Pet body language dictionary
Start with the animal or behavior you observed. Each guide separates visible signals from possible interpretations and safe next steps.
Browse by species
Cat Body Language & Behavior Analysis
Understand cat posture, tail, ears, vocalization, and context with AI-assisted video analysis.
Dog Body Language & Behavior Analysis
Decode dog posture, movement, vocalizations, and stress signals from a short video.
Rabbit Body Language & Behavior Analysis
Understand rabbit thumping, hiding, posture, movement, and environmental triggers.
Bearded Dragon Behavior Analysis
Explore glass surfing, stress marks, posture, and enclosure context for bearded dragons.
Common behavior questions
Why does my cat yowl at night?
Night yowling may relate to attention, mating behavior, territorial activity, disorientation, pain, or another medical issue. Age, onset, movement, appetite, and the surrounding trigger are essential context.
Why is my dog suddenly afraid of familiar things?
Dogs can become temporarily sensitive during developmental fear periods, but a sudden change can also reflect a frightening event, pain, or illness. Look for the trigger and the dog's full-body response.
Why is my lizard scratching or running at the glass?
Glass surfing can be associated with reflections, limited space, temperature or lighting problems, breeding activity, or environmental stress. The behavior alone does not prove a single cause.
How do I read my dog's body language?
Read the whole body and the situation. A loose posture, soft face and easy movement can fit relaxation; a lowered body, retreat, pinned ears or tucked tail can fit fear. Stiffness and freezing deserve space. A wagging tail alone does not mean friendliness, and a single video cannot establish an emotion or diagnose pain.
What does a tucked tail mean in a dog?
A tail held low or between the legs can accompany fear or uncertainty, especially with a lowered body and retreat. Cold, pain or injury can also change tail carriage. Compare with your dog's normal posture and the surrounding trigger. Do not assume submission or punish the signal.
Does whale eye mean my dog is uncomfortable?
Whale eye describes visible eye whites as a dog looks sideways, sometimes while turning the head away. With stiffness, freezing or guarding it can indicate discomfort and a need for space. Sideways glances and naturally visible eye whites also occur without distress; read the face, body and context together.
Why is my Golden Retriever's tail tucked?
A Golden Retriever uses the same broad body-language signals as other dogs. A tucked tail may accompany uncertainty or fear, but it does not prove an emotion or a breed-specific problem. Dense feathering can hide the tail base, so compare the whole posture and gait with your dog's baseline.
Is visible eye white always a stress signal in a French Bulldog?
No. Eye shape and head position can affect how much white is visible. Compare with your own dog's relaxed face. A new sideways stare paired with stiffness, head turning away or guarding calls for space. Redness, squinting or eye discharge is a health concern rather than a body-language label.