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Behaviour

Calming signals: your dog's quiet messages

Licking their nose, turning their head away, yawning: with quiet signals like these, your dog tells you something is getting too much. Here's how to spot them.

Dogs avoid conflict wherever they can. To do that, they use subtle, quiet signals to calm themselves and whoever they are facing. Experts call these calming signals — your dog's polite way of saying, 'This is getting a bit much for me.' If you know these signals, you'll notice early when your dog feels uncomfortable and can react before the situation tips over.

What the signals look like

Common ones are: licking their nose, turning their head or gaze away, yawning, moving noticeably slowly, sniffing the ground or approaching something in a curve instead of head-on. On their own and briefly, these are all perfectly normal. But if the signals start piling up, your dog is tense.

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This article is no substitute for veterinary advice. Source: DOGSY editorial team.