right? Well, you are wrong – things are not as simple as you think!

Dogs have adapted to their environments, of which you are an integral part. Thanks to years of domestication. However, you still need to pay attention to their routines and reactions to avoid making a wrong guess.

You also need knowledge such as the information we provide in this article. As a dog parent or even as an owner, the most critical aspect of dog communication is being sure their dogs are happy and satisfied.

After all, they do so much for us and make us happy in more ways than one. If you are a responsible individual, you should do something in return too! Thus, it is so significant that you can tell whether they are truly happy or not.

The good thing with this is that it is a lot easier to determine whether they are happy, or not compared to their other emotions. We have attempted to explain some general signs of a happy dog. They can be divided into two groups – postural and behavioral.

Behavioral signs of happiness

1. They are looking for your attention

When your dog is happy, they will always want to be as close to you as possible. A happy dog is always eager to please their parents and owners to the extent that it becomes a fault. You would find that they are leaning on you and coming to you many times so that you can pet and stroke them.

They make it rather obvious that they want to be around you. One of the special ways dogs let you know they are happy is the big welcome you get from them.

This is especially so when you come back after a long time outside the home, such as from work. The welcomes in these cases are directly proportional to the time you spend away from them. In these cases, you will also find them waiting for you at the time you come back home.

You could find them waiting for you at the door and leaping at you with joy the moment they see you. Perhaps the clearest sign is that both of you share a great bond and that they could not be happier about it.

2. They are not being destructive 

If your dog is happy, they will be well-mannered. This is because when dogs are happy, they behave a lot better than how they would when they happen to be anxious or stressed. If a dog indulges in destructive behavior such as snarling and tearing the possible reasons for it could be that they have either been separated from you for a long time or that there is little mental stimulation for them at home. On the flip side, if your dog is behaving well, it indicates that they are happy with their life.

It shows that they enjoy the time they get to spend with you. In such cases, they, for example, start chewing their toys rather than testing the strength of their teeth on the furniture.

3. They enjoy playing

A dog is like a two-year-old kid in terms of their mentality. Just like a child expresses joy through acts such as giggling when they are playing a happy dog will invite you to play with them when they are feeling full of energy.

They will make things obvious by enjoying the walks you take with you. They would love those training sessions with you and will show their eagerness to go on and on even when you have gotten tired of it.

4. They remain active 

If a dog is proactive, it means that they are happy. If you see your dog behaving like a cat, which means they are lying around the whole day, something could be wrong with them. They may be ill and not feeling their usual energetic selves.

Dogs like to remain active, such as running around, playing with their toys or other dogs, chasing after stuff, and chewing and exploring things. These are the clearest signs that your dog is happy with their life.  

5. They eat well

Do you have several dogs at home, and is one of them either not showing any interest in eating or not eating as much as they do? If the answer to this question is yes, there is possibly something wrong with them – you do not have to be a veterinary doctor to surmise that.

If your dog is disturbed by anything, it will hurt their eating pattern. It could be you have not been around them for a long time now, and they are feeling lonely. Such eating issues also happen in households with multiple pets, especially dogs.

If you lose one dog, the other dog/s knows about that, and they do not feel happy about that. Your sadness percolates to your other dogs as well. At times, dogs tend to overeat because of unhappiness as well. This is one more trait that they share with humans.

6. They cuddle around you on the couch 

Dogs are perhaps the most social animals, and you can see this in the relationship you have with them. If your dog likes you and is happy with their life, they will inevitably have the urge to come down and lie beside you when you are lying down or sitting, and relax with you by their side.

7. They sleep soundly 

The quality of your dog’s sleep is also a clear indication of how happy they are. If your dog is unhappy, they would stand up and pace frequently. They would do so to find the best position that allows them to sleep comfortably.

However, if you feel like they are having good dreams while sleeping, the most plausible reason for that is that they are happy that you are their human.

Postural signs of happiness

8. They have a soft gaze and relaxed eyes 

Have you handled dogs previously? If yes, you would know what their facial expressions convey. Usually, if they are bonded to a person, they would gaze at them softly, while if they do not know someone, depending on several factors such as breed, personality, and training, their gaze would be stern at the very least.

At worst, it could be an angry gaze, and you can be sure that you do not want to be on the receiving end of one! Just be attentive to your dog’s eyes when doing various activities.

You would see that even during day-to-day activities, their eyes would not look the same. When you look straight at a dog, it is supposed to be an act of confrontation. However, if it is from someone who makes them happy it is a different matter.

In such cases, they would return your look with a soft gaze. A soft gaze in the context of a dog means the eyes are relaxed, may feel as though they are closing up a bit, have a normal shape, and show signs that they are content. This way, your dog shows that you are someone they are happy to be with and that they are relaxed around you.

Read Also: The Benefits of Regular Exercise for Dogs: Keeping Your Canine Companion Happy and Healthy

9. Their mouths are relaxed 

Animals use their teeth to kill. Yet they also use these bones to carry their young ones when the need arises. The mouths say a lot. It is easy to understand whether a dog is angry or not by looking at its mouth, smile, and exposed teeth.

If a dog is happy, their mouths will be closed softly – even if they are open, it will be so in a gentle manner. They would hold out their tongues and show a few teeth appearing like they are smiling.

10. Their ears are relaxed 

If a dog is happy, their ears would not be flattened against their head, tense, or cocky. If the ears of a dog are relaxed, it is a sign that they are content as well.

The ears of a dog are most valuable when it comes to getting information regarding how alert they are. If a dog’s ears are pricked and upright, it tells you they are listening closely to something.

11. Their bodies are relaxed 

If your dog feels happy, their bodies will not be stiff. Rather, you can say, for the lack of a better word, their bodies are moist. Their posture shows that they are not tense at all when they are around you.

12. They blink regularly 

When your dog is happily looking at you, they would blink more than they usually do. This is usually a sign that they want something from you.  

13. They roll over to show their belly 

Only when a dog is happy will they be inclined to roll over and show you their bellies. This is also a sign that they trust you immensely. This is because bellies are among the weaker parts of their bodies, and if they are exposed to you, it means that they have complete faith in you.

14. They invite you to play with them 

When dogs are happy, they have that bow posture where their chests are placed lower to the ground, and their backsides are up in the air. This is a sign that they are inviting you to come and have fun with them. If your dog is happy, they will do this from time to time.

15. They tilt their heads gently when they look at you 

If you see your dog’s ears are down, their eyes are focused on you, they are blinking continuously, their tails are wagging, and then they tilt their head as if they are asking you a question after every seven seconds, they are happy. Because these are all evident signs of contentment.

Conclusion 

These are, however, not the only signs that a dog is happy. Some dogs do have unique ways of expressing their happiness as well. Probably, the most well-known sign that a dog is happy is the rapid wagging of its tail. However, it could be a sign of something else, and you may not know that! This is why, you need to take the best possible care of your dog. Provide them with emotional and physical support. Also, pay attention to what they need at specific times to make sure you can have a happy dog most, if not all, of the time.