What is calming signals?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Calming signals, also called appeasement or displacement behaviours, are small body-language cues such as lip or nose licking, yawning, turning the head away, blinking, sniffing the ground or lifting a paw. Dogs often show them when they feel uneasy or in conflict. Noticing them lets you give a dog space before fear escalates to growling or snapping.
Also called appeasement signals, displacement behaviours, dog stress signals, dog body language, lip licking and yawning.
Key facts
- Yawning and lip licking are among the displacement behaviours dogs show when acutely afraid, with a lowered body and raised hackles. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Dogs trained with aversive methods showed more stress behaviours such as lip licking, yawning, tense body, lowered posture and panting. PLOS ONE (2020)study
- AVSAB lists tense body, low posture, lip licking, tail lowering, lifting a front leg, panting, yawning and yelping as stress signs seen in aversive training. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
- Looking away and sniffing the ground were more frequent in frustrating situations, while blinking and nose licking increased when a person was watching, suggesting they carry a message. Scientific Reports (2022)study
What do calming signals mean?
They are a dog's polite way of saying it is uncomfortable, unsure or wants things to slow down. They are context-dependent: a yawn after waking means nothing, a yawn while being hugged by a child means a lot.
The idea, popularised by dog trainers, is that dogs use these small gestures to avoid conflict and to calm themselves or others. Research supports part of it. Veterinary behaviour texts list yawning and lip licking among signs of fear and stress, and studies of training methods use them as stress markers. A 2022 study found that some cues, such as looking away and sniffing the ground, rose in frustrating situations, while others, such as blinking and nose licking, rose when a person was present, which suggests they are meant to be seen. Whether they always calm the other party is still debated.
For an owner or host the practical message is simple: these signals are an early warning. A dog that turns its head, licks its lips or freezes is asking for space. If people ignore that, the dog may move on to stiffening, growling, lifting a lip or snapping.
Which calming signals should you watch for?
- Lip or nose licking
- A quick flick of the tongue, with no food around. A common sign of unease. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Yawning
- Out of context, for example at the vet, in a crowded lift or while being handled. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Looking or turning away
- Turning the head or whole body away from a person or dog. Scientific Reports (2022)study
- Sniffing the ground
- Sudden interest in the floor when something is tense nearby. Scientific Reports (2022)study
- Lifting a front paw
- Often seen with a lowered body during stressful handling or training. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
- Lowered body and tail
- A tense, crouched posture with the tail held low or tucked. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
- Whale eye
- The whites of the eyes showing as the dog keeps its head still but watches you. Dogs Trust
What should you do when a dog shows calming signals?
If A dog licks its lips, yawns or turns away while being petted or hugged
Stop and give it space. Let the dog come back to you if it wants more contact. Dogs Trust
If A dog shows these signs on a walk as another dog or person approaches
Increase distance calmly before it escalates, and reward the dog for looking at you instead. Merck Veterinary Manual
If Signals go on to freezing, stiffening, a hard stare or a growl
Back off, do not punish the warning, and get help from a reward-based professional. Dogs Trust
If A dog shows constant stress signs during training
Change the method: aversive tools and corrections raise stress. Use reward-based training. PLOS ONE (2020)study
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Why does my dog lick its lips when I hug it?
- Lip licking with no food around is often a sign of unease. Many dogs tolerate hugs rather than enjoy them, and a lip lick, a look away or a yawn during a hug is a polite request to stop. Try stroking the chest or side instead, and let the dog choose how close to be.
Does yawning always mean a dog is stressed?
- No. Dogs yawn when tired or waking too. Read the context: yawning at the vet, in a crowded place, or while being handled or trained, together with lip licking, a lowered body or looking away, is more likely to signal stress. Give the dog space or a break.
Are calming signals proven by science?
- Partly. Behaviour specialists recognise yawning, lip licking and looking away as signs of stress and conflict, and studies use them to measure stress in training. Research suggests some are communicative, but whether they always calm another dog is still being studied. Either way, they are worth noticing.
