Paws for thought: how to tell if your dog is happy

There are a few questions I find myself pondering again and again: how would I do as a contestant on Survivor? Should I learn Italian?

And is my dog happy?

When Cleo, a nine-year-old mutt, first came home with me six years ago, she was anxious and didn’t know how to use the stairs. In time, we overcame both of those hurdles. Her main interests are napping and yelling at dogs that play in the park next to our apartment, both of which she does a lot. “But is she happy?” I think as I watch her dozing in bed, snoring and farting.

Humans have been obsessed with dogs for a long time. We first domesticated wolves – either 10,000 or 30,000 years ago depending on who you ask. There are records of Egyptian pharaohs giving their beloved dogs royal burials, and plaques in Mesopotamian homes depict loyal dogs waiting for their owners to return.

Mid-pandemic, our enthusiasm reached a fever pitch. In 2022, more than 23m households had adopted a pet in the past two years. In the UK, 3.2m households acquired a pet during the first year of the pandemic alone.

Which means I’m probably not the only one wondering about my dog’s happiness and wellbeing. So we asked experts: how can you tell if your dog is happy? And if they’re unhappy, what can you do to help?

What does a happy dog look like?

To figure out how a dog is feeling, pay attention to their body language.

“Dogs show their emotions through their behaviors because they can’t tell us with words how they’re feeling,” says Lindsay Hamrick, director of shelter outreach and engagement for the Humane Society of the United States and a certified professional dog trainer.

A happy dog will have loose, open body language – an open mouth, a loosely wagging, elevated tail, relaxed eyes and ears. They might also break into a full body wiggle, or what the dog trainer and behaviorist Dominik Feichtner calls “the zoomies”.

“It’s these quick, short outbursts of energy with lots of running around,” he says. “That’s a good sign if your dog does that.”

Feichtner also says a happy dog will regularly “check in” with its owner on a walk, by looking up at them for guidance and direction. “That’s the sign of a happy dog that has a good relationship with his owner,” he says.

What does an unhappy dog look like?

An unhappy dog, on the other hand, looks much more closed off.

There are some obvious signs, says Ciera Moberg, a behavior consultant and co-owner of Instinct Dog Behavior & Training in Washington DC. These include the dog tucking their tail, pinning their ears back or growling.

But there can be more subtle indications as well, she says, like tense body posture, showing the whites of their eyes (also known as “whale eye”), yawning, nose licking, lifting a paw, turning their head or body away from someone, or stiffly exposing their belly.

If you see these behaviors occasionally, that’s not necessarily a cause for major concern. As with humans, no dog is happy all the time. Cleo, for example, often seems disappointed that I do not place a rotisserie chicken on the kitchen floor for her to polish off by herself.

“Yawning doesn’t necessarily mean your dog’s unhappy,” says Feichtner. But frequent yawning combined with other tense body language might be a sign a dog is feeling anxious or unsafe.

Feichtner also recommends noting how your dog moves around your home. Do they pace a lot? Do they seem frantic? Are they lethargic, or do they frequently hide under couches and tables?

“That’s not a happy dog,” he says.

What makes a dog happy?

According to Feichtner, the two biggest things that contribute to a dog’s overall happiness are exercise and play.

Exercise does not mean going to a dog park and letting your dog race around while you look at your phone, he clarifies: “For a majority of dogs, dog parks are a terrible idea.” Instead, try a walk or a training session outside.

“People underestimate the mental stimulation that comes through consistent training,” he says. Clear structure and boundaries can also help dogs feel happier and safer.

Related: Sit, stay and be a good boy: 21 rules for dogs and their humans

And pay attention to what sort of exercise, play and social interactions your dog seems to enjoy. “Every dog has different needs and preferences,” Moberg says. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to making sure your dog is satisfied.”

Once you know your dog’s preferences, it’s important to advocate for them.

“We feel an automatic embarrassment and shame when our dogs are reacting to something,” says Hamrick. Instead, she says, owners should try to figure out what is making their dog uncomfortable, and do what they can to help.

If your dog is nervous in big, loud groups of people, for example, you might keep them in a separate room when guests come over.

“Our ability to advocate for our dog is ultimately what makes our dog happy, because it means they can trust us,” she says.

What should you do if your dog is unhappy?

If your dog suddenly seems unhappy or stressed, the first thing to do is rule out any health issues. “If you see a sudden negative behavior change in your dog, contact your vet immediately,” Moberg says.

Once you’ve established your dog is healthy, Feichtner urges owners to resist the urge to coddle their pups. In fact, he says, you should probably do the exact opposite.

“If your dog is unhappy, I can almost guarantee you it’s not because you don’t love them enough,” he says. Instead, if your dog seems anxious, fearful or lost, they may need you to provide more structure, such as a clearer routine or more training. Alternatively, they may need more downtime; let them rest in a crate or a quiet space.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, Feichtner recommends reaching out to a professional trainer.

So is Cleo happy?

I think so. But if you asked her, she’d probably say more chicken wouldn’t hurt.