Why does my dog do that?
Why does my dog put its ears back when greeted by strangers?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Ears pinned back during a greeting can reflect either a friendly, slightly submissive politeness or genuine wariness, and the surrounding body, a loose wiggling body versus a stiff, frozen one, is what separates the two. Most dogs that pin their ears while wagging and approaching happily are simply being appropriately deferential to someone new.
The friendly, deferential version
A dog approaching a stranger with ears back, a low wagging tail, a soft wiggling body, and squinted, relaxed eyes is showing a polite, mildly submissive greeting style, common in dogs that are naturally a bit soft in temperament or simply well socialized enough to defer politely to someone unfamiliar.
The wary version
Ears pinned back on a dog that also stiffens, leans away, avoids eye contact entirely, or tries to increase distance rather than approach is showing genuine discomfort rather than friendly deference, and pushing an introduction in this state tends to increase rather than resolve the wariness.
Letting the dog set the pace
Whichever version you are seeing, allowing the dog to approach a new person at its own pace, rather than being picked up, restrained, or coaxed forward, generally produces the calmest and most positive greeting outcome.
Key takeaways
- Ears pinned back during greetings can reflect either politeness or genuine wariness.
- A loose, wiggling, approaching body signals the friendly version.
- A stiff body avoiding contact signals real discomfort instead.
- Letting a dog approach at its own pace produces the calmest outcome either way.