Woofs and wags: What's your dog telling you?

Are puppy dog eyes really a sign of love, or does Fido just want a lil snack?

Can dogs really "speak" by pressing talking buttons, or do they just make great content for TikTok?

There's more to canine communication than howls and growls — and a wagging tail could be telling you more than you think.

Featuring:

• Dr. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fellow (Canine Welfare Science), Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne
• Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University
• Associate professor Federico Rossano director of the comparative cognition lab at the University of California San Diego

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Nat Tencic, Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2025 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Taungurung people.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.