Dogs can become overwhelmed in many everyday situations, at the vet, during training, around new people, or in unfamiliar environments. So it is important to be able to read and interpret body language and subtle signs.
When a dog is overwhelmed, you may see:
- Trying to escape, pull away
- Pulling on the lead (this can be from excitement, but also stress)
- Stress panting (this is different to panting when hot or overheated, but being over heated can also add stress)
- Dilated pupils
- Wide eyes/squinty eyes
- Avoiding eye contact (avoidance), head turns and/or leaning away
- Lip licking (and not just if they have had a tasty treat)
- Yawning – not because they are bored, but yawning can be a sign of tension/stress.
- Shaking off when released from being ‘held’
- Silly/frantic behaviour such as jumping up, not settling, on lead zoomies, not being able to follow cues they know such as sit
- ‘Out of the blue’ behaviours such as lunging or snapping at another person or dog
You may see some or all of these at different levels and in different combinations. While low/mild levels of stress are probably expected in these new environments, if you see moderate to high levels of stress it’s always best to advocate for your dog and where possible remove them from the stressful situation.