SIGNS OF
STRESS IN DOGS

How to use this list

No single sign proves a dog is stressed. A yawn can be tiredness. Panting can be heat. What you want is a cluster of signs, in context, that differs from your dog's usual self.

Researchers who study dog stress have documented many of these behaviors in dogs exposed to unpleasant situations, such as lip licking, paw lifting, and lowered posture. That gives the list a base. But research also finds a lot of overlap with non-stress causes, and individual dogs differ. So treat each sign as a clue.

Three rules help:

1. Look at the whole dog, not one part.
2. Compare to your dog's normal.
3. Ask what just happened and what is happening around them.

If a sign appears suddenly with no clear reason, see your vet. Pain and illness often look like stress.

Early, subtle signs

These often come first and are easy to miss.

• Lip licking or quick tongue flicks, when no food is around. See lip licking.
• Yawning when not tired. See yawning.
• Looking away, turning the head, or avoiding eye contact.
• Whale eye, where the whites of the eyes show. See whale eye.
• Sniffing the ground suddenly in the middle of an interaction.
• Scratching or shaking off when not wet or itchy.
• Ears pinned back or held low.
• A tight, closed mouth.
• Slower movement or a lowered body.

Why context changes everything

A dog panting at the end of a hot hike is fine. A dog panting on a cool vet room floor is not. The same signal has different meanings.

Here are common false alarms.

• Yawning after a nap is just waking up.
• Shaking off after rolling in grass is normal.
• Licking lips right before dinner is hunger.
• Scratching can be fleas, dry skin, or allergies. See your vet if it is constant.
• Sniffing can be curiosity.
• Lowered body can be a play bow, if the rest of the dog is wiggly.
• A tucked tail can be cold.

And here are signals that carry more weight when they show up together.

• Closed mouth plus stiff body plus whale eye.
• Yawning plus lip licking plus looking away.
• Panting plus pacing in a cool room.
• Refusing a favorite treat in a new place.

A good rule: if two or three signs show up at once, and the setting is tense, take it seriously. If you see one sign in a relaxed setting, keep watching.

Mid-level signs

When stress grows, signs get louder.

• Panting when not hot or active. Context matters. See panting.
• Pacing or inability to settle.
• Trembling or shaking.
• Drooling more than normal.
• Sweaty paw prints on hard floors.
• Lifting one paw.
• Tucked tail or tail held low.
• Refusing food, especially a favorite treat.
• Wide, round eyes with dilated pupils.
• Raised hackles, which show high arousal, not always aggression. See raised hackles.
• Whining or high pitched barking.

Your dog's baseline

The best tool you have is knowing your own dog. Spend a week learning what normal looks like.

• How do they hold their ears at rest?
• How often do they lick their lips on a calm day?
• How do they eat, sleep, and walk?
• What does their face look like when they are comfortable?
• What do they do when you have visitors?

Take a few photos and short videos of your dog when they are relaxed. These help later when you are trying to decide whether something is different.

Some breeds are harder to read. Flat faced dogs, dogs with cropped ears or docked tails, double coated dogs, and dogs with very dark faces hide some signals. Dogs with a history of punishment may hide signs on purpose. If you cannot read your dog well, a trainer can help you practice. Watching a dog in action beats any list.

Keep in mind that stress is not always bad. A little arousal comes with new and exciting things. What matters is whether your dog can recover and whether the amount of stress adds up. See trigger stacking.

Big signs

These mean your dog is at or near their limit.

• Freezing: going still and stiff. See why dogs freeze.
• Hiding, or trying to flee.
• Growling, snapping, lunging, or biting. See growling.
• Shutting down: a dog who goes flat and still. See why dogs shut down.
• Loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Destruction when alone.
• Vomiting or diarrhea. These can be signs of stress, but also of illness. Call your vet.

Signs that look like calm

Some dogs hide stress by staying still and quiet. Stillness, a closed mouth, and avoiding movement can mean a dog is coping, not comfortable. Check for tension in the body.

Where the list comes from

Many items on lists like this come from studies where researchers exposed dogs to unpleasant situations and counted behaviors, sometimes alongside cortisol or heart rate. Lip licking, paw lifting, lowered posture, and panting were more common in those settings. That is the evidence base.

What is weaker is the claim that each sign has one fixed meaning. Studies often show averages across groups, and individual dogs vary. We say a sign is a clue, not a verdict.

What to do when you see them

1. Pause. Stop what you are doing.
2. Add space. Move your dog away from the trigger, or the trigger away from them.
3. Lower the load. Quiet voice, slow movements, fewer people.
4. Let your dog recover. Water, a calm spot, a sniff.
5. Learn from it. What was the trigger? What came before?

Do not punish signs of stress. A dog who is scolded for lip licking or growling learns to hide the warning. The stress remains. Our post on stress in dogs before reactivity covers why early signs are the best moment to act.

If your dog shows stress signs often, the issue is probably bigger than one event. A private lesson is a good way to look at the whole picture. You can also try our free dog behavior quiz for a first read on what your dog may need.