It is almost a reflex action for dog owners to project what they believe their dog is saying or thinking just by looking at their eyes or facial expression. This is not psychology as much as it is that people believe they are engaged in two way communication with their dog. Our normal way of communicating with other humans is through looking at the expressions of other people’s faces and learning that they are happy, mad, glad, sad, etc. So it’s natural to extend that to our furry friends.
But more people know about facial language than body language. When it comes to dogs, experienced dog owners know that dogs are very good at hiding the fact they are in pain. So reading their behavior is not as easy as a new dog owner might think. But dogs are dogs, and there are definite ways an owner can know what their pet is communicating to them. And dogs do not understand English, Spanish, or the Urban Dictionary. Your body language is key to communicating with them.
Some behaviors on this list will have longer explanations. The more there is to read, the more you can accept the fact that the behavior is generally more reliable and consistent for all dogs no matter what the breed. Here is a list of 20 universal dog behaviors owners should know. I inserted a few video clips to make things interesting.