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Tail-Tell-Signs! What do we see in this clip?
The setting is at a veterinarian’s office. The dog belongs to the videographer. The whining and barking you hear in the video is not coming from this dog, but to a nearby dog who is crated. The woman petting the dog is unfamiliar to the dog. What do you see? Let’s do observations first, then I’ll post a follow-up with some interpretations.
0:24
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19 Replies
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My observations are; initial jump up and move away while tail is tucked way under body, leans into woman’s arm, ears way back, lowers front end, paw lift when mug is lowered to her, leans away/back from woman, appears to be a lip lick or open mouth at 8 seconds, constant movement in circling, pacing-like motion away-then returning, looks at owner, body appears to remain curved but low (either head, rear or both)
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Great reporting @jenz – that is just the sort of listing observations that can be so helpful in deciphering what a dog is trying to communicate!
I was most struck by the nearly constant motion and how tense and tucked the dog’s whole body seemed.
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Nice work, @jenz ! You and @jenwalker both noticed how this dog never stops moving ????… and I really appreciate how you noticed the variety of signals, some of which seem to be conflicting… she is approaching, yet circling/moving away. She offering a lot of what we would call “appeasement” behavior and she is constantly checking in with the owner. Here’s a bit of what @david has to say about conflicting behaviors.
???? Watch this short clip and then join the conversation – what else are we seeing that could indicate this dog has conflicting emotions?
0:26
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I see a combination of fear with tail tucked, ears back and lower crouched body. The dog is whining. I also see the dog seeking comfort and support and return to owner, brief eye contact with owner and pacing behavior. The dog may be asking “What is going to happen to me here?” I am uncomfortable!”
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Without knowing anything else about the dog, I would guess the dog is fearful and nervous, likely due to the whining and anxiety (real or perceived) exhibited by the crated dog, and is seeking comfort by going back and forth between the vet staff and the owner. The combination of the tucked tail and the continuous approaches make me think the subject dog is possibly looking to flee but doesn’t have a way out.
The scents of the vet’s office could also be contributing to the anxiety levels of both dogs. I think there are some places like vet offices, shelters, pounds, kennels, etc. that can overload some dogs with unfamiliar and/or unpleasant scents that cause a fear/anxiety reaction.
The constant movement may be the dog trying to find some physical security by going back and forth between the owner and the other human who is offering attention (protection).
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Thank you @chris for pointing out the environmental stressors that can add in decoding this dog’s body language and motions into what they are likely feeling. Having context as an added layer can help clarify what is a dog is trying to communicate.
I was so relieved the stranger took a knee and think that the dog might have been too. What do think the person’s actions and body language are adding to the picture?
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Hi Jen,
I think the vet staff is a good dog reader. Dropping her stance and letting the dog approach were good dog manners. She also slightly turned from the dog so it could approach her from the side. I think that allowed the dog to engage with less stress or fear. She also gently used her hand on the dog’s back to discourage jumping as she was lowering her body, and then she lowered her hand with the cup in it and let the dog investigate that. Her body language was welcoming and non-threatening and I think the dog responded well despite being under some obvious stress.
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Spot on @chris – both in what you are seeing and what the vet tech chose to do. She really seems to have deep understanding of canine body language as well as how her own body language will be read by the dogs she is working with. I wonder if she works at a Fear Free practice?
I would certainly welcome such a professional into any veterinary experience my sensitive dogs were to have!
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@chris I love that you are focused on what the human was doing right. These are all great tips for us as we interact with insecure dogs:
Her body language was welcoming and non-threatening and I think the dog responded well despite being under some obvious stress. – Christopher Rohland
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Sorry, didn’t mean to post 2 replies to the same item. My first didn’t show up so I thought I have lost it.
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No worries @chris – I would much rather see your thoughts posted here twice than not see them at all!
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I think the person kneeling was good dog husbandry and gave the dog an invitation to approach. She also positioned herself to let the dog approach at an angle, and also dropped her arm with the cup to let the dog investigate that too. I think everything about her body language was non-threatening to the pup.
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I agree with what everyone is observing. Even through the dog is very stressed, it is encouraging that the dog is re-engaging with the person.
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✅Ya’ll are spot -on! Nice work.
Here’s a short clip of what David had to say about this situation. Many of you have already answered the questions he’s asking in this video, but I just wanted you to see that you are on the right track. With experience, these types of questions (and answers) become really automatic. ????
Tomorrow I’ll post my input as well.
0:58
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The takeaway for me is look, think, assess, repeat.
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So many times we don’t take the time to THINK – love this takeaway, @chris
look, think, assess, repeat – Chris Rohland
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First, I really like @chris ‘s take away choice of words, too!
Additionally, to parallel with what Chris said is, to really observe the body language and point out the dogs’ individual pieces of communication.
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@chris – I think your brilliantly succinct works can be applied to both the dog and the person’s actions! It reminded me of a catch-phrase for shelter volunteers, asking them to “use their OAARS” (Observe > Analyze > Act > Reflect) to steer their interactions with shelter dogs.
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