Body Language Spotlight: 5 Signs of Stress You Should Know

Dogs communicate a lot with their body language, and it's up to us to learn to decipher the signals they give us! We all know what a happy dog looks like: ears forward, loose waggy tail, eye contact, and relaxed face. Signs of discomfort and stress, however, are sometimes harder to read and can get overlooked by accident. Below are some of the main things to look out for, so you can be more in tune with your fur baby's emotions:

1. Whale Eye and Averting Gaze

   

   Whale eye refers to the white of the dog's eye showing when they look at something without turning their face towards it. Although the side-eye expression can appear comical, it's a common sign that a dog is uncomfortable. This goes paw-in-paw with a dog averting their gaze, not making eye contact with you or looking directly at the stressor.

   
   

2. Pinned Ears

   

Much like horses, dogs will pin their ears back against their head when something is bothering them.

3. Licking Lips

A less well-known sign of discomfort, short, quick lip licks are another sign that a dog isn't loving whatever is going on!

4. Yawning

Yawning when they aren't sleepy is a stress signal as well! Although it's not entirely clear why this is a behavior dogs exhibit when they're uncomfortable, it's suspected that yawning relieves some tension and helps the dog self-soothe.

5. Stress Panting

   

   Stress panting can be tricky to identify, since dogs also pant when they're tired, hot, or just hanging out! Check for tense lips and corners of the mouth. In this picture, note the whale eye and pinned ears combined with the panting.

Canine body language can often be subtle and hard to read, but It's Important that we try so we can be better advocates for our pups. Many of these signals, when shown on their own, are not necessarily indicative of your pup being stressed. Look for combinations of signals and context:

Is your dog yawning, but in bed around nap time? They're just sleepy!

Getting approached by a new dog and they give a lip lick and whale eye? Showing they're not a big fan of the stranger! Create some distance for everyone's safety.

Turning their ears back, but overall relaxed? There's probably an interesting noise behind them!

Remember that the "big picture" matters when picking up on potential signs of discomfort. We hope this helps you check in on how your dog is feeling!