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Behaviour

Displacement behaviour: when scratching means stress

Your dog yawns, scratches or suddenly sniffs the ground for no reason at all? That's often a hidden sign of stress.

Sound familiar? In the middle of training, your dog suddenly scratches. Or they yawn on a walk even though they're not tired. Experts call this displacement behaviour – your dog does something perfectly normal, but at an odd moment. Stress is often behind it.

What's behind it

Your dog shows this kind of behaviour when they're tense or don't know what to do. The tension has to go somewhere, so they scratch, yawn, shake themselves or sniff the ground. A bit like us humans scratching our head when we're nervous.

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