There are probably times when you wish you knew what your dog was thinking. By looking at your dog’s body language, watching their expressions and actions this can help you understand what they might be feeling. On average dogs have 30 calming signals. These signals are used in times of fear, to avoid confrontation and on a day to day basis. As humans we often fail to see our dogs using these signals, so much so, that some dogs may give up using them altogether. For others, they become so desperate and frustrated they can get aggressive, nervous or stressed out as a result. Below are some basic calming signals dogs use to communicate their feelings.
Yawning
Your dog may yawn when someone bends over him, when you sound angry or there’s yelling, when he’s at the vets, and when someone’s walking or staring directly towards him. This tells you he feels uncomfortable and is trying to calm the situation down. When your dog is excited and there’s anticipation such as going out for a walk, dogs will yawn to take in more oxygen, as instinctively adrenalin has kicked in to prepare them for the ‘hunt’. Threatening signals (making direct eye contact, fast movements, bending over the dog etc) will often cause your dog to use a calming signal.
Licking
Licking is another calming signal - when meeting new people, dogs or in stressful situations. Licking is especially used by black/dark coloured dogs and dogs with a lot of fur around their faces as their facial expressions are harder to read. To show a dog you’re not a threat, avoid making direct eye contact, yawn and lick your lips – this is a pacifying signal and helps the dog to feel less anxious.
Turning away
A dog will turn his head slightly to one side or turn completely around so his back and tail is facing whoever the dog is calming. If a person seems angry, aggressive or threatening, dogs will often turn away. When you bend over a dog to stroke him or he’s taken by surprise - lookout for his head turning away. Dogs will use this signal to other dogs to prevent possible conflicts. Dogs that perceive themselves to be head of their pack will also use this body or head turn as a way of showing you where they want you to pat them. It’s a case of ‘who do you think you are?’ when you try to stroke them over the head. To show a strange or a nervous dog you’re not a threat, crouch down, don’t ‘invade their body space’, avoid direct eye contact, let the dog sniff you, then slowly hold your hand out for them to smell you. Once the dog is calm, then stroke him gently under the chin.
Play bow
A dog bending down on his front legs is an invitation to play if he’s moving his legs from side to side in a playful manner. But if the dog’s standing still while bowing, this is a signal to calm someone or another dog down. However, the invitation to play is often a calming signal by itself because the dog is making a potentially dangerous situation less tense and diverts with something safe.
Sniffing the ground
You’ll often see this when out walking with your dog and someone’s coming towards you, in noisy situations or places where there’s a lot going on or when your dog sees objects that he’s not sure of and finds it intimidating. Sniffing the ground may be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and back up again to sticking their nose to the ground and sniffing persistently for several minutes. Of course, dogs sniff a lot anyway to find out whom or what has passed along the street before them! But depending on the situation this is used as a calming signal.
Yawning
Your dog may yawn when someone bends over him, when you sound angry or there’s yelling, when he’s at the vets, and when someone’s walking or staring directly towards him. This tells you he feels uncomfortable and is trying to calm the situation down. When your dog is excited and there’s anticipation such as going out for a walk, dogs will yawn to take in more oxygen, as instinctively adrenalin has kicked in to prepare them for the ‘hunt’. Threatening signals (making direct eye contact, fast movements, bending over the dog etc) will often cause your dog to use a calming signal.
Licking
Licking is another calming signal - when meeting new people, dogs or in stressful situations. Licking is especially used by black/dark coloured dogs and dogs with a lot of fur around their faces as their facial expressions are harder to read. To show a dog you’re not a threat, avoid making direct eye contact, yawn and lick your lips – this is a pacifying signal and helps the dog to feel less anxious.
