People often misinterpret dog signals, thinking that wagging their tail or licking your face always means your dog is happy.
But these may actually represent signs of stress in your canine companion.
Dr. Joanne Fernández-López, a veterinarian and dog expert, said her childhood friends described her as “the dog translator” long before she went to veterinary school.
Now the director of veterinary affairs for ABCs Puppy Zs, a Texas Goldendoodle breeder, and an associate veterinarian for animal care company Dutch Pet, Inc., Dr. Fernández-López has more than a decade of experience working with dogs.
She told DailyMail.com that there are “hundreds” of behaviors a dog exhibits that owners regularly misunderstand.
The vet said: ‘I could literally write a book with hundreds of signs! But here are just a few of them.
wagging tail
The above shows a dog with its tail in a neutral position, meaning it is not particularly excited or stressed.
Anyone who has returned home with their dog after a long day has experienced the happy wag of their tail when they walk through the door or seen their pup’s caboose shake when the treat jar is opened.
But tail wagging is not always a sign of happiness or excitement, Dr. Fernández-López told DailyMail.com.
The position, speed and even direction of a dog’s tail is more complex than that.
She said: “People seem to think that wagging the tail means happiness, but that slow, stiff wag can show uncertainty at best, if not possible caution.”
“Let’s also consider the context and the vigor with which the tail wags.”
The faster the tail wags, the more “excited” the dog is, but that could mean good or bad. A wag when the tail is up means a dog is on high alert or possibly in an aggressive state of mind.
A tucked tail means fear and stress.
and a study Tail wagging of the dogs showed that the animals tend to wag more to the right with positive arousal and more to the left with negative arousal.
ignoring you
A dog may walk away or ignore a person when it is afraid.
It’s easy to misinterpret the moment a dog turns his head toward you.
Dr. Fernández-López said, “A dog that turns its head or avoids making eye contact is not rude.”
“This is a reassuring sign, showing that they are not dangerous but wish you well instead of breaking up the party.”
When you approach or reach your dog and he turns his head or walks away from you, it is indicating that he is stressed and it may be a good idea to look around to see what caused it.
A dog may also walk away or ignore a person when it is afraid.
The important thing, experts say, is not to force affection or contact with a dog showing these signs because it could lead to aggressive behavior.
Yawning and licking his lips
Could this be a sign of stress?
Dogs may yawn after a long game of fetch or lick their chops after dinner, but they can also do these things when they are stressed.
Dr Fernández-López said: “Commonly confused with being sleepy or hungry, a timid yawn and lip licking are certainly possible leading indicators of stress or discomfort in the current environment.”
“The first is a way for the dog to comfort itself and the second has to do with its discomfort.”
A stress yawn, according to VCA Animal Hospitals, is usually longer and more intense than a sleep yawn. Dogs may also experience drooling.
In addition to licking their lips, stressed dogs may also excessively lick their paws or another part of their body because licking is a self-soothing action.
Extension
If your dog is stretching, he may appear relaxed, but there is more to this behavior.
If you find your pet in downward facing dog, it could mean more than just your average stretch. It can actually be a warning sign of stress, Dr. Fernández-López said.
He added: “Although stretching may seem like a common and comfortable behavior, canines also perform it as a calming signal.”
“Dogs that react by stretching may be trying to reduce their anxiety.”
Just like people, dogs can stretch to relax tension in their body caused by stress.
Overstretching with your head down and butt in the air could also mean physical pain, including life-threatening health complications. That’s why it’s important to visit your veterinarian if you notice your dog exhibiting this behavior frequently.
raising a paw
Raising a paw can mean a dog is not comfortable with the current situation.
Maybe you’ve taught your dog the command “paw” or “high five” so that when he lifts his leg you believe your training was successful.
But a raised paw could actually mean that a dog is scared, stressed, or uncomfortable with its current environment.
Dr Fernández-López told DailyMail.com: “If a dog raises one of its paws, it will often indicate that it is unsure about something in the environment.”
“Especially if the eyes show an expression of curiosity or concentration.”
Some dog breeds are known to raise their paw when hunting, but outside of this context, a raised paw may indicate that a dog is unsure or feels insecure about a situation, the American Kennel Club (AKC) said.
whale eye
If a dog shows the whites of his eyes, it may be a sign of stress.
Dogs showing the whites of their eyes, known as ‘whale eye’, is a common indicator of stress or agitation.
Dr Fernández-López said: “When dogs show the whites of their eyes, it can be a sign of stress or that they are feeling uncomfortable.
“It’s a canine version of ‘I’m not feeling well and I might need some distance.'”
The AKC said people can observe this behavior if they touch a shy dog’s head or if someone – or another animal – gets too close to them while they are eating or chewing on a toy.
Looking at the whale may indicate that the dog is scared or stressed because the food or toy may be taken away.
Head and ears lowered
The position of the body, head, ears and tail can reveal a lot about how a dog feels.
If your dog appears to be hunched over with his head and ears down, he is probably stressed.
Dr Fernández-López told DailyMail.com: “Although some owners may be able to interpret alert ears as being raised, held back or lowered ears can indicate fear, anxiety and submission.”
Ears drawn back indicate that dogs are worried, suspicious or defensive. ‘Seal ears’, when the ears are almost completely pinned against the head, indicate extreme fear.
A lowered head often means the dog is anxious and may also have a folded tail or a frown.
Lowering the head or shrinking makes the dog appear smaller, which a nervous animal can do to avoid attracting attention.
A lowered head and hunched posture also make the dog appear submissive to anything that threatens the animal.
sniffing the ground
Sniffing can sometimes be an avoidance or displacement behavior.
A dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times more powerful than a human’s, and sniffing is how your pet interprets the world around him. So, it’s natural to think that every time your dog’s nose is pressed to the ground, he’s simply being curious.
However, Dr. Fernández-López said this is not always the case: ‘Dogs may start sniffing the ground when you ask them an overly “intrusive” question or in other situations that make them stressed or insecure.
“It is a method of keeping conflict at bay and defusing tension.”
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, sniffing can sometimes be an avoidance or displacement behavior, meaning the dog may sniff to “escape” a stressful situation by redirecting its attention to something else.
Other displacement behaviors include licking the genitals, scratching, shaking, or focusing on anything other than the current situation.