How do you know if you dog is happy???

nemo32

How can you tell if you pal is happy? What are the signs apart from the obvious tail wagging (although I heard this is a sign of being anxious)?

My buddy sometimes just sits in his crate and looks out at me and looks so sad.. this is the reason for the queston :rolleyes:

TheoBane

Well i have a bichon frise who is very hyper and looks like all the time very happy. And by looks i mean tongue out, wide eye and wagging tail. But if anyone has a bichon frise, you know that your dog is full of Speed or some other drug like that because they are very excitable dog.

If you play with your dog, pet your dog and give it attention. That look it give's you then is a happy dog( i would presume). If not your dog is depress and need's help......

Whispered

Some dogs have more serious faces than others. One of mine looks constantly worried Big serious head on him. What type of dog do you have?

I suppose nothing points to mine being happy dogs, maybe I assume they're happy because they have a good life. Maybe it depends on the dog? What makes them happy and how do they express that.

A happy confident dog will usually want to interact with you, whether that is a cuddle or a game. Does your dog stay in his crate all the time, even when the door is not closed?

nemo32

Yes completely agree Whispered and I do have a sad face breed Dogue de Bordeaux.

He normally comes over for a rub when we sit down for the evening and then if he doesn't fall asleep he'll go back into his crate and sit there for most of the evening. He lets out the odd sign and just looks so sad
This is obviousy after he has eaten, had a good run around the kitchen with his toys and then a walk if he needs it.

Whispered

Ah one of mine loves his crate too, it's in the kitchen though so he prefers to lie in the sitting room when we're there.

I think I'm satisfied mine are happy because we really do our best to make sure they are. We get the occasional sulk but that's to be expected.

Maybe his sighs are contented sighs? :cool:

nemo32

Thanks Wispered, maybe they are, he is a big gruter and sigher after all.

We are the same our guy couldn't be looked after any better as far as we can see but you never know what's going on in there little heads

Whispered

So long as he's fed, well exercised and gets plenty of attention and enrichment what more could he want!

Zulu

I guess you need to bear in mind that dogs aren't people.

A sigh from a dog isn't the same as a sigh from a person. People sigh for different reasons, are you sure dogs do?

I dunno OP, its a great question. I suffer from the same question tbh. Our lab can look so utterly depressed I can worry, but when I catch myself, I think: hang on a minute, she's had a 1/2 hour belt around the beach off lead, she's been fed, she's indoors with us, she's getting pets, she must be happy!

ISDW

nemo32 wrote: »

Yes completely agree Whispered and I do have a sad face breed Dogue de Bordeaux.

He normally comes over for a rub when we sit down for the evening and then if he doesn't fall asleep he'll go back into his crate and sit there for most of the evening. He lets out the odd sign and just looks so sad
This is obviousy after he has eaten, had a good run around the kitchen with his toys and then a walk if he needs it.

its probably just the way you've written it, but you say a walk if he needs it, how often does he get walked?

syklops

ISDW wrote: »

its probably just the way you've written it, but you say a walk if he needs it, how often does he get walked?

And how far?

"A run around the kitchen".

Just googled to see what a Dogue de Bordeaux.looks like. Jesus, I hope he gets more than a run around the kitchen.

Gingernuts31

Is it true your dogs feel better if they are showered, groomed, nails done, the works and beds and all clean? I have 3 that stay in the kitchen n they have a nice sizeable piece of land to run around on but the fluffiest of them all loves lying on the drive or sitting in dust If I was to get her showered all the time id be broke plus its not good for their skin? 2 Lurchers and a saluki.

yellowlabrador

molly is a really happy girl

DSC00335.jpg

nemo32

ISDW wrote: »

its probably just the way you've written it, but you say a walk if he needs it, how often does he get walked?

He is in doggy daycare twice a week so he can barely walk when he leaves there because he has been running around all day. He gets walked every other day that he is not there unless he really looks tired, don't want to over do it because he is still a pup (4 mths) and being a big breed don't want to damage his little bones

syklops

Gingernuts31 wrote: »

Is it true your dogs feel better if they are showered, groomed, nails done, the works and beds and all clean?.

I doubt it. A dogs idea of cleanliness and ours is quite different.

nemo32

yellowlabrador wrote: »

molly is a really happy girl

DSC00335.jpg

Awe now she definitly looks like a happy camper.
I really think labs look like a happy breed most of the time

ISDW

i can understand not walking him too far, very important not to damage his joints, but a dog needs to be walked every day, better to do short walks every day than longer ones every second day, again, sorry, maybe i've misunderstood when you say he gets walked every other day. for his age, it would only be 20 minutes a day, but dogs also do mental exercise when they're walking, the sniffing they do tells them who else has been there etc. Do you do training with him, as this also tires them out, mental work outs really tire dogs out, and I always think that a tired dog is a happy dog.

doggy daycare is fantastic, but if he is so tired he can barely walk, would you not be worried that he's damaging his bones there as well, if he's running around all day?

nemo32

syklops wrote: »

And how far?

"A run around the kitchen".

Just googled to see what a Dogue de Bordeaux.looks like. Jesus, I hope he gets more than a run around the kitchen.

He gets walked everyday he is not in doggy daycare, for approx 20 mins. FYI. Yes they are a big breed but don't need to be over exercised. He is also a pup so bones still developing.

ncmc

This is an interesting question actually, my lady Libby has the biggest, saddest brown eyes, sometimes she can look so happy, other times she looks like she is mega depressed! I suppose I’d agree with the others, I think if the dog is well fed, warm, comfortable, exercised and get lots of cuddles and attention then they must be happy! Maybe your dog likes the quietness of the crate after all the noise and bustle of doggy day care?

nemo32

ISDW wrote: »

i can understand not walking him too far, very important not to damage his joints, but a dog needs to be walked every day, better to do short walks every day than longer ones every second day, again, sorry, maybe i've misunderstood when you say he gets walked every other day. for his age, it would only be 20 minutes a day, but dogs also do mental exercise when they're walking, the sniffing they do tells them who else has been there etc. Do you do training with him, as this also tires them out, mental work outs really tire dogs out, and I always think that a tired dog is a happy dog.

doggy daycare is fantastic, but if he is so tired he can barely walk, would you not be worried that he's damaging his bones there as well, if he's running around all day?

