# Ears back when happy?



## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

What does it mean when a dog plasters their ears to their head? Whenever Sadie sees someone she likes she runs up with her tail wagging like mad licks them, then rolls over for a belly rub, but her ears are back the whole time. I thought ears back wasn't good? She does this with me, DH, and her human friends.


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## Noah (Apr 17, 2008)

I always thought it was worried or something. Maybe she's just being submissive, because you said she rolls over for a belly rub after...


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

Ears back is pure submission  Just because a dog is submitting doesn't mean it's afraid.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

it's definitely a good thing. Pointy ears back = submissive/happy


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Okay thanks! I was confused because she is very obviously happy to us, but the "submissive pee" and ears back sounded like she was scared, but I can see how she can be submissive and happy.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

It's also a spitz thing - ears back for extra aerodynamicness while zooming.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Dogstar said:


> It's also a spitz thing - ears back for extra aerodynamicness while zooming.


LOL yeah she puts them back when she runs, it's funny. Before they stood up and were still floppy, they would flop when she ran and she had wings.


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## Kiira (Sep 12, 2007)

My dog will do the same thing with the ears back, insane tail wagging, rolling on the back for a tummy rub, etc. I always just kinda figured it was a submissive thing too.
Especially when she pees... I was told a while ago by my best friend's mom (she used to be a dog trainer) that peeing can be a sign of submission, along with the rolling on their back for a tummy rub.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

If you look at Lizzie's 9 week old photos on my flickr account, there's some of her with the hwole mouth-open-ears-back zoomies on there.  









(You can tell very well in this photo, but they're partway back here.)


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Sadie's don't look quite like that tho, they are completely down so her head just looks round. 

And I heart Lizzie. Adorable!


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

Lizzie's go completely down when she's indoors, but that was mid-flap.  I can't find the next photo in the sequence, though.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

Shippo puts his ears flat against his head and wiggles his entire butt when greeting someone. Total submission lol... It's so funny, because his ears are like half his head.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Cheetah said:


> Shippo puts his ears flat against his head and wiggles his entire butt when greeting someone. Total submission lol... It's so funny, because his ears are like half his head.


Exactly!

What breed is Shippo, he is very handsome!


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

If you watch a submissive or subdominant dog greet a dominant dog of a pack, you will see the subdominant dog will put their ears down and back. Also other body gestures are like lowing the head, lowering the tail, wiggling and rolling over exposing their belly, allowing the other dog to sniff them. It sounds like to me what she is doing is submitting to whom she is meeting. If you want to slow this down, as soon as she rolls, do not pet her belly- giving her the " ignore" signal which means " I accept you". This is a glance away, no eye contact, and slow easy calm exhale from you.. What you just told her was - putting the ears down and back was sufficient to show you she was accepting what level of submission she had to do to get accepted. 
Some people may think that by letting her go through " the whole routine" that they are giving her confidence. Actually the opposite is true- by having her go through the whole routine, you are encouraging submission to continue. There is nothing wrong with submitting to people, but at what level for the dog to feel accepted can be moved up unless you want her to spend her life rolling over for everyone she meets. ..


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Thanks Borzoi. 
Obviously it won't be as cute when she's an adult. I want her to be able to just sit still when she meets someone new. I want her to be a therapy dog when she is older so she has to be calm when she meets people and she isn't now. 

Thanks very much, I will let my husband know too not to rub her belly then. Even if it is soft and fuzzy 

What about when we're playing? What I was describing before she does when she meets new people or sees someone she likes already like me or DH. But sometimes when we are playing or she is just laying down, she rolls over and if I rub her belly she licks my hand. Is this still being submissive or does she like her belly rubbed? Should I stop doing it at all?


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

Timing will be essential here. Usually a dog will drop their shoulder lower the head right before they roll over. Look for that- and that is where the attention stops- do the calm " ignore " method. Get some friends that you can explain how to do this. They will be " the strangers" for you to help teach her. 
Save rubbing belly time for when she is already laying down in the house like half asleep etc. Then it becomes a comfort, not a submission activity. 
She will only do what she gets attention for. If you stop doing it, not letting it get to that level, she learns she is accepted and it will stop.


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## Chindo_Gae_Cerberus (Mar 24, 2008)

borzoimom did a real good job explaining this. 
Ears back can mean several things, but you need to look at all the body language to see the picture. 

I even have a cat that does this, rather funny. Usually in cats its a negative sign but for him, as soon as it's time to get loved, those ears are pinned tightly back and he's as happy as a clam. 

