We have found ourselves wondering about ear positioning and trying to interpret what they mean.  

We know for example that ears flat and back mean excited, affectionate, ears erect and forward mean alert and engaged....but what about this one?

Ears erect but turned sideways?

I always think this is the "I'm slightly curious with what you're doing but also a little alarmed/mortified" face.

And then I picture them going "OH GOD WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT"

I have no insight. That is Evie's "I farted" face.

That's Lycus' " I swear I didn't do it mom" face lol.

Loki gives me this look occasionally too! I'm not sure what it means either really. Usually its something in the context like "wtf are you doing mom", like confusion almost? I think Niraya's guess might be it!

It is usually an over excited unsure expression. Okami usually only does this when she has the zoomies, or when I scorn her for something like chewing on a no-no for example.

Pippa's ears look like this when she get the zoomies, but it's usually accompanied with the "crazy eyes."

Her's also look like this when she gets butt scratches, which she loves.

I think I've come to think of it as some sort of insecurity or unsureness, perhaps confusion or embarrassment.  

Kinda how when we have a fault of ours or something we are ashamed of about ourselves brought out in the open or addressed or acknowledged and then we are "self-conscious."

Seems to fit with the theme of responses.  

With this pic Link was curled in a Husky ball and we were taking his picture, and then he awoke to see us in his face with a phone.  His head came up and boom, ears turned outward.  

He even kept them turned to the side while back in the ball


Link has so rarely gotten the zoomies it's hard to say if he does it, but I can definitely see the ears turned in my head on a dog with zoomies and can envision Link with this expression.  

I guess this with the zoomies would still fit in the "self-conscious" category perhaps?

Silly dogs

A general rule of thumb
Ears forwards - confident/alert
Out to the side - relaxed
Fearful/uncertain - back and flat

I interpret it as her alarmed look when kiba does it. Cute photos!

liamdav6 wrote:

A general rule of thumb
Ears forwards - confident/alert
Out to the side - relaxed
Fearful/uncertain - back and flat

Hmm, my experience with any dog whatsoever with the last bit is not true at all.

Back and flat for my dogs is extreme excitement/happiness. When we come home and walk in the door Mechta cackles up a storm and her ears are back and she's jumping on the furniture with her tail going 900 miles a minute.

Loki is really submissive and does the ears down when he first sees after not seeing me for awhile. It is one of my favorite things about him. Ears down, sits pretty, and tip of tail wagging.

Niraya wrote:

Back and flat for my dogs is extreme excitement/happiness.  When we come home and walk in the door Mechta cackles up a storm and her ears are back and she's jumping on the furniture with her tail going 900 miles a minute.

Ditto. Ears flat and back seem to be excitement/joy/overwhelmed with emotion/OH MY GOD I MISS YOU...etc.

Not to step in and talk about dog body language....
But... its kinda my job to talk to handlers about reading dog body language..

Ears are only one piece in a whole giant fluid puzzle that is dog posture.

Generally, ears in the natural position (which depends on the dog) mean the dog is relaxed, or comfortable.
When the ears move forward and get more erect, youre dog can be either alert, or when playing, showing a display of confidence. Ears start moving back and sideways for a few reasons. If your dog is still loose and open mouthed or soft eyed, they probably are just happy and want to play. If your dog is closed mouth, and staring a little harder, or lickng lips, looking away often, scratching randomly, theyre likely anxious or a little unsure. In both cases, they get further back as they get more aroused or more anxious. A stiff dog with a hard stare and flat back ears is likely close to a fight or flight response. A loose dog with an open mouth and pinned back ears probably means a case of the zoomies

I like the preface of that post.

"not to do it..but yeah..I'm doing it anyway"

lol

That quote is pretty much my personality in a nutshell.

K9_Eric wrote:

That quote is pretty much my personality in a nutshell.

You and me both!

Thanks Eric.  

This word hasn't come up in the thread so far (I don't think), but Annoyed seems to fit the bill for up and erect but turned sideways.  

So I guess Annoyed would manifest itself in different ways depending on the circumstance, which as you said, can be contextualized with other body language as well.  

Annoyed at a dog near a bone and annoyed at your human with a camera are very different

Do you generally agree with the flat and back meaning excitement/joy...etc?

Ha. The "not to.....but......" is a very common desensitizing strategy for people with knowledge or authority. In truth it's a form of politeness preceding something that will often land an accusation of Snob or Arrogance. I loved studying interpersonal language strategies in school

Annoyed would be a good one. A dog that obviously doesnt like what youre doing but tolerates it would definitely have ears like that. For instance, if a child was interacting with Soshanna.

Yup.

I noticed too that Link will turn one ear independently to track sounds, almost like a radar tracking an object.

Kinda cool that Huskies have this ability. Not all breeds do, after all.

Hey, Jeff, is Link an avid swimmer now?

Yes he is.  I have been diligent with teaching him to relax in the water since he was a couple of months old.

With his harness on (with the handle) I would take him out and hold him while he acted frantic or tried to get away and swim to shore.  As soon as he would calm down and relax...the very moment...I would give him a hand full of treats (usually snap peas cause they float) and then release him.  He'd swim back, and repeat.  

About 2 months ago, just past 6 months, he started going in on his own fetching sticks and balls or snap peas that'd I'd throw.  

Then about a month or so ago he just goes in on his own, unsolicited and without any incentive from me.  He freely swims now, and he loves it.  I have turned him into the water dog I've always wanted.  

Now I can't keep him outta my shower though....

Thats too effing cool.
You should show off at our pool. Mary would shit if she saw a husky swim.

K9_Eric wrote:

if she saw a husky swim.

Wat?!

What is this "huskies don't like water" nonsense?!?!?