Ever wonder if there was a way to communicate with your dog better? You can baby-talk them all day, but if you’re not doing your part to understand them, then it’s still a kinda one-sided relationship.

The good news is that it’s not too hard to understand what your dog is trying to tell you if you just read their body language.

Here’s a list of some things your dog might do, and what they mean.

And you can thank us later.

1. Your dog is dipping its front half, raising its butt, and wagging its tail.

This is a simple sign that your dog is having a hell of a lot of fun. So whatever you’re doing to make them happy is probably working! You’ll commonly find dogs doing this when you “pretend” chase with them, or sidestep around them like you’re playing defense in basketball.

2. They stare at you.

If you catch your dog staring, then the reason is the same as when a person might be staring at you. They want your attention. Of course, it’s a lot creepier when a person is doing it.

3. They lean on you.

A good old lean is another sign that they’re craving for attention. Though this one is, admittedly, not as hard to figure out as the others.

4. They scooch their butt on the ground.

This is not a good sign. Any dog owner with white floors or carpets knows how bad a sign this is. It means your dog has a dirty butthole and is trying to wipe it on the floor. So help them out with that before they use your carpet or floors to help themselves.

5. The “puppy dog eyes”.

If you catch your dog giving you the old puppy dog eyes, it means they trust you and love you. So why not reciprocate the feelings and give them some treats and affection too?

6. Squinting at you.

You may see dogs making this face in memes a lot, but have you ever wondered what it means? Well, it means they think it’s been too long since you last gave them attention. So you know what to do if you catch them making this face.

7. Touching or brushing up against you like they’re empathetic.

This means exactly what you think it means. Your dog is a lot smarter than you think and can tell when you need a shoulder to cry on, or a paw on your back.

8. Staying on the bed when it shouldn’t.

Your dog loves your scent and the feeling of being around you. If they’re crashing on your bed when you’re not around, it means they want something to remind them of you while you’re not around.

9. Licking.

This is pretty common dog thing, and you should be thankful when they do it to you. It means they’re being submissive and showing you affection.

10. Giving you “presents”.

A present from a dog could be a torn-up shoe, a dead animal, a stick, or whatever else they found outside. Like many other things on this list, this is just their way of showing affection.

11. Sleeping on their side.

This means your dog feels safe in the household to nap like this. Exposing the belly is usually a sign of trust in both cats and dogs!

12. Mouth open, but no sign of wagging with the ears perked up.

If you catch your dog in this position, it means they’re relaxed and aware of all their surroundings. So there’s no chance of them getting spooked if you approach them.

13. Going ecstatic when you come back home.

You don’t need me to tell you what this means: it means they missed you really badly! The longer you’ve been gone, the happier they’ll be.

14. A slight, low, but audible growl.

As friendly as your dog can be, they still have boundaries. If you catch them doing this, it means you might have crossed those boundaries. So be careful and wait for them to calm down.

15. Never leaving your side, even when you’re in the bathroom.

It can be annoying when you’re on the toilet and the dog just won’t leave your side. But dogs are social animals that live in packs, and it’s most likely that your dog just wants to be close to its family.

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Source: AKC, Modern Dog Magazine