When it comes to dog behaviour, every pooch is different. Yes, certain breed groups will demonstrate similarities and traits, but it is important to understand what your dog is trying to say and how they are communicating these messages.
As dog groomers, it’s our duty as animal professionals to take care of your dog, ensuring they are free from fear and distress by understanding their behaviours, being vigilant and reactive when it comes to your dog communicating with us.
But how do we know what to look out for and what signals could your dog present to us?
Here, we discuss calming signals, what they are, what to look out for and how use them to best understand your dog’s behaviour when they are in our care.
Canine fear
The onset of canine fear, anxiety and worry is not as obvious as you might first think.
By the time your dog is displaying clear fear symptoms, such a shaking, growling, or trying to get away, they have already worked through a whole host of less obvious signs of unease…these are known as calming signals.
Calming signals
Signs of anxiety in well-balanced dogs often start out at a very low level. While these signs can be recognised by other dogs and experienced humans and animal professionals, they can often be overlooked and missed by the remainder of people.
Calming signals are low level forms of anxiety and are a natural act that the dog will use to make them feel more secure.
These signals are also a behaviour that the dog communicates to other dogs and humans in the environment to say they are feeling anxious or that they would like to avoid confrontation.
What to look out for: Mild calming signals
There are several common mild calming signals/signs of unease to look out for, which are:
• Excessive/big yawning
• A big nose lick
• Licking lips
• Glancing/looking away
• Staring into the distance
• A slight paw lift
Each of these are signs that your dog is not happy and our handling of them throughout grooming will take these into account and be adjusted accordingly to best suit how your pooch is feeling.
Obvious signs of anxiety
When a dog’s behaviour changes and they begin to show more obvious signs of anxiety, the following acts may occur:
• A half-moon eye: The eye whites show when a dog is unhappy, and this is the shape of a half moon.
• A direct stare: This could be the dog issuing a warning or asking the groomer, owner or handler to stop.
• Heavy panting
• Growling
• Struggling to leave a situation
• Becoming quiet and unresponsive: This is also known as ‘mental shutdown’
• Whining
• Freezing: This presents itself as the dog’s body tensing up and can also be a sign of the dog getting ready to bite.
Looking out for the signs
It is crucial that dog professionals and owners alike stay vigilant and keep a close eye out for any signs of anxiety, whether common or more obvious.
By picking up on the less obvious calming signals that your dog is trying to communicate to you, you’ll have the ability to react early, alter the situation and prevent your dog from becoming more distressed and having to resort to more obvious signs of anxiety.
Find out more
If you would like to find out more about calming signals or what behaviors you should look out for in your four-legged friend, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our passionate team of grooming experts are on hand to give you any advice you need.
