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Armitage Animal Clinic

Providing excellence in health care…for your pets!

Call us today! 905 836-4001
Call us today! 905-836-4001
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18025 Yonge St, Unit 6
Newmarket, ON L3Y 8C9

How To Tell If Your Dog Is Happy

April 15 2019

Did you know that we domesticated dogs between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago? Fido has been our best friend for quite a while! While we’ve had lots of time to get to know our canine companions, we still haven’t completely bridged the language barrier. You can probably tell right away if your pooch wants a walk or is ready for his dinner, but what about his emotional state? Is your dog happy? In this article from Armitage Animal Clinic, a local Newmarket, ON vet lists some signs of doggy contentment.

Affection

Some of our canine buddies are quite cuddly. If Fido often approaches you for affection, give yourself a pat on the back. This is one of the clearest signs that your four-legged friend is content. Dogs that are happy seek out their humans, and try to stay as close to them as possible. If collecting ear scritches and belly rubs seem to rank pretty high on your dog’s daily agenda, you’ve probably got a happy pup on your hands.

Healthy Appetite

As you may have noticed, Man’s Best Friend has a pretty healthy appetite. However, our canine friends sometimes lose interest in dinner if they feel sick, stressed, or unhappy. If your dog bounces up out of a dead sleep every time you open the fridge, Fido is probably in good spirits.

Playful Pup

Does Fido gets super excited when you pick up his toy, and/or jump for joy at the mere thought of a walk? Does your pet do playful ‘bows’ when he gets excited? If so, your canine pal is probably pretty content. Playful dogs are happy dogs!

Nose For Adventure

Our four-legged friends are quite curious by nature, and will be naturally inquisitive about new places, faces, and belongings. If your furry buddy wants to investigate everything new, it’s probably safe to say that he’s happy.

Tail Wags

That cute tail is a pretty adorable indicator of your furry friend’s mood. If your pooch is wagging his tail so hard that his hips move, Fido is likely feeling pretty content. (It’s worth mentioning that dogs also do wag their tails when they are nervous or uneasy, but these are usually slower, half-hearted wags.)

Please contact Armitage Animal Clinic for all your dog’s veterinary care needs. As your local Newmarket, ON vet clinic, we’re dedicated to keeping tails wagging!