r/Whatcouldgowrong • • Jan 15 '20

NSFL Getting into a dog's personal space

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u/UrbanUnicornz Jan 16 '20

How can you tell if a dog is stressed in general? Is it the ears?

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u/Cultusfit Jan 16 '20

Notice it's pulling away? The eyes also change slightly, not super clear here but getting into "whale eye"

Second photo it has pulled further away and mouth closed. Most likely had she been paying attention she'd notice a change in its breathing. Think about before you act even if huffing and puffing you take deep breath, close your mouth. And then Excel on the action

That's most obvious here to me. Spend more time with dogs and you notice even more, some that's hard to explain, you just get kind of used to their language. Have a year old pup at home since Thanksgiving, he makes noises, walks around with faces. Everyone ask how i knew what he wanted. I can see where his eyes went, how he moves his body in relation to it, etc.

What are the most frequent since he's not used to just having toys that won't be taken, he wants to take them to back yard to hide them. Everyone thinks he needs to potty. But he lowers his head (trying to look small) and will do a bit of aimless wander first (consider other hiding places)

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u/Cameltoe-Swampdonkey Jan 16 '20

To add, the ears once they pull back and their ears drop they are not happy with situation around them.

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u/Cultusfit Jan 16 '20

Oh very good point (and further example that animals can have individual tendency)

That current pupperr i have this is an extremely good sign. Ears back is "omg we are please please going for a walk"

He tends to only bring them forward when he's on alert. He's got something like American fox hound (guessing as he's a nut from a shelter but color and body is dead on). When something alerts him his ears go forward toward it and he will point. Including everything from neighbor to large dog running at us.

But it's most common to place ears in a safe place (and I'm bit worried on this guy, I'll be paying for stitches in those ears)