How to Read Dog Body Language: Signs of Stress, Fear and Joy

The Yawn

Dog body language is the way a dog stands, moves and makes facial expressions that show how a dog is responding to its surroundings. Common signs of stress include lip licking, yawning when not tired, turning away, freezing, whale eye and panting without heat or exercise. Commons signs of joy are a loose open mouth, almond eyes, and a swishing tail. No single signal has a fixed meaning, so read each one alongside the situation and the dog's whole body.

Dogs also find human movement motivating. Many quickly learn which of our routines predict a walk, and which predict being left at home.

The difficulty is that people often miss these signals or misread them.

What do owners commonly misread in dog body language?

• A quick lip lick is often dismissed as cute. It can be a sign of anxiety.

• Turning the head away from a reaching hand is often not noticed or ignored. It can indicate that the dog does not want to be touched.

• Yawning during training may be labelled disinterested. It can indicate that the session has become too demanding and the dog needs a break.

What are the main signs of stress in dogs?

No single signal has a fixed meaning. Read each one in context of the situation and the rest of the dog's body.

Why does a dog freeze?

What it looks like: The dog becomes completely still and stiff.

What it may indicate: Fear or significant fear, anxiety or stress.

When it is often seen:

• At the vet clinic

• When an unfamiliar dog is staring

• During loud, chaotic activity at home

• When a harness is being put on

What to do: Slow your own movements down and don't force interaction.

Why is my dog panting when it isn't hot?

What it looks like: Shallow, rapid breathing with the mouth open. The tongue sits centrally, either just showing or long and spatula-shaped.

What it may indicate: Anxiety, unsure of the situation or stress. Pain and illness can also cause panting, so speak to your vet if it is persistent or unexplained.

When it is often seen:

• During thunderstorms

• At the groomer

• When visitors arrive

• On car rides

What to do: Check what's happening in the environment and give your dog a quiet place to retreat to.

Why does a dog shake when it is dry?

What it looks like: A full-body shake when the dog is dry.

What it may indicate: Release of tension after a stressful event, or a transition from one activity to the next.

When it is often seen:

• After meeting a new dog

• After handling at the vet

• When moving away from one place to another.

What to do: Praise your dog, this is self regulation in action and your praise encourages them to do just that.

What are calming signals in dogs?

Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas introduced the term calming signals in On Talking Terms With Dogs, describing around 30 behaviours. Freezing and shaking off are commonly included among them.

Research offers some support for her observations. In a 2017 pilot study of 24 dogs, these behaviours occurred more often at close range and with unfamiliar dogs (Mariti et al., 2017). A separate study found that lip licking and looking away may function as appeasement signals towards people (Firnkes et al., 2017).

Whether dogs use these behaviours deliberately remains unknown. Treat them as useful information about a dog's state, and respond to what you see.

Why does a dog lick its lips?

What it looks like: A fast, subtle flick of the tongue.

What it may indicate: Mild stress or uncertainty.

When it is often seen:

• When meeting new people

• During training sessions

• When there is tension in the household

• When being patted without enjoying it

What to do: Check the context and slow down. If you are training, change the activity. If someone is patting your dog, ask them to stop and let your dog choose whether to approach.

Why is my dog yawning when it isn't tired?

What it looks like: A slow yawn when the dog is not tired.

What it may indicate: Stress or social tension.

When it is often seen:

• During a difficult training session, especially when the handler is frustrated

• During household tension or raised voices

• When meeting unfamiliar dogs or people

What to do: Breathe, soften your voice or pause the activity. If you are training, give your dog a break. Responding consistently makes your behaviour more predictable for your dog.

Why does a dog turn its head away?

What it looks like: The dog turns its head or whole body away from what is happening. This occurs in both dog-to-dog and human-to-dog interactions.

What it may indicate: Discomfort, avoidance or a non-threatening response to an approach.

When it is often seen:

• During patting

• During greetings with other dogs

• When a dog is being asked to do something it is not ready for

What to do: Step back, stop patting or create distance from whatever the dog is avoiding.

A common example is a firm pat on top of the head, followed by the dog ducking or turning away. Many dogs find a hand coming from above uncomfortable. Try patting the shoulder instead.

Why is my dog walking so slowly?

What it looks like: Very slow movement, often with soft, smooth ears.

What it may indicate: Caution, uncertainty or fear.

When it is often seen:

• At the vet clinic

• When approaching new people or dogs

• When entering unfamiliar places

What to do: Slow down and let your dog set the pace. Forcing a dog forward is likely to increase anxiety.

