Yawning and lip licking may be an early sign of stress, particularly when accompanied by a tight mouth and often a whining sound. Teeth don't always mean aggression-it is important to consider the whole body and the context to understand what a dog is saying. He usually shows a lowered head, wagging tail, flattened ears, a soft body posture, and soft, squinty eyes along with those teeth. This is also a gesture where a dog shows his front teeth, but a smiling dog is doing just that. Some dogs display a "submissive grin" or "smile". This warning often comes with a tense forehead, hard eyes. The dog may also growl-all very clear warnings to anyone approaching. This is called an "offensive pucker." The muzzle is wrinkled and the corner of the mouth is short and forms a C-shape. Drooling when no food is present can also be a sign of extreme fear or stress.Ī dog displaying a physical warning may wrinkle the top of his muzzle, often next pulling his lips up vertically to display his front teeth. A panting dog who suddenly closes his mouth in response to something in the environment may also be indicating increased stress.
The corners of his mouth may be turned upward slightly.Ī fearful or tense dog will generally keep his mouth closed, and may pull his lips back at the corners (also known as a "long lip".) He may also be panting rapidly. MouthĪ relaxed dog will likely have his mouth open and may be panting, with no facial or mouth tension. When a dog is feeling tense, his eyes may appear rounder than normal, or they may show a lot of white around the outside (sometimes known as a "whale eye".)ĭilated pupils can also be a sign of fear or arousal-these can make the eyes look "glassy," indicating that a dog is feeling threatened, stressed or frightened.Ī relaxed dog will often squint, so that his eyes become almond-shaped with no white showing at all. When looking at dog's eyes, pay attention to the white part of the eye (the sclera), and consider the focus and intensity of the dog's gaze. Staff and volunteers can use this information to interpret what an animal is feeling. These tips focus on seven important aspects of a dog’s body: eyes, ears, mouth, tail, sweat and overall body posture/movement. Dogs communicate with one another and with us using their own elegant, non-verbal language.
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