Why do dogs show their teeth, do these questions also come to your mind? If you think they are trying to say “stay away” then might be possible you are right. But what if they are showing aggression or showing some stress symptoms or other intentions? All you need is to understand their body language to interpret appropriately what they are trying to say to you. In most cases, they warn you like “If you don’t stop it then I will use these teeth”. However, for full consent, you have to read till last.
Why do dogs show their teeth?
We use the term “bared teeth” which means that the dog is showing the teeth. He shows his teeth by curling his lips in a backward direction. It is a reaction to some action or situation. Bared teeth are also a signal of warning.
Dog-dog play
If both pooches are having fun tug-of-war, allow them to continue. But if one shows stress symptoms like freezing and panting, etc., separate them for a quick break. If one of them is stressed continuously, try to find a new furry friend for both the canines.
Stress or discomfort
Just like growling, teeth snarling is also an aggressive sign like he is saying “Please stop! You are making me uncomfortable. ” It is a signal they are stressed and warning you. If you are doing something like dog toothbrush and nail trimming, try to be patient and let them take their time as a positive reinforcement to make them feel comfortable. Just like we are different, our canines also have differences. So you can’t treat every dog the same, just be patient.
How do you determine whether a dog grin is a warning or submissive?
Canines generally show their front teeth to show a warning snarl or a submissive grin. Because of this, you might feel confused about the intention behind their teeth display. But you can solve the problem just by paying keen attention to their body language like muscle tension, ear posture, and tail position to understand their intentions and emotions.
Canine’s body language is like their powerful communication tool. When your pooch shows a submissive grin, he might show additional body posture signals about their friendly intentions. These postures involve soft and squinty eyes, pull-back or relaxed ears, low tail wags, etc. simply their whole body language is so comfortable.
A warning snarl will come with an erect and hardtail, hard or direct eye contact, and a stiffened body. By paying keen attention to your canine’s body language you can interpret what are they saying to you.
What does it mean when a dog puts his teeth on you?
This action might be misunderstood as biting while some people take this as teeth grinding. When a pooch puts his mouth on someone’s show, cloth, or skin with varied pressure, this is what we call mouthing. It generally occurs when your canine wants to get some attention, or if he is excited or in frustration.
Teaching dogs to smile
If you wanna teach your pooch to display a toothy grin then make your first movement by representing those voluntary smiles and don’t forget to praise and reward them with their favorite treats. Just make sure your pooch’s smile is not nervous but a genuine one. Once you feel like your pooch is giving a positive smile, make an addition of cue words such as “smile” to encourage their positive behavior. Just make sure you understand your dog’s intentions appropriately because a happy pooch is a smiling pooch. Also, read why dogs chatter their teeth.
Conclusion
Always keep one thing in mind, whatever the reason behind your pooch is showing teeth, you should never show an aggressive behavior in reaction and also avoid punishing them for this behavior. Try making him comfortable with you so he can make positive communication with you. Because a healthy display is a wealthy display.