Sorry I meant every day he is not in daycare so 5 times a week if he is in daycare twice a week.
Yes I was worried about the daycare element and his little bones but I think he is mostly tired from the socialising, they don't run around for 8 hours, mostly jumping on each other and when they get bored they sludge around and play little sniffing games etc so I feel safe that it's not too much for him

Zulu

ncmc wrote: »

This is an interesting question actually, my lady Libby has the biggest, saddest brown eyes, sometimes she can look so happy, other times she looks like she is mega depressed!

Or lab is the same. Sometimes those eyes would break your heart. Especially when you're eating!

Whispered

Where does he go to daycare?

Another way to help your dog be happy is to make sure he's mentally tired. Fun training does that. You should see my older boys face when the clocker comes out. He loves training!

nemo32

ncmc wrote: »

This is an interesting question actually, my lady Libby has the biggest, saddest brown eyes, sometimes she can look so happy, other times she looks like she is mega depressed! I suppose I’d agree with the others, I think if the dog is well fed, warm, comfortable, exercised and get lots of cuddles and attention then they must be happy! Maybe your dog likes the quietness of the crate after all the noise and bustle of doggy day care?

Oh yes after daycare he loves the peace of his crate, no getting him out of there on those days for sure.
Your little girl looks very happy in both pics I think
It really was a general question for all dog owners, can they tell if there dogs is happy or a I think he's a little human again. OH will have me committed soon if I keep questioning everything the little guys does.. lol

ncmc

Zulu wrote: »

Or lab is the same. Sometimes those eyes would break your heart. Especially when you're eating!

I call those her 'Princess Di' eyes, she looks at you like her little world will crumble unless you give her a taste of what you're eating! She starts with my husband and when he finishes, she totally ignores him and moves on to me! She's a coniving little devil I tell ya!

ISDW

Whispered wrote: »

Where does he go to daycare?

Another way to help your dog be happy is to make sure he's mentally tired. Fun training does that. You should see my older boys face when the clocker comes out. He loves training!

ok, have to ask - whats a clocker?:)

ShaShaBear

Honestly laughed when I read this. When I have Shadow's squeaky or his lead in my hand, he looks like the most spoilt and happiest dog on the planet. Other times, I look at him lying on the couch and you'd swear his wife just died, the kids moved out and he was hard on the drink with no-one to turn to. Catches in my chest and I do wonder what I did to depress him so much :P

Raminahobbin

I'm so glad to see everyone's dog looks mega depressed at times!! I've been feeling guilty for years about my cocker, even though she really has everything she could ever want and is exercised plenty! Sometimes she just looks like if she could cry she would, and like the world is ending for her. Damn cocker spaniels and their droopy heads

kylith

Mine rarely look depressed or sad, but Tee constantly looks worried. It's a product of her terrible upbringing, but I think that these days it's more that she's realised that having her ears down, tail down, head down, and generally looking pathetic makes people want to shower her with affection.

juniord

at a guess i would say clocker should have read clicker

Whispered

juniord wrote: »

at a guess i would say clocker should have read clicker

That's right, I'm sick in bed and feel picked on by ISDW





:pac:

ISDW

juniord wrote: »

at a guess i would say clocker should have read clicker

Whispered wrote: »

That's right, I'm sick in bed and feel picked on by ISDW





:pac:

Lol. sorry, i really thought it was some piece of training equipment that I hadn't heard of, and was really interested to know what it was. how disappointing.

Hope you feel better soon

nemo32

So glad to know i am not the only one that thinks this so.. As we speak my little man is running around the kitchen wit a half full water bottle and thinks it the king of all toys when he has a wobbler, Kong tennis balls, chewing robe, chewing bone, Kong and many unused toys at his disposal.. Lol. Need to tire him out before he brings ME on a walk ;-)

Still would love to know on a scale of 1-10 how happy he is or if they even feel such an emotion as happy.

barbiegirl

Our retriever cross puts on the best sad eyes, especially when she's outside and wants in. Our Jack Russell just has a worried looking face. They get everything they could want and are loved, exercised, well fed, lots of toys and attention. I've often said I'd love one of those collars from "Up" then we'd know for sure.

JustAThought

My yoke sighs too - big happy ones. Usually when shes lying legs in the air on the sofa rubbing her smelly bum into the flufffy warm rug, or when shes getting a big rub, or has just had a megatreat ( think smelly cheeze) delivered to her crate when shes almost asleep beside the radiator. O happy dogs life.im applying to come back as one - preferably mine!

lorebringer

I know my guys are happy because they sleep on their backs, with their legs in the air and bits on display - couldn't be stressed out or upset in that position!

They are content and happy with full bellies, lots of walks, lots of play and lots of company - and the most important, lots of snoozing time! The only worries they have are "what do you have there?" and "why am I not getting rubs?", I'd love to be one of my dogs for a day, 'tiz the life!

Ziegfeldgirl27

Quite often I wonder is my dog happy too. She is so so loved in our house, and is spoiled rotten. But mostly she sleeps a lot (she is eleven years old now!) and the only time she gets annoyed is when I put her in our utility room at night. When she is awake she is very active and loves to play with toys and with our cat. But how do I know if this is a happy dog?