Careful observation of your dog’s ears, eyes, tail and other body parts can tell you what your pooch is thinking and feeling. Today, we’re looking at possible reasons why dogs put their ears back.
A dog’s ears must be looked as part of the bigger picture. If a dog has put their ears back, you should look out for other body language signals, like a relaxed versus tense body and a high versus low tail.
Generally speaking, a dog’s ears provide clues about his or her level of attention. Erect ears indicate a dog is alert and engaged. Slightly pulled back ears are a signal of trust and friendliness. Ears held tightly against the back of the head can indicate fear or timidness. Here are some common emotions that can be decoded from the position of your dog’s ears.
Many dogs will tuck back their ears close to the sides of the head when sad. This can happen even with minor disappointments, such as when you’re leaving for work or if you don’t allow your dog to play with his buddies in the dog park.
Some dogs put their ears back when anxious or nervous. This can be accompanied by other body signals like flicking the tongue, keeping the tail down, panting, and tensing up the muscles. It can happen if your dog doesn’t like being left alone too long. Some dogs will put their ears back if they are overwhelmed by too much attention from strangers.
A dog putting his ears back can be a sign of fear. Other body language that can accompany this emotion includes licking the lips, keeping the tail down, avoiding eye contact, and trembling. Every dog is different, so it’s important to learn what signs your dog typically shows when he or she is fearful.
Dogs who are feeling threatened and are about to bite or attack will sometimes put their ears back as a warning sign. Other accompanying body language to the ears being put back includes barking, growling, lunging, stiffening up, staring, and charging.
A dog’s ears are highly vascular. Even a minor injury can lead to a burst blood vessel in the ear flap. Experts say pinning of the ears can be a reflex protective action by a dog to prevent injury to their delicate ears. Dogs will also get into a fetal position with all the limbs pulled in for the same reason, when under threat.
If a dog has an ear condition that is causing pain, he or she may put the ears back to avoid being touched there.
A dog putting his ears back does not always signal negative emotions. Dogs will oftentimes let their ears drop to a natural resting position while greeting buddies and friendly humans. This is a way of telling other dogs that I am at ease with you. Dogs will also put their ears back to welcome you home after you’ve been away. Other signs of greeting include licking your hands and putting their paw on you.
A happy and content dog will often allow their ears to relax into a neutral position, which can look like the dog has put their ears back. However, some breeds, for example, German Shepherd Dogs, have naturally erect ears which look pointy even in a relaxed state.
Unlike humans, dogs don’t need to swivel their entire head when they’re curious about a sound. Therefore, sometimes, dogs put their ears back when trying to listen carefully or focus on a sound, especially if the sound is coming from somewhere behind them.
Male dogs sometimes put their ears back when courting female dogs. This is a way to show interest.
Keep reading the Puppy Hero blog for more clues about your dog’s body language. Our goal is to help you understand and communicate with your pooch so that he or she feels safe, happy, and content. In the meantime, read some of our other blogs about animal behavior such as why do dogs lick each other’s ears. We’ve also got important information about your pooch’s health, including how often dogs should get rabies shots.
11 January, 2023