Dog Body Language Guide: What to Look for During Intake, Daily Rounds, and Playgroups
In the home or in the shelter, one thing is certain: being able to read dog body language is a valuable skill. At home, understanding your dog’s cues can help to instill trust, avoid problem behaviors, and forge deep bonds. In an animal shelter, learning to read dog body language has far-reaching impacts, affecting everything from playgroup success and pathway decisions to overall safety.
In 2024, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered U.S. animal shelters and rescues. On a daily basis, shelter staff work closely with dogs who have varying histories, personalities, and unique needs–there’s no need to add a language barrier. Let’s talk about some of the basics of dog body language and how to translate them into the shelter environment.
Dog Body Language: What, Like It’s Hard?
Humans tend to think of dogs as open books, especially when compared to cats. They show affection readily, happily accept human attention, and are generally easy to read… right?
While dogs might be less subtle than cats, they have a unique language that is distinct from that of humans. Lots of cues slip past the untrained eye, and that can lead to misunderstandings, discomfort, and unintended displays of aggression, especially in a shelter environment.
Studies have found that dogs pay far more attention to our physical gestures than they do to our audible cues.
Dogs vs. Humans
Dogs come from the canid taxonomic family. Humans, on the other hand, are hominids, closely related to chimpanzees and orangutans. For us primates, it’s polite to greet others with direct approaches, to make eye contact, to wrap our limbs around each other in hugs, or to reach our hands straight out for a handshake.
For dogs, however, such direct approaches are considered impolite, or even threatening. They prefer more indirect approaches, avoiding eye contact and approaching in circular motions, and we often trample all over their etiquette without meaning to. Learning how to read dogs’ cues–and how to follow the rules of polite interaction–can have big impacts when it comes to assessing behavior during intake and daily rounds, facilitating successful playgroups, and building bonds between staff and residents.
The Ladder of Aggression
In an animal shelter, safety is at the top of the priority list. To keep residents, staff, and visitors safe, it’s important to be able to identify signs of aggression–and intervene before it reaches its boiling point. The ladder of aggression illustrates the progressive escalation of body language cues, and it’s a helpful tool for quick assessments and split-second decisions.
Ground Level: Neutral Dog Body Language
On the ladder of aggression, this would be the equivalent of standing with both feet (or all four paws) planted on the ground. Dogs on the ground level of the ladder of aggression feel safe, secure, and relaxed. At this stage, it’s more about what you don’t notice than what you do. Instead of stiff, tense movements and hard stares, relaxed dogs will be soft, wiggly, and have neutral cues, including:
Step 1: Aroused Dog Body Language
Now, let’s take one step up onto our ladder. In this position, we’re not in danger of falling, but we’re becoming less stable. Arousal is neither positive or negative, but it isn’t the same as being on solid ground.
This transitional step typically occurs when something of interest catches a dog’s attention. Anything from a treat or toy to a potential threat can cause a dog to become aroused, and that arousal can turn to anxiety, fear, aggression, or even excitement quickly. At this stage, it’s important to distinguish between happy excitement and growing frustration or fear, and intervene where necessary. Here are some cues that a dog is becoming aroused:
Step 2: Anxious & Fearful Dog Body Language
Once we’ve reached the second rung on our ladder of aggression, things might start to feel shakier. We’re further off the ground, and falling poses more risks. At this stage, it’s best to proceed with caution.
When faced with a fearful or anxious dog, you’ll start to see increased calming signals and appeasement behaviors. These behaviors are a dog’s attempt to diffuse a threat or avoid a fight, and they might be paired with displacement behaviors, like sniffing or nibbling. Think of these like the dog equivalent of fidgeting or biting your nails when you’re nervous.
The number and intensity of calming signals can give you some insight into the level of a dog’s fear or anxiety, and de-escalation is often necessary to prevent progression to the next rung. Calming signals to look for include:
Step 3: Aggressive Dog Body Language
The highest rung on the ladder of aggression, this is the position with the most risk. Here, we’re high up off the ground, on unstable footing, and falling poses the biggest risk.
