It’s a real shame that pups can’t speak because almost all owners must have wondered at least once what their pet is thinking or feeling. Sometimes, they even do something weird or distinctive, and it can be quite hard for us humans to figure out what their behavior means.

We’ve compiled a list of ten common dog behaviors, sleeping positions, and faces – along with an explanation of what they actually mean. Let’s hop right into it!

1) Forward ears, straight pointed tail

When your dog is in this position, consider your four-footer to be in full ‘detective mode’. It means that the pup is curious about something, likely his or her environment. A new smell, a strange noise, a person he/she doesn’t recognize – anything can be a trigger to make a dog’s curiosity go wild.

2) Howling

Even though howling is more often associated with wolves, dogs have the tendency to howl as well, and usually at pretty annoying times. A pup will have the urge to make the high-pitched sound as a sort of copycat behavior. For example, hearing a train whistle or a siren will make them howl back. We don’t really know if the howling is just a reaction because they’re annoyed, or because their ears actually hurt because of the original high-pitched trigger.

3) Crazy legs sleeping position

If you catch your dog sleeping in this crazy position (where the pup looks like a dead bug) with all of the limbs in the air, you might smirk at the funny sight. In this position, the dog is clearly very vulnerable and submissive. Sleeping in this position indicates that the four-footer actually feels very safe when he or she is about to take a nap.

4) Rising bark

When you see your dog starting off with a low bark, which gets higher and higher – it’s not just a regular bark, it’s a playtime bark! The pup clearly can’t hold back his excitement and will be fully focussed on some quality time with his or her owner.

5) Getting in your bed

If you’ve ever seen your dog laying in your own bed, it usually means he or she simply misses you! When you’re not there, the bed that has your scent is the next best thing in the house. For some pups, that scent is a very comfortable environment that can help them go to sleep.

6) Sniffing another dog’s butt

Well, dogs certainly can be a bit dirty sometimes, and it turns out that the butt is actually a pretty interesting place for four-footers. When a dog sniffs another dog’s butt, you could call it their equivalent of a “handshake” during a first meeting. These two pups are simply trying to get to know each other.

7) Responding to upset owner

Dogs are actually quite excellent at reading your body language, and they can tell when their owner is upset or sad. When they get closer, all they really want to do is comfort you. Dogs have multiple ways to show their compassion, it’s usually just sitting near you, resting near you or even giving licks. They would do anything to make sure that their owner wouldn’t be upset anymore. How sweet!

8) Leaning

If you’ve ever caught your dog leaning on you, it’s time to give your furry friend a little bit more attention. It’s a classic sign that he or she feels a bit neglected and is asking for some playtime, cuddles or treats.

9) Nervously wagging tail

Most owners know that a wagging tail is a sign of excitement, but if a pup is wagging his or her tail very, very quickly and across a short distance – it’s no longer excitement, but discomfort. It’s likely that the pup is even anxious. In other words, if you see your dog doing this, it’s time to comfort your pet.

10) A foxy sleeping position

Most pups who sleep in the ‘fox position’ with the paws underneath the body and their tail snuggled up around the face, actually are cold. This sleeping position is efficient at keeping them as warm as possible. If you catch your dog in the fox position when it’s not chilly at all, this position could also be a sign of anxiety.

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