Non-verbal forms of communication: pet version
Iβve seen a lot of posts aboutΒ βlittles non-verbal forms of communicationβ and I thought to myselfβ¦ most pets are non-verbal, but a lot of people (mainly inexperienced owners) donβt know what to do with a pet thatβs being non-verbal. So here is a quick post explaining some (not all) forms of non-verbal ways a pet (mostly canine) communicates and what it means.
murr/purr/low moan:Β βI am content and comfortableβ
growl:Β βI am feeling threatened/scaredβ
yip/mew:Β βI want attention/I want to playβ
whine:Β βSomething is wrongβ
snarl:Β βI am very angry/get away from meβ
bark:Β βI want attention/I am ready for ββ
questioning murr:Β βI am confused/I do not know what to doβ
howl:Β βI want my presence to be known/I want my packβ
roar:Β βI am feeling β and cannot express my emotions properlyβ
baying:Β βI am in pursuit of my prey/toyβ
whimper:Β βI do not like the situation I am in/how I am being spoken toβ
fake sneeze:Β βI want your attention backβ
snort:Β βI have an attitudeβ
headbutt:Β βI want attention/pet me/Iβm giving you affectionβ
rolling on back/exposing belly:Β βI feel safe around youβ
curled up:Β βI am feeling insecure/anxiousβ
pawing at:Β βI want attentionβ
sitting and staring at:Β βI want somethingβ
lowering self to floor, butt up:Β βLetβs playβ
playful stance:Β βI want to playβ
lowering self, curled up slightly:Β βI feel threatened/get away from meβ
teeth bared:Β βI feel threatened/I am angryβ
flopping over:Β βI am contentβ
shaking off:Β βI am trying to relax/settle downβ
curling up beside someone while touching them:Β βI want physical contactβ
nudging under someoneβs hand:Β βPet meβ
swatting at:Β βDonβt touch me/I donβt want ββ
[ * This is just a quick post, these are not all of the sounds a non-verbal will make and this is not the case for every single pet; this is more of a rough guideline. ]