Every dog communicates. The challenge is that they don’t use words.
Many people assume dog bites happen without warning, but in reality, dogs often show signs that they’re feeling uncomfortable, anxious, fearful, or overwhelmed long before a bite occurs. Learning to recognize these signals can help prevent stressful situations and create safer interactions for both people and Pets.
Dogs Are Always Communicating
When a dog is uncomfortable, they will often try to communicate that feeling in subtle ways before escalating to a growl or bite. These signs can be easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for.
Some common stress signals include:
- Yawning when not tired
- Lip licking when food isn’t present
- Turning their head away
- Avoiding eye contact
- Tucking their tail
- Freezing or becoming very still
- Showing the whites of their eyes (“whale eye”)
- Moving away from a person or situation
These behaviors are your dog’s way of asking for space or telling you they’re not feeling comfortable.
Teaching Children Safe Interactions
Children and dogs can form incredible bonds, but it’s important to teach kids how to interact safely with Pets.
Some helpful guidelines include:
- Always ask before approaching a dog
- Avoid hugging dogs tightly
- Never disturb a dog while they’re eating, sleeping, or resting
- Allow dogs to approach first
- Respect a dog’s boundaries if they move away
Helping children understand and respect canine body language can go a long way toward preventing misunderstandings.
Why Socialization and Training Matter
Positive training and socialization can help dogs build confidence and learn how to navigate new situations more comfortably.
Training isn’t just about teaching cues like sit, stay, or come. It’s also about helping dogs develop healthy coping skills, building trust, and strengthening the bond between Pets and their families.
As Emily, Lead Dog Trainer at Hannah Pet Hospital’s Portland location, explains, “I love helping Members understand how their Pets think and learn. When Pet Parents and their dogs have a shared foundation of communication and understanding, it strengthens their bond and helps everyone feel more confident.”
Emily is especially passionate about helping insecure, fearful, and reactive dogs. “Watching a dog’s confidence and independence grow is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” she says.
When Pet Parents understand what their dog is communicating and dogs feel safe expressing themselves, everyone benefits.
When to Seek Help
If your dog frequently shows signs of fear, anxiety, reactivity, or discomfort around people, other animals, or certain situations, it’s important to seek guidance before those behaviors escalate.
Behavior challenges don’t mean you’ve failed as a Pet Parent, and they don’t mean your dog is “bad.” Often, they’re signs that your dog needs additional support, training, or confidence-building.
How Hannah Can Help
At Hannah, we believe behavior is an important part of a Pet’s overall health and well-being. That’s why training and behavior support are included as part of Membership.
For Emily, that philosophy is personal. Earlier in life, her own dog experienced behavioral changes that were later linked to an underlying medical condition. That experience reinforced something we see every day: behavior and health are often closely connected.
Just like regular exams, preventive care, and wellness services support a Pet’s physical health, training and behavior services help support their emotional well-being, confidence, and ability to navigate the world around them. We believe caring for the whole Pet means addressing both their physical and behavioral needs.
By working closely together, our training and medical Teams can help address both the physical and behavioral needs of our patients, creating meaningful, life-changing improvements for Pets and their families.
Whether you’re raising a new puppy, working through behavioral concerns, or simply want to better understand your dog’s unique communication style, our Team is here to help. By addressing behavior proactively, we can help strengthen the bond between Pets and Pet Parents while creating safer, more positive experiences for everyone involved.