Zoomies? You don't mean like this dog you? ;o)
Fly my evil ones fly!!!









Happy and eager to please with ears back.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

borzoimom said:


> Timing will be essential here. Usually a dog will drop their shoulder lower the head right before they roll over. Look for that- and that is where the attention stops- do the calm " ignore " method. Get some friends that you can explain how to do this. They will be " the strangers" for you to help teach her.
> Save rubbing belly time for when she is already laying down in the house like half asleep etc. Then it becomes a comfort, not a submission activity.
> She will only do what she gets attention for. If you stop doing it, not letting it get to that level, she learns she is accepted and it will stop.


Thanks so much. After I posted this AM we went to say good morning to DH and I told him what you said, and after she didn't get his attention for a while she started jumping on his legs, so we ignored that too, and she eventually sat and stared at him, so then he petted her. She still put her ears back but she did not roll over which is what I wanted, since I want her to learn to sit calmly when she sees people. I'll have my neighbors help me since they all love to play with her. She did pee a little when she saw him, she's mostly stopped doing that but occasionally she does it a little bit. She hadn't done it in a few days until now. 

Good thing I can still rub her belly other times, it's too soft not to rub! 


Chindo, I love your Jindo, what a beautiful dog! Thanks for the lovely photos!


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

To help avoid submissive urination is the same line- stop right before it stops. But also petting the dog on the shoulder is less of a dominant position then petting the top of her head. Petting the top of the head only for a split second blocks the eye sight- this can be alarming to some dogs..


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## Chindo_Gae_Cerberus (Mar 24, 2008)

You can also try petting the chest and chin area in an upward stroking motion, this can build some dogs confidence for 2 reasons.
1.) Your hand is not coming from over top of them.
2.) The upwards stroking motion causes them to lift their head upwards (instead of cowering downwards.)

Though, do keep in mind, not all dogs like to be touched on the chest or the chin, in which case the shoulder is great too. 
Experiment =)


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Yeah we pet her back and I have tried under her chin and she didn't seem to like it. Maybe I did it wrong lol


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

jesirose said:


> Yeah we pet her back and I have tried under her chin and she didn't seem to like it. Maybe I did it wrong lol


 I would not do under the chin. That is like at the throat-. I would do the shoulder side ..


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

borzoimom said:


> I would not do under the chin. That is like at the throat-. I would do the shoulder side ..


Thanks, I'll try that.
She seemed to do pretty well after she calmed down this morning.


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## Chindo_Gae_Cerberus (Mar 24, 2008)

jesirose:

Yes, many do not like being touched on the shoulder or chin, not surprising at all, I've had a few oddballs that loved it however. 
Most I've come across really take to being petted on the chest (the lower chest area, not the neck). 
It's been known to put quiet a few of my dogs straight to sleep even, lol.


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

I don't get it, how do I pet her chest? Maybe it's hard because she's still so small but I don't understand. 

If I pet right between her two front legs, she rolls over for the belly rub.

This morning when she saw DH she ran up tail wagging, ears back, but did not roll over. So that's an improvement already. I told him to squat down so his hand is not looming over her too because he always pets her head and back and I could see how it looked. So he got down to pet her and his hand came from the side.


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

Good- I am glad there is improvement.


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## sheplovr (Aug 27, 2006)

I have not read all the replies, but most like their chest scratched. Or even the belly. Anything is worth a try. I do not allow head petting on my Shepherds, in fact going to the face of any dog is wrong.

Try the belly or chest, mine love both.


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## Chindo_Gae_Cerberus (Mar 24, 2008)

Well if you can't pet her chest with good results then that just means it's not right for THIS dog currently. 

Usually I offer my hand below their eye level, let them sniff it to their satisfaction and then I just very slowly stroke their chest between their front legs with my finger tips. 
If a dog were to roll over after this (in your case) I would stop petting them, but still remain sitting there on the floor. 
Most dogs will then stand back up to get petted again. 

One of my former foster dogs was adopted by my boss, so she's at work almost daily. 
I've had to do a lot of this with her, it's been nearly a year and she's still not perfect.
With me she's learned to sit there calmly while I stroke her chest and eventually she'll lift her head upwards (vrs cowering). 
With others she sometimes still flops over onto her side however.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

It's one of those really individual things. Lizzie LOVES having right under her chin scratched. Mal prefers the top of his head, right around the base of his ears and then down along his spine.


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

The only place my dog likes being scratched is his butt and haunches. He tolerates anywhere else but barely  If you want him to go away, pat him on the head.


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