Stress signals

Stress signals are physical and behavioural signs that a dog is finding a situation difficult to cope with. They range from subtle signs, such as a lowered tail or a tucked body posture, through to more obvious signs like excessive panting, trembling, or trying to escape a situation entirely.

Some stress signals overlap with calming signals and displacement behaviour, since all three can appear when a dog is uncomfortable. Stress signals as a category tend to cover the fuller range, from mild discomfort through to significant distress.

Recognising stress signals early allows a handler to change course before a dog becomes seriously distressed. Mild signals, such as a slightly lowered body or repeated lip licking, are a signal to slow down or create more distance from whatever is causing discomfort.

If stress signals are ignored and build further, a dog may escalate to growling, snapping, or trying to flee, which are attempts to communicate the same underlying discomfort, just more forcefully.

Punishing a dog for showing early stress signals, such as growling, removes one of the clearest warnings a dog can give before a bite. It's generally safer and more effective to address the underlying cause of the stress rather than suppressing the warning signal itself.