Stress signals in dogs...and why they are important!!
I was watching a video the other day of a service dog in training. He was heeling beautifully beside his handler in a department store, sitting on command, performing a long distance down stay, and just being a really good dog. The handler wrote a short bit about how proud she was for how well her puppy was doing with his public access training. However, my heart truly breaks for this dog.
What the handler failed to realize is how completely uncomfortable her dog was to be there. Despite him behaving near flawlessly, his body language was screaming heād rather be anywhere but where he was right then. Unfortunately many dog owners fail to notice subtle, yet key, signs of stress for their dog. Without knowing how to read subtle changes in body language, you can easily cause your dog to go from mildly nervous or uncomfortable, to a full on panic or rage in a matter of seconds. This is what happens when people say their dog ājust had a meltdown,ā or even snapped at someone, for āno reason.ā Ā Ignoring stress signals is incredibly dangerous for everyone involved.
When out training with your service dog (or your pet dog for that matter), it is important to get into the habit of carefully watching your dogās body language. It helps to write down in a training log exactly how your dog reacts to different stimuli. This way, you will be able to clearly see where your dog is solid, where your dog is not, where you are improving, and where you need more work.
Below are signs of minor stress signals for dogs.
When I say minor, this doesnāt mean you should continue what you are doing in hopes he will just āget over it.ā Ā What I DO mean is that these are the signals which are almost always overlookedā¦ when key stress signals are overlooked by the handler, it can lead to much greater problems.
Lip licking when no food is present
Yawning when he didnāt just wake up
Rapid sniffing of the air or ground
Stiff movement or tense muscles
Slowed movement or a laggy heel
Hyper vigilance (rapidly moving eyes trying to scan the environment)
Dog stops taking treats/food
Dog starts taking treats in a more hard/bitey manor
Hard eyes (fast/sharp blinking)
Panting when itās not hot out
Slightly roached (curved) back
Not responding to handlerās commands
Looking away from handler
Nibbling on treats but not actually eating them
Now here are some major stress signals for dogs.
If your dog is experiencing any of these, it is not only time to remove him from the situation ASAP, but to also rethink your training plan. Many of these signals will occur just shortly before a complete panic and/or bite.
Whale eye (dogās eyes go wide and you can see the white rim around them)
Pulling away from the handler
Not responding to the handlerās commands
Not responding to the handlerās voice
Low/tucked body position with a roached (curved) back
Heavy breathing when itās not hot out
Tense lips and incisors (front teeth) showing while licking at the air
Laying down on the ground with their chin down and not wanting to move
Your service dog depends on you JUST as much as you depend on him. As your dogās handler, you are 100% responsible for his mental and physical well-being at all times. No matter what situation you find yourself in, your dogās needs should always come first.
Pushing a nervous dog into a situation where he is uncomfortable is one of the absolute worst things you can do for your SDiT, and creates the potential for much greater behavioral issues further down the road. Thinking your dog can ājust get over itā is an extremely outdated training tactic. Just because your dog appears to stop fighting does NOT mean he is comfortable in that situationā¦ it simply means he has shut down. Ā Heās still anxious and afraid, but heās decided thereās no point in fighting anymore. This is one of the most dangerous situations your dog may find himself in. He appears ācalm,ā but a second later has the potential to lash out and bite.
I get it, we are all excited to start public access training! However, the goal for service dog training should always be to create a mentally sound and stable dog in all situations. Subjecting him to situations which cause him fear or panic is just NOT the way to do that.
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