The corners of the mouth are turned slightly up indicating this dog is happy.

An owners user guide to understanding what Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Dogs are thinking.

Cincinnati Dogs are just like their owners, they are very expressive animals, and are constantly expressing their feelings. While Canines are not always able to express their feelings in a verbal way, instead they express this using a sophisticated system of body language. Dogs use a combination of differing facial expressions, differing ear placements, differing tail positions, along with body posture and even hair placement to express what they are thinking and even feeling.

A Happy Dog

When your dog is happy the body language will be relaxed. Ears, tails, and body hair should all be relaxed. Tails can wag in a circular or side to side motion. The face will also be relaxed, and the mouth might be slightly open with the corners slightly turned up, as thought they are smiling.

An Excited Dog

An excited dogs body language will indicate they are ready for action. The weight may be centered over the rear legs. The ears and tail are up. Often times they will hold their mouth open, and may bark.

An Alert Dog

A dog that is on alert will appear more focused. Body posture is no long relaxed, the dog will stand upright on all four legs with head and neck erect. The tail could be laying down, or it could also vertical over the back. The tail would be ridged and immobile. The dog will be looking intently at whatever has their attention. The dog may growl or bark. The hair on the top of the back or shoulders may or may not be raised.

 A Scared Dog

When a dog is scared they will try to look small, the body looks hunched and the tail is tucked or held low, the ears are flat. The dog may or may not cower to the ground. The dog may look at the source of the fear or they might just look in another direction. The body is tense. The dog may yawn in an exaggerated way.

A Dominant Dog

A dominant dog will stand tall, trying to appear large. The dog may be standing or leaning forward slightly. The ears are up maybe slightly forward. The tail is high and rigid. The hair on the back and shoulders might be standing up. The dog will make direct eye contact, and might growl but the mouth will remain closed.