Aggressive dogs are not bad dogs. Most of the aggressive displays you’ll see in the shelter have agonistic motivations, meaning they’re done to create space. Triggered by real or perceived threats to safety or possessions, a dog will snap or lunge to get the threat to retreat. Often, aggressive displays are merely a warning, resulting from fear signals that are ignored. Nevertheless, it’s important to respond with swift intervention in the face of aggressive displays, including:
Rescue Dog Body Language: In Practice
The shelter is a unique environment, filled with a wide range of personalities, stressors, and unfamiliar people. Dogs housed in shelters are faced with constant change, foreign sounds and smells, and overwhelming uncertainty.
With that in mind, reading and responding to rescue dog body language is a complex task. Shelter staff must juggle the needs of multiple dogs at once, account for the unique stressors of the shelter environment, and make placement decisions that affect resident welfare and outcomes. Let’s go talk about how to be intentional about dog body language in an animal shelter.
Dog Body Language During Intake
Intake is one of the most stressful times a dog will have in the shelter. They’re suddenly in a new environment, surrounded by unfamiliar people, and are subject to examinations and evaluations. Now more than ever, it’s important to consider context and to slow down for an intentional introduction. When approaching a new dog during intake, consider the advice of Patricia McConnell, canine and feline training and behavior expert:
“The next time you see a dog you’d like to greet, stop a few feet away, stand sideways rather than straight on, and avoid looking directly into her eyes. Wait for the dog to come all the way to you… If the dog approaches you with a relaxed rather than a stiff body, let the dog sniff your hand, careful to hold your hand low, under rather than over her head. Always pet unfamiliar dogs on the chest or under their chin. Don’t reach over their heads to pet them.”
- Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D, The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
Sometimes, the volume of intakes can feel overwhelming. It can be easy to get caught up in speed and efficiency, and not all of McConnell’s advice can be followed to a tee. But, wherever possible, try to slow down, be intentional, and meet new dogs where they’re at.
Piloerection (AKA “raised hackles”) is usually associated with aggression, but that’s not always the case. Piloerection can be caused by good or bad stimulus, and other bodily cues can be used to clarify its meaning.
Dog Body Language During Daily Rounds
Daily rounds are another place to put body language insights into practice, especially when it comes to recognizing signs of stress, fear, and discomfort. By catching the behavioral signs early, you’ll have the opportunity to implement proper interventions before chronic issues arise. Here are some best practices to follow during daily rounds:
Look out for chronic stress and fear: Behaviors like freezing, lack of engagement, and excessive barking, pacing, and panting are all signs that intervention is needed.
Adjust handling approach: Just like during intake, it’s important to use your approaches to promote safety and comfortability. Prioritize side-on approaches, slow movements, and soft eye contact.
Prioritize consistency: Inconsistency amongst staff can cause confusion, stress, and even fear. We often confuse dogs by sending mixed visual signals and inconsistent commands, so ensure that all staff are on the same page about communication standards with resident dogs.
Dog Body Language During Playgroups
Playgroups are a valuable tool for providing enrichment and socialization to rescue dogs. That said, with a variety of dogs gathered in one place, it’s more important than ever to be able to spot signs of discomfort and rising tensions. Here are some ways to ensure that playgroups stay safe, enriching, and fun:
Pay attention to subtle social signals: Utilize the ladder of aggression to monitor for signs of discomfort, anxiety, or fear that could lead to dog fights.
Enforce polite play: Be sure that all dogs are following the rules of polite play, like taking turns when chasing or pouncing. If you notice that one dog is constantly chasing or pinning others without reciprocity, it’s a good sign that intervention might be needed.
Keep your reactions in check: Sometimes, we humans cause tension without meaning to. We get nervous about how dogs will get along, and they feed off of our anxieties. The next time you notice yourself getting tense, try to relax the muscles in your face, smile with your eyes, breathe slowly, and turn away instead of leaning into the tension.
By being intentional about the way we talk to dogs, we form deeper connections built on trust and clear communication.
Using Dog Body Language in Your Shelter
In the wide world of dog body language, this just scrapes the surface. There’s so much to learn about how we can better adapt to the behavioral needs of our furry best friends. Staff trainings, webinars, and articles are a good place to start, but sometimes you might need an extra push.
Shelter Behavior Integrations (SBI) offers hands-on, tailored support to shelters who are struggling to center animal behavior in their shelter operations. Laurie Lawless has spent years learning all there is to know about animal behavior, shelter best practices, and effective interventions so that she can help revolutionize the animal sheltering industry. Check out the SBI website to learn more about Laurie, access her online resources, and check out her services today.
