Surely by now you’ve heard the recent buzz around the much talked about article published by Psychology Today, stating that most dog’s reeeeeeally don’t appreciate the close contact of a hug from a human. As much as we love giving them. So that got us thinking, how many other body language messages are going unnoticed by otherwise well-meaning pet owners? Stress is a normal part of life for any animal. For example, hunger is a form of stress that reminds us to eat, just like fear is a stress-related emotion that helps us to avoid potentially harmful situations. However, often there is a simple way for us as pet owners to alleviate our best friend’s discomfort, the first step is to be aware of it in the first place!
- Licking chops when food is not present
This type of licking looks very different than when you feed your dog a spoonful of peanut butter and, like all of the signs, are usually accompanied or followed by other signs of stress. Note that context is important! Your pup may yawn when they first wake up, shake off after a bath, or pant on a hot day. But if she is in a new or difficult environment and you see these behaviors together, either as a group or in a sequence, and they happen repeatedly, they are very likely an indication that your poor pal is experiencing some anxiety. - Repeated yawning
Stress yawning is often done repetitively during a situation that your dog finds upsetting and it is done with more intensity than a sleepy yawn. Dogs yawn as a way of neutralizing a stressful situation. For example if they meet another dog that seems tense or aggressive, they might yawn, as a way of calming the situation down and to show that they are not threatening anyone. They come in peace!
- Panting
Yes, dogs pant. However, if it is a cool day and your dog has not been engaging in much physical activity, yet is panting as if she just ran a few miles, this is likely a sign of stress. An observant owner can tell the difference between a “cool down” pant and a stress pant. Often paired with other signs of stress, like the above mentioned, as well as “whale eye” and ears pinned back (as seen in the photo) , panting is a way for pups to calm themselves down, just like humans do when we experience uncomfortable situations. - Shaking off
Dogs will shake their bodies for a variety of reasons, like when they’re wet or when they first wake up from a nap. But stress-related “shaking off” almost always follows something the dog finds unpleasant. For example, many dogs shake off right after a veterinary exam or after exiting a car, if they find the ride stressful. Can you blame them? Sometimes it feels like you literally need to take a cue from Taylor Swift and “shake it off”, when something’s bothering you! - Avoidance
Avoidance can look like many things. Common types of avoidance include:
- Excessive sniffing
- Inattention
- Looking away
- Turning away
Basically, if your dog is in any way avoiding interacting with people or other dogs, he is showing you he is uncomfortable. Avoidance is always a better choice than aggression. If your dog is avoiding interaction with anyone, human or canine, respect that choice. Don’t force your dog to interact if they don’t want to. That is a recipe for a conflict, and worse – a bite.After all, you wouldn’t want a total stranger giving you a full-body bear hug in the middle of the street, would you?! Do what’s best for everyone – respect your pup’s social limits and they will love you even more for it!