Why does a dog suddenly scratch or sniff?

What it looks like: Scratching with no apparent itch, or sniffing the ground when nothing obvious is there. These are often described as displacement behaviours.

What it may indicate: Conflict or uncertainty, such as being drawn to approach and avoid at the same time.

When it is often seen:

• When asked to do something unfamiliar

• When deciding whether to approach something

What to do: Give your dog time and remove any pressure to comply.

How do you read a dog's face?

What do a dog's eyes show? Soft eye, hard stare and whale eye

• Soft, almond-shaped eyes: usually a relaxed dog.

• Hard stare: intense focus or high alertness. A sustained direct stare can act as a threat signal between dogs.

• Slow blinking, often with a look away: commonly associated with a non-threatening response. Context matters.

• Whale eye (the whites showing at the edges): often a sign of unease. It commonly appears when the head turns away while the eyes stay fixed on something, particularly during restraint.

• Dilated pupils: arousal, which may be linked to over-arousal, excitement, fear or stress.

What to do: If you see a hard stare or whale eye, reduce the pressure. Look to one side, turn sideways and move slowly away. Softening of the eyes suggests the pressure has eased.

What does a dog's mouth show?

• Open mouth with a loose tongue to the side: often relaxed, or warm after exercise.

• Tongue extended and wide at the tip (spatulate): often associated with stress when heat and exercise do not explain it. It also occurs during heavy panting, so check the context.

• Mouth closed tight and pointed towards you: tension and possible defensiveness.

• Corners of the mouth tight and pulled forward: a warning signal.

What to do: If the mouth is tight or the corners are pulled forward, stop what you are doing and create space, because a bite may follow. If you see a spatulate tongue without heat or exercise, reduce whatever is causing stress.

What do a dog's ear positions mean?

• Forward and alert: attention on something of interest.

• Flat and wide: often linked to appeasement, worry or fear, and sometimes curiosity.

• High and stiff: high alertness and possible defensiveness (NB:some breeds have naturally stiff ears).

• Flattened back: often linked to fear.

Ear positions vary greatly between breeds. Learn your dog's neutral position first and read the whole dog.

What does a furrowed brow mean in a dog?

• Smooth brow: usually relaxed.

• Furrowed brow: uncertainty or unease.

• Lifted eyebrows: possible uncertainty about the situation.

• Tightly knitted brow with tension: stress and a possible reaction.

• Pulled-back brow with wide eyes: often linked to fear.

What do dog tail positions mean?

Tail carriage and movement vary widely, and a wagging tail must always be read alongside the rest of the body.

• High above the back: high arousal and alertness. The outcome can go either way.

• High and flagging (a stiff, fast wag): high arousal that may not be friendly. Give the dog space.

• Low, broad, sweeping wag: usually relaxed and friendly.

• Very low or tucked: often linked to fear or insecurity.

• Loose, wiggly wag: usually relaxed and social.

• Stiff wag: interest combined with tension or uncertainty.

What does a dog's posture show?

• Soft, relaxed front legs: comfortable.

• Stiff front legs with weight forward: alert and possibly about to move forward.

• Wiggly, loose body: relaxed, social behaviour.

• Tall, stiff body and limbs: high alert.

• Low body leaning away: avoidance, often to reduce the visual size.

• Raised hackles (hair standing along the neck or back): high arousal, which may be linked to excitement, anxiety or aggression.

What is the difference between a play bow and a prey bow?

Similar postures can have very different meanings, so context is essential.

• Play bow (front end down, rear up, loose body): an invitation to play.

• Soft stretching bow: commonly seen during relaxed greetings.

• Prey bow (front end down, rear up, stiff and intensely focused): predatory focus rather than play.

How do breed, age and health affect dog body language?

Breed

Body shape affects both how dogs signal and how easily we can read them.

• Flat-faced breeds such as pugs and bulldogs may pant because of structural breathing difficulties. Facial wrinkles can also make expressions harder to read. Researchers have found that short skulls and floppy ears limit a dog's range of facial expression (Hobkirk & Twiss, 2024).

• Erect and floppy ears move differently. Watch the base of the ear, where it meets the head.

• Curled tails, as seen in Huskies and Spitz breeds, are carried differently from straight tails.

