Body Language of Fear and Stress
Learn to understand your dog's communication
Welcome to our next installment of canine communication. This page focuses on the body language of fear and stress.
From a Whisper to a Scream
Dogs communicate with varying intensities. Each dog has an individual pattern(s) up the ladder called a threat sequence. Every dog's threat sequence is unique - and your dog could move up and down the ladder or skip steps as communication gets more intense. Not being "heard" at a lower level of intensity causes your dog to speak "louder." Remember to listen to whispers so that your dog doesn't have to scream.
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Check out this digital magazine that helps us understand a very special part of the Canine Communication Ladder: Calming Signals. Recognizing calming signals helps us help our dogs not feel the need to communicate in screams.
Listen to you dog. Pay attention because he may be whispering something very important.
I love a dog who growls. She is being very clear with her communication.
Punishing warnings is like Dr. Dunbar says, "removing the ticker from a time bomb."
Did you know that dogs react to perceived danger in one of four ways:
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Fight
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Flight
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Freeze
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Fiddle
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You may remember some of the calming signals - some of them fall into the freeze and fiddle categories. This graphic shows some of the fiddles.
Does your dog look like these images?
If so, allow your dog to move away from the "scary" thing. If your dog is frozen, move away yourself, or ask the other person to please offer your dog some space.
Ever hear "he just bit me out of the blue?"
Unless all communication has been punished out, the dog was warning you.
Understanding Response Types
Body Language of Fear and Aggression (16 minutes)
If you haven't watched this video on our main Body Language page, now is the time. Susan Garrett does a wonderful job explaining the difference between your dog's responses and shares detail about body language you may experience as s/he in the emotional state of fear.