We hear it every day, “My dog is unpredictable”; “If I could only tell when he’s going to bite”; and “It happened out of the blue.” Dog bites never happen out of the blue, but people frequently can’t tell when their dog is telling them he or she is uncomfortable. And you know us, we aim to please.

So, we hired Stephanie Murray of  L’il Dog Arts and Press (Web and Facebook here) to help us make a body language poster that shows the clear but subtle signs a dog is uncomfortable. Remember, behavior doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Sometimes a yawn is a tired dog. Sometimes a dog shakes off because he’s wet. But when you see these signs in response to a stimulus (like a child approaching), you should know what to do. Consult a certified professional trainer or behaviorist to help you determine the safest way to manage your dog and help its discomfort through training. (Hint: we know some good trainers).

Please feel free to share, print, copy, and distribute this art, attributing authorship and copyright where it’s due!

APD – Know the signs (PDF)