Facial expressions as attack indicators

An often-asked question is, can an imminent dog attack be anticipated by the expressions on a dog’s face?

Well, let’s examine this issue by looking at the various options.

What are we looking for, and how do we interpret what we see?

Whilst we are able to recognise and learn from facial expressions it is a indefinite science and open to interpretation. After a lifetime of working with animals, mostly dogs, I know from hard experience it is not possible to always accurately predict behaviour from just looking at a dogs facial expression, but it is sometimes possible to get some idea of what a dog is thinking.

Whilst we can learn from the dogs facial expressions, we need to know what to look at and the main indicator are the eyes.

So, let’s start with eyes.

The eyes

The Soft Look… the eyes are generally round or almond-shaped and show no signs of hostility. This look is usually accompanied by a wagging tail, a wiggle or a slight curve of the body (except in Boxers, who will be bent in a banana shape)

Squinty Eyes….. this is generally a sign of appeasement or submission. It can also indicate fear so this can be confusing. If it is appeasement the dog will approach slowly and invite contact, however, if it fails to commit to the final approach then beware and leave well alone.

Hard Eye Stare….. this is an expressionless stare that gives no room for misunderstanding. The eyes are piercing, the body is stock still, it is rigid, standing upright, tail erect. The dog appears to emotionless. There is no warmth.

Whale Eye….. the dog shows the white of its eyes and it’s nose is facing away and is a warning that the dog is not happy with the situation and is close to biting if threatened.

Avoiding Eye Contact…..in our human society failing to keep eye contact is considered to be a sign that the individual is untrustworthy. In the canine world the opposite is true. Direct eye contact is considered to be confrontational and can be a warning that an act of aggression is about to take place.

Now, let’s move to ears.

The ears

This is where we have a huge problem. It is almost impossible to use the ear carriage as a sign of potential aggressive tendencies. Any idea that the position of the ears is a sign of imminent confrontation is an illusion. The positioning of ears depends on the individual breed, and as for crossbreeds, well, that’s a non-starter

Look at a Bassett or a bloodhound with their wonderful droopy ears and to try and read a dogs intention from the position of their ears is non starter. Even ears flattened on the skull is confusing as a submissive dog will show this behaviour but I have seen an aggressive dog attack with its ears back.

The mouth

Moving to the mouth, again, it is mostly horribly confusing except for one, and even that is not 100% accurate.

There are several signs that usually have no connection to aggressive intent.

Panting…the obvious reason is that it’s hot and strenuous exercise will create the same appearance.

Licking… a sign of appeasement. It can be personal hygiene cleaning, an irritating skin condition and boredom.

Tense…  Can easily be a concern about a perceived threat totally unconnected to you unless the dog is staring straight at you

Relaxed….precisely that, so no danger.

Yawning… it’s contagious, or the dog can be stressed, but no aggressive intent is imminent.

Snarling….now this can be a definite sign of impending trouble. The lips are curled upwards, showing the full set of teeth.

Smiling….It’s rarely seen, but sadly, it’s all too often mistaken for snarling, but the body language is totally different.

In conclusion

Confused, well join the club, even professional trainers and behaviourists are sometimes caught out. In my experience the only warning that is really worthy of mention is the eyes and where the mouth is concerned, the snarl.

Quite honestly any professional will tell you that knowing if a dog is likely to attack usually comes from experience. It’s a feeling. You can’t always explain it. You just know.

Many decades ago, when I was a very young man, a wise old trainer told me.

“You can spend so much time trying to interpret all the potential signs that by the time you have finished trying to work it all out, the dog has disappeared, or it’s got you by the throat!”

Always remember the golden rules.

When in any doubt, IGNORE any dog you don’t know and DON’T stare at it. If one comes to you DON’T put your hand over the top of its head, show it the back of your hand to sniff.

Stay safe.