While dogs cannot speak to us with words (at least not yet), they rely heavily on communicating with their body language. They use just about every part of their body relay to you exactly how they are feeling. For example, a dog that is excited and happy to see you will probably be wagging it’s tail. A dog that is scared or alert might lift up its ears to hear better. And of course, a dog that is licking you is most likely showing his/her affection to you.

Aside from the tail, your dog uses its ears as the main way to communicate to its owners how they are feeling. One common tendency of dogs is to put their ears back when you put them. Today we will explain exactly why dogs do this.

Why do dog’s ears go back when you pet them?

When a dog puts its ears back, it is a sign that they are comfortable and at ease. This is why they will put their ears back when you pet them. Putting their ears back also opens up more space on the top of their head where you can pet.

Most of the time, a dog pushes their ears back involuntarily. It almost always is dependent on the mood that they are in. A dog’s ears might also be pushed back when you pet them because they are trying to nudge their head towards you. When they push their head forward, their ears automatically get pushed back.

Why else do dog’s put their ears back?

It is important to note that just because your dog’s ears are back doesn’t mean that your dog is comfortable. For example, if a dog feels threatened, it might pull its ears all the way back. This is common when your dog is about to lunge out at something. Your dog’s ear’s get pushed back during this aggressive behavior because they are preparing their body to lunge forward. The main difference between this and when your dog is being petted is that a dog being petted will have a relaxed demeaner. On the contrary, a dog with ears back that feels threatened will have a very tense body.