Signs of Excitement in a Dog

Since dog's can't talk, they use body language to say what they want to people. Learning what a dog's body language is saying can give a person a heads up on what a dog is thinking or trying to say. Sometimes a simple growl or bark can tell a person that it wants to be left alone, but sometimes reading them is not as simple as that. Excited dogs display wagging tails, but there is more to it than that.

  1. Wagging Tail

    • As stated previously, a wagging tail is a sign of an excited dog. Dogs usually wag their tales when they are happy to see someone or something. However, if their tail is between their legs they are scared or upset. Sometimes a slower movement of the tail can mean that they are cautioned. A tail straight up in the air can mean they are interested in something, which can be both good and bad, depending on what it is.

    Wiggling Body

    • Dos wiggle when they are happy and excited. Sometimes they shake, sometimes they jump up and down. Often they jump on people, which is not always a good thing. They will even prance around or run around the yard or house like crazy dogs. Most of the time when a dog is running around in an excited manner they will have their rear end scrunched down and zoom from one end of the room, or yard, to the other: and back and forth.

    Facial Responses

    • An excited dog will have a slightly open mouth, but their teeth will not be showing, and they will have wide open eyes, according to The Dog Park. This website also suggests that the dog's ears will be perked up or slightly forward to show they are excited. Teeth chattering can be another sign that a dog is excited. Don't automatically assume it means he has a dental problem!

    Sound Responses

    • Excited dogs bark. It's a happy bark, not a mean or needy one. Sometimes they will even let out a playful growl, according to Paws Across America. This will be a soft growl, not angry. Barking is one of the dog's ways of communicating, with other animals and with humans. A bark can mean many things, but when it is accompanied with any of the other signs of excitement, then it is surely a sign of a happy and playful canine.