Should children learn calming signals?
- Yes. Children are bitten more often partly because they miss early warnings. Teach them that a dog that turns away, licks its lips, shows the whites of its eyes or walks off wants to be left alone, and always supervise children with dogs.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in behaviour
- Cat scratchingCat scratching is the normal habit of dragging the claws down a surface. Cats scratch to keep their claws healthy, stretch the legs and spine, and leave scent and visible marks from glands in their paws. It should not be stopped, but it can be moved from the sofa to a well-placed, sturdy scratching post with patience and rewards.
- Destructive chewingDestructive chewing is when a dog chews things it should not, such as shoes, furniture, door frames, wires or cushions. Chewing itself is normal: puppies chew to ease teething and all dogs chew to explore. It becomes a problem through boredom, too little exercise, hunger, frustration or separation anxiety, and is fixed by redirection, not punishment.
- KneadingKneading, often called making biscuits, is when a cat rhythmically pushes its front paws into a soft surface such as a blanket, cushion or a person's lap, often purring. It starts in kittenhood, when kittens knead their mother to keep milk flowing, and many adult cats keep the habit when relaxed. It is normal and needs no treatment.
- Litter box aversionLitter box aversion is when a cat stops using its litter tray and pees or poos elsewhere in the home, because something about the tray, its place or its use has become unpleasant or frightening. Illness is a common cause, so a vet check comes first. Then fix the trays: enough of them, clean, quiet, with litter the cat likes.
- Noise phobiaNoise phobia is an intense, lasting fear of loud or sudden sounds such as fireworks, thunder or gunshots. Affected dogs tremble, pant, hide, pace, try to escape or soil indoors, and some take days to recover. It is common: about a third of dogs in one large survey were noise-sensitive. A safe den, preparation and gradual training help.
- PicaPica is eating things that are not food, such as fabric, wool, plastic, paper, rubber, stones or soil. In cats it often starts as wool or fabric sucking, especially in Oriental breeds; in dogs it can be a habit, a compulsive disorder or a sign of illness. Swallowed objects can block the gut, so a vet check comes first.
- Reactive dogA reactive dog overreacts to everyday triggers such as other dogs, strangers, bikes or autos, usually by barking, lunging, growling or pulling, most often on the lead. Fear is the most common driver, with frustration and pain also playing a part. It is managed by keeping distance from triggers and changing the dog's feelings with reward-based training, never by punishment.
- Resource guardingResource guarding is a dog protecting something it values, such as food, a chew, a toy, a bed or even a person, from people or other animals. It is normal, often fear-based behaviour, ranging from eating faster or freezing to growling and biting. It improves with management and reward-based training that teaches the dog an approaching person brings good things.
- Separation anxietySeparation anxiety is a fear response in which a dog panics when left alone or apart from the person it is attached to. Signs include howling, destruction near doors, toileting indoors, drooling and escape attempts, usually worst in the first 30 minutes. It is treated with gradual, reward-based training, sometimes alongside medicine from a vet, never with punishment.
- Urine markingUrine marking is using small amounts of urine as a scent message rather than to empty the bladder. Cats usually spray backwards onto upright surfaces with the tail raised and quivering; dogs lift a leg against furniture or doorways. It is commoner in unneutered animals and stressed or crowded homes. Rule out illness first, then reduce the stress behind it.
Keep exploring
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Behavior problems of dogs (opens in a new tab)
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: Position statement on humane dog training (2021) (opens in a new tab)
- Dogs Trust: Resource guarding in dogs: how to keep everyone safe (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA: Food guarding (opens in a new tab)
- PLOS ONE (2020): Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare, Vieira de Castro and others (opens in a new tab)
- Scientific Reports (2022): Audience effect on domestic dogs' behavioural displays and facial expressions, Pedretti and others (opens in a new tab)