Do you want your dog to listen to you? Here are a few cues from Dr. Sophia Yin’s book How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves.

Although dogs don’t communicate much with it, you can discern some things from a dog’s hair. They’ll either shed their hair or raise their hackles.

Most people can recognize a happy or playful dog.  They have a relaxed body language, a wagging tail and the infamous playbow.

A submissive dog looks very similar to a frightened dog because he makes himself look small to convey that he’s not a threat, but there are differences.

Dogs communicating their arousal or excitement through body language can be subtle, but with practice most people can learn to recognize it.

The size and shape of a dog’s ears will determine how well he can communicate with them. Observing how and where they move you will understand the emotions.

Aggressive dogs usually give plenty of warning before reacting aggressively, but many people don’t know what to look for to recognize the signs.

Dogs do a lot more with their mouths than bark. The way they position their lips, jaws and teeth can tell you if they are happy or sad.

Dogs use their body postures to communicate their intentions by looking normal, smaller or larger. Knowing the meanings will indicate their emotions.

 You can learn a good deal about a dog just by looking at his tail, how it’s positioned, how relaxed it is and how fast it is going.