One stressed dog may pace from room to room. Another pants even though the house is cool. A third begins drooling, turns their face away, or goes unexpectedly quiet.…
Your dog comes in from the rain, shakes his head twice, and carries on. Later, someone briefly handles his ears, he pulls away, gives one quick shake, and walks off.…
One second, your dog is moving normally toward a visitor. The person bends down, reaches toward his head, and the movement stops. His feet stay planted. His mouth closes.…
What exactly is your dog worried about when another dog appears? Is it the approach itself? How close the other dog gets? The speed of the greeting? A history of rough encounters?…
Your dog is asleep beside you on the couch, stretched out and completely relaxed. You reach over and place a hand gently on his back. He jumps. His head whips around, his body tightens, and for a second he looks genuinely alarmed.…
An unfamiliar person bends down to say hello, and your dog makes one quick decision. Instead of moving toward the outstretched hand, he steps backward, slips behind your legs, and peers around you from the other side.…
Humans put a lot of meaning into eye contact. We use it to show attention, interest, confidence, and sometimes honesty. So when a dog looks away, it can feel significant before we’ve even looked at the rest of her body.…
The house has been quiet for hours, and your dog has plenty of better-looking places to sleep: the couch, your bed, the warm patch of afternoon sun by the window.…
A person walks toward your dog on the sidewalk. Nothing dramatic happens: no shouting, grabbing, or sudden noise. Even so, your dog slows down, shifts closer to you, and watches.…
You’ve spent most of the day in bed with a fever, which is already unusual enough to get your dog’s attention. He’s abandoned his normal spot by the window and settled beside you instead.…