For your dog, moving into your household can be a stressful experience. As we have mentioned in previous chapters, it takes time (even several months) for your new pooch to settle in and become a member of the family.
Put yourself in their shoes and imagine being permanently moved into an alien environment with complete strangers - flipping a dog's life upside down can be overwhelming. For some dogs, it's happened twice in a short space of time - arriving in our care and then moving into yours..
Just like people, dogs can easily become stressed when they're placed in new or frightening situations. It is important to recognise when your dog is stressed so that you can help them calm down, and create a relaxed environment for your pup.
How can I tell if my dog is stressed?
Unfortunately, dogs don't have verbal language like us which would make understanding what they're saying easier! But they are great at playing charades and will share their feelings through body language. You would be amazed at how nuanced a dog's body language actually is.
Knowing how to understand your dog's body language, and then knowing how to respond accordingly, is a great way to manage their stress levels. Most of us are great at recognising the more obvious signs of distress and fear (baring their teeth or growling).
But there is so much more to body language than that - and if we can notice the subtler, early warning signs first your dog won't feel the need to escalate their communication to something more obvious like growling.
Some signs of stress can be confusing or easily misinterpreted - did you know that dogs will often lick their lips as an appeasement gesture, pant when they are very stressed, or sniff the ground to help themselves de-stress?
Common signs of stress include:
- Panting when they are not hot or thirsty
- Closing their mouth completely (most relaxed dogs will have a slightly relaxed jaw where their mouth is slightly open)
- Yawning when they are not tired
- Licking their lips
- Blinking frequently
- Moving in slow motion
- Trying to move, turn, or shrink away - cowering or shifting their weight away from you
- A tense body
- Ducking their head when you try to pat them
- Showing the whites of their eyes (also known as 'whale eye')
- Having their ears back and/ or their tail held lower than usual
You can find more examples of a dog's body language in the image above.
If you notice your dog exhibiting behaviour that indicates they are stressed or anxious, it is important you provide them the extra space they are asking for.
That means, you remove them from the situation that is scaring them, or change the situation (e.g. ask a person to stop approaching) so they can feel safer.
It can be valuable to chat with a qualified Force-Free trainer to help you identify the causes of their stress and to find practical solutions for helping them cope.
What is the cause of my dog's stress?
Dogs can become stressed for many different reasons. If you have recently adopted a dog from a shelter, keep in mind that stress from that environment may take a while to leave their system - and big changes such as moving to a new home are expected to cause them some anxiety.