• Breeds with juvenile physical features can have a smaller range of visual signals. In a study of 10 breeds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels used just two of the wolf-typical signals recorded, compared with 15 in Siberian Huskies (Goodwin et al., 1997). Reading the whole body is especially important with these dogs.

• Working breeds may be naturally more alert than companion breeds.

Age and physical condition

• Senior dogs may be less expressive because of arthritis or other physical conditions.

• Puppies are still developing their full range of signals.

• Injury, pain and reduced mobility can all change body language.

Individual variation

Some dogs are naturally more expressive than others. Observe your own dog to discover what is normal for them, and when something changes.

What are the most common dog body language myths?

Myth: A wagging tail means a happy dog. A wag indicates arousal or engagement, and that arousal can be positive or negative.

Myth: A dog showing its belly wants a belly rub. Some do. Many others expose the belly when nervous, so check the rest of the body first.

Myth: Confident dogs always have their ears forward. Confident dogs generally hold their ears in a relaxed, natural position.

Myth: A dog that looks guilty knows it did something wrong. In a well-known study, the so-called guilty look was linked to the owner's scolding and not to whether the dog had disobeyed. It was most pronounced in dogs that were scolded despite having obeyed (Horowitz, 2009).

What are the warning signs a dog may bite?

The main warning signs are a stiff body, a hard stare, a tightly closed mouth, showing teeth and growling. Recognising them matters: ACC's figures show 29,233 reported dog incidents in New Zealand in 2024, a 46 per cent rise since 2015 (Times Online).

Some signals indicate that a bite may follow. Never ignore them.

• A hard, forward posture: stiff body leaning forward, hard stare, high flagging tail, closed mouth, and ears forward and rigid.

• Resource guarding: a stiff body when approached over food or toys, hard stare, faster eating, moving the item away from you, and vocalising.

• Fear escalation: calming signals progressing to freezing, then showing teeth or growling.

What to do: Create distance immediately. Do not try to work through it in the moment. Seek help from a qualified, force-free dog trainer or behaviour professional.

A dog showing these signals is at its limit. It is not being bad it is communicating. Punishment can suppress the warnings without changing the underlying fear or stress, which means a later bite may appear to come without warning.

What changes when you learn to observe

• You stop forcing interactions your dog is avoiding.

• You recognise stress before it becomes overwhelming.

• You see communication where you might once have seen misbehaviour.

• Your focus shifts from managing behaviour to supporting your dog's emotional state.

• Your responses become more predictable, which can make new experiences easier for your dog.

Start with one signal

This week, watch for one signal, such as the lip lick or the turn away. Each time you see it, ask yourself what has just changed around your dog and what you can do to reduce the pressure.

If your dog growls, snaps or escalates past calming signals, seek professional help rather than trying to resolve it alone.

Which signal have you noticed in your dog? Share it with us in the comments.

Dog body language FAQs

How can I tell if my dog is stressed?

Look for several signals together, such as lip licking, yawning when not tired, turning away, freezing or panting without heat or exercise. Then consider what has just happened around your dog. Speak to your vet if panting is persistent or unexplained.

Does a wagging tail mean a dog is happy?

Not always. A wag shows arousal or engagement, which can be positive or negative. A loose, low wag is usually social, while an elevated stiff, fast wag calls for caution.

What is whale eye in dogs?

Whale eye is when the whites (sclera) of a dog's eyes show at the edges, often because the head has turned while the eyes stay fixed on something. It is often a sign of unease, so reduce the pressure on the dog by creating distance.

Do dogs know when they have done something wrong?

The evidence does not show that the so-called guilty look reflects knowledge of a misdeed. In Horowitz's 2009 study, the look was linked to the owner's scolding and not to whether the dog had disobeyed.

Should I punish my dog for growling?

No, try not to punish your dog. A growl is both a warning and information. Punishment can suppress the warning without changing the underlying fear or stress. Create distance and seek professional help.

Dog behaviour help in Auckland

The Dog Behaviour Academy offers force-free, science-based dog behaviour support in Auckland and online. If your dog is showing stress or warning signals, get in touch to talk through what you are seeing.

For children and families, the SPCA's free Dog Safe Happy Homes resources also cover dog body language.

About the author

Merran Spath is certified in dog behaviour training and the founder of The Dog Behaviour Academy, based in Grey Lynn, Auckland. She holds the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Management (Canine Behaviour and Training), is a member of APDTNZ and spent two years working and volunteering at the SPCA. She also works with the ADHB (Te Toka Tumai) to assess dogs working within their Pet Therapy Programmes.