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Journal for Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Biosafety

Volume 12, Issue 2, May 2026, Pages 9–16

ISSN 2411-3174 (print version) ISSN 2411-0388 (online version)

DOG BODY LANGUAGE (LITERATURE REVIEW)

Dankevych N. I. ¹, Ertürk G. ²

¹ Odesa State Agrarian University, Odesa, Ukraine, e-mail: dankevych82@gmail.com

² Active Dog Training & Psychology Center, Ankara, Turkey

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Citation for print version: Dankevych, N. I. and Ertürk, G. (2026) ‘Dog body language (literature review)’, Journal for Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Biosafety, 12(2), pp. 9–16.

Download PDF (online version)

Citation for online version: Dankevych, N. I. and Ertürk, G. (2026) ‘Dog body language (literature review)’, Journal for Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Biosafety, 12(2), pp. 9–16. DOI: 10.36016/JVMBBS-2026-12-2-2.

Summary. The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of contemporary scientific research exploring canine body language as a complex system of nonverbal communication. Based on a review of domestic and international publications indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and other databases, the study summarizes findings on the development of dogs’ communicative abilities in the course of domestication and coevolution with humans. Special attention is given to the evolutionary foundations of interspecies interaction, as well as to the role of morphological and breed differences and the influence of sex and age on behavioral signals. The paper also examines modern objective methods for analyzing canine facial expressions and postures, including the DogFACS (Dog Facial Action Coding System) system and machine learning technologies CNN (Convolutional Neural Network), DeepLabCut (Deep Learning-based Markerless Pose Estimation), used for the automatic recognition of body postures and emotional states in dogs. The study systematizes the main components of canine body language, including facial expressions, ear position, eye expression, mouth posture, body stance, and tail movements, emphasizing their integrated interpretation within various social contexts. The importance of correctly interpreting canine signals for conflict prevention, safety enhancement, and strengthening trust-based relationships between humans and dogs is highlighted. It is concluded that understanding canine body language is an acquired skill based on observation, learning, and interspecies empathy, and that it has significant practical value in veterinary medicine, as well as for dog owners, trainers, and animal behavior specialists

Keywords: nonverbal communication, animal behavior, human–dog interaction

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