Signs of fear.

Understanding what fear looks like will help you care for your dog’s welfare and advocate for their safety:

• pulling ears back or down

• tail tucking

• hiding

• yawning

• lip licking

• freezing

• shaking

• escape behaviours

• turning head/ looking away

• refusing food suddenly

• seeking close human contact

Signs of stress.

The following are signals that a dog is experiencing some level of discomfort or stress with the environment or a particular stimulus.

• yawning

• licking lip or nose

• turning head away

• shifting eyes

• squinting eyes

• sneezing

• full body shake

• scratching

• exposing belly

• lifting a front paw

• mounting/humping

• raised hair

  Click here to learn about the canine aggression ladder

Signs of comfort.

A comfortable dog is content to be where they are and is ready to learn:

• relaxed, “soft” eyes

• relaxed muscles in the forehead

• ears in a neutral state

• relaxed, “soft” mouth

• tail in a neutral state

• tail wagging in a wide-sweeping motion

Positive play signs.

The following signs are what you want to see when your dog is playing/interacting with another dog.

• “self-handicapping”

• loose and floppy body

• bouncy movements

• role reversal

• taking breaks

• gentle mouthing and pawing

• loud continuous growling and snarling

• play bow

• open mouth

Click here to learn more about dog play language with a video made by the Shelter Playgroup Alliance