Training
Reading your dog's body language during training
TL;DR
Your dog is telling you all the time whether training is working. A loose body, soft eyes, and quick responses mean it's ready to learn. Lip licking, yawning, turning away, sniffing the floor, or suddenly "forgetting" a behavior are often signs of stress or confusion — and a cue to make things easier or take a break. Stiffness, a hard stare, a tucked tail, or growling mean stop right away.
- Read the whole dog — ears, eyes, mouth, tail, posture — and the context, not one signal on its own.
- Mild stress signals (lip licks, yawns, looking away, shaking off) mean "make it easier".
- Overarousal (frantic jumping, mouthing, barking at you) means "calm it down" — slower pace, lower-value reward, or a break.
- Freezing, hard staring, growling, or showing teeth mean stop, give space, and get professional help.
A wagging tail doesn't always mean a happy dog, and a yawn doesn't always mean a tired one. Signals only make sense together and in context. A yawn after waking up is a yawn; a yawn every time you lean over your dog to ask for a down is more likely a sign that the posture makes it uneasy.
When you start paying attention, watch for clusters: several signals at once, or a change from how your dog looked a moment ago.