Turning away
A dog will turn his head slightly to one side or turn completely around so his back and tail is facing whoever the dog is calming. If a person seems angry, aggressive or threatening, dogs will often turn away. When you bend over a dog to stroke him or he’s taken by surprise - lookout for his head turning away. Dogs will use this signal to other dogs to prevent possible conflicts. Dogs that perceive themselves to be head of their pack will also use this body or head turn as a way of showing you where they want you to pat them. It’s a case of ‘who do you think you are?’ when you try to stroke them over the head. To show a strange or a nervous dog you’re not a threat, crouch down, don’t ‘invade their body space’, avoid direct eye contact, let the dog sniff you, then slowly hold your hand out for them to smell you. Once the dog is calm, then stroke him gently under the chin.
Play bow
A dog bending down on his front legs is an invitation to play if he’s moving his legs from side to side in a playful manner. But if the dog’s standing still while bowing, this is a signal to calm someone or another dog down. However, the invitation to play is often a calming signal by itself because the dog is making a potentially dangerous situation less tense and diverts with something safe.
Sniffing the ground
You’ll often see this when out walking with your dog and someone’s coming towards you, in noisy situations or places where there’s a lot going on or when your dog sees objects that he’s not sure of and finds it intimidating. Sniffing the ground may be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and back up again to sticking their nose to the ground and sniffing persistently for several minutes. Of course, dogs sniff a lot anyway to find out whom or what has passed along the street before them! But depending on the situation this is used as a calming signal.
Sitting down/lifting one paw
Some dogs will sit down and lift a paw towards another dog or human to calm a situation down. Dogs will also sit or lay down as another dog approaches as a way to calm that approaching dog, if they feel it’s coming towards them too quickly. Dogs may also sit with their backs turned against the owner when they sound too strict, angry or the owner’s speaking in a loud voice!
Walking in a curve
This signal is the main reason why dogs react so strongly to meeting other dogs when they’re forced to walk straight at them. Instincts tell our dog that it’s wrong to approach someone like that – as humans we think differently. The dog can get anxious or defensive and this results in the dog barking and/or lunging at other dogs. When we’re outside with our dogs, we’re at our most human. So, if our dog barks or acts in an aggressive manner towards another dog, we then get flustered and anxious and may even shout at our dog. This creates a chaotic and stressful situation and now the dog has a negative association with other dogs. When given a chance, dogs will walk in curves around each other. Watch how your dog meets another dog when off the lead. Some dogs need large curves; others only need to walk slightly curved. Don’t walk your dog directly toward a dog, instead stop and change direction. If this isn’t possible give him some more leash to enable him to manoeuvre away from the dog and walk the other side of you. The more anxious your dog is, the wider the space you create between you and the other dog. Remember to take a deep breath, stay calm – keep your pulse rate steady and show your dog you’re not concerned and he will soon follow your lead.
Some dogs will sit down and lift a paw towards another dog or human to calm a situation down. Dogs will also sit or lay down as another dog approaches as a way to calm that approaching dog, if they feel it’s coming towards them too quickly. Dogs may also sit with their backs turned against the owner when they sound too strict, angry or the owner’s speaking in a loud voice!
Walking in a curve
This signal is the main reason why dogs react so strongly to meeting other dogs when they’re forced to walk straight at them. Instincts tell our dog that it’s wrong to approach someone like that – as humans we think differently. The dog can get anxious or defensive and this results in the dog barking and/or lunging at other dogs. When we’re outside with our dogs, we’re at our most human. So, if our dog barks or acts in an aggressive manner towards another dog, we then get flustered and anxious and may even shout at our dog. This creates a chaotic and stressful situation and now the dog has a negative association with other dogs. When given a chance, dogs will walk in curves around each other. Watch how your dog meets another dog when off the lead. Some dogs need large curves; others only need to walk slightly curved. Don’t walk your dog directly toward a dog, instead stop and change direction. If this isn’t possible give him some more leash to enable him to manoeuvre away from the dog and walk the other side of you. The more anxious your dog is, the wider the space you create between you and the other dog. Remember to take a deep breath, stay calm – keep your pulse rate steady and show your dog you’re not concerned and he will soon follow your lead.
