What is what does it mean when dogs ears go back?

When a dog's ears go back, it can mean a variety of things depending on the context and other body language cues. Here's a breakdown:

• Submission or Appeasement: This is a common reason. When a dog is feeling intimidated, anxious, or is trying to show they are not a threat, they may flatten their ears back. This is often accompanied by other submissive signals such as a lowered head, tucked tail, avoiding eye contact, and possibly lip licking or showing the whites of their eyes (whale eye). Read more about this in submission signals.

• Fear or Anxiety: Similar to submission, fear can also cause a dog to flatten their ears. This is because they're trying to make themselves smaller and less noticeable, and also preparing themselves for potential danger. Watch out for other signs like trembling, panting, hiding, or a tucked tail. Learn more about dog anxiety.

• Relaxation or Contentment: Sometimes, gently laid-back ears can indicate a relaxed or calm state, especially when accompanied by a soft gaze, loose body posture, and a gentle tail wag.

• Attention or Focus: Dogs might also flatten their ears slightly when they are concentrating intently on something, like listening for a specific sound or focusing on a task. This is often seen during training or when they are tracking something.

• Wind or Weather: In some cases, a dog might simply flatten their ears to protect them from the wind or cold weather.

• Breed-Specific Ear Carriage: Certain breeds naturally carry their ears in a way that might appear "back" even when they are not expressing any particular emotion. For example, some hounds have naturally droopy ears.

It's essential to consider the entire dog's body language, the situation, and the dog's personality to accurately interpret what their flattened ears mean. Don't focus solely on the ears; look at the whole picture! You can research about dog body%20language for more informations.