Seeing Signs of Stress in your dog was the subject of our June 10th Meeting
We were so fortunate to have two local, and very well respected dog trainers, Karen Ehler and Kim Gaffey come to our meeting to talk about recognizing stress signs in our dogs. Dogs can be stressed by many things, including visits to the dog park, meeting new people or new dogs so it is so important to be aware of the signs are dogs are showing us!
Areas to watch on your dog (and other dogs) are the eyes, mouth, ears, tails, hair, body posture and body movement. For instance a relaxed dog will likely have its mouth open and may be panting but with no facial or mouth tension whereas a fearful or tense dog will generally keep it's mouth closed and may be panting rapidly. Drooling when no food is present can also be a sign of extreme fear or stress. Yawning or lip licking may also be an early sign of stress, particularly when accompanied by a tight mouth and often a whining sound. Watch a dogs ears too - when a dog is relaxed its ears may be slightly back or out to the sides. As a dog becomes more aroused, the ears will move forward, pointing toward a subject of interest. When they are flat against their heads it is a signed they are stressed or afraid. also be aware of the position of a dogs tail as a fearful dog will tuck its tail between its rear legs or be held rigid against the belly or wag stiffly.
Karen and Kim brought a handout - if you didn't get one - electronic copy is attached below.
Areas to watch on your dog (and other dogs) are the eyes, mouth, ears, tails, hair, body posture and body movement. For instance a relaxed dog will likely have its mouth open and may be panting but with no facial or mouth tension whereas a fearful or tense dog will generally keep it's mouth closed and may be panting rapidly. Drooling when no food is present can also be a sign of extreme fear or stress. Yawning or lip licking may also be an early sign of stress, particularly when accompanied by a tight mouth and often a whining sound. Watch a dogs ears too - when a dog is relaxed its ears may be slightly back or out to the sides. As a dog becomes more aroused, the ears will move forward, pointing toward a subject of interest. When they are flat against their heads it is a signed they are stressed or afraid. also be aware of the position of a dogs tail as a fearful dog will tuck its tail between its rear legs or be held rigid against the belly or wag stiffly.
Karen and Kim brought a handout - if you didn't get one - electronic copy is attached below.
6-10-23_handout.pdf | |
File Size: | 7522 kb |
File Type: |