13/10/2026
We've had a bit of practice, we've introduced 55+ dogs to each other, and these are some of the subtle body language signals we watch out for, before deciding whether dogs are comfortable together. 🐾
👀 The side eye
❌ Showing the whites of their eyes while turning their head away — can signal anxiety or discomfort
✅ Soft eyes and relaxed glances
🐕 Tail position
❌ High, rigid tail with tight, rapid wags — can signal tension or heightened arousal
✅ Loose, flowing tail movements
🐾 Stiff legs
❌ Straight, rigid legs, weight shifted forwards and a tense body — often a sign of heightened alertness
✅ Loose, curved body movements
↩️ Turning away
❌ Another dog ignoring attempts to disengage and repeatedly pushing for interaction
✅ Turning the head or body away to calmly disengage — often polite dog communication!
👅 Lip licking and yawning
❌ Repeated lip licking or yawning when approached — can indicate stress or uncertainty
✅ Relaxed expressions during comfortable interactions
🐕 Sniffing the ground
❌ Suddenly sniffing the ground during a tense interaction — sometimes a displacement behaviour used to manage stress
✅ Relaxed sniffing and exploring together
🐶 Raised hackles
❌ Raised hackles alongside freezing, stiffness or intense staring — time to create space
✅ Relaxed body, even if the hackles briefly rise with excitement
And the biggest thing we look for?
Whether BOTH dogs are comfortable, respecting each other's signals and choosing to interact.
A dog doesn't need to play with another dog to enjoy their company. Sometimes simply walking calmly alongside each other is the best result!
Remember, no single signal tells us everything. We always look at the whole dog, the situation and how the other dog responds. 🐾
