Sarah Kalnajs Seminar: Anticipatory Behaviors

Anticipatory behaviors are also signs of stress, however, they're generally not as significant as the straight-up stress signals we talked about in the last post. Sarah said these behaviors are often a sign of eustress (that's the good kind). Still, stress is stress, and with it comes increased arousal and the possibility of aggression, so we are wise to notice and respond to stress when we see it.

Although these signals are classified as a general indication of excitement, remember that you have to take all things in context. They may indicate something more serious in your dog, just as some of the stress signals in the previous post indicated anticipation for some of the commenters' dogs.

Surprisingly, I've only got a video of one of these things!. If you have a photo or video of your dog doing one of these things, please send it along! I'd love to post it (with credit, of course!). My email address is available under the “contact” tab. I got a great response to the last post, so check back soon- I bet I'll have some then!

Smiling
Smiling is very similar to the “submissive grin,” however while the latter is typically an appeasement behavior, smiling is an indicator of excitement, and is usually a signal of good stress. The difference is in how much of the teeth are showing. Smiling is when the dog lifts his front lips and shows just the front teeth. The submissive grin happens when the dog lifts his front lips and pulls the lips back so you can see the molars. In both cases, the mouth is closed.

The lovely Dahlia demonstrates her smiles here and here. Photos are courtesy of Crysania, who also posted several more links (and descriptions) in the comments.

Penis Crowning
This is when the tip of a male dog's penis comes out just slightly.

Stress Vocalizations
These behaviors include whining, dry panting, and howling. I've always thought this was straight up stress, but recently, Maisy has begun to do a lot of whining and panting when she's super excited to meet another dog. And, upon reflection, I guess she does do the dry panting when playing ball. And here's a bit a frustrated (and highly anticipatory) whining directed at the turkey in our neighbor's back yard:



Teeth Chattering
This is when the dog's teeth literally “chatter” or clack together. It's a very distinctive sound. It can be a sign of both good stress and bad stress, but either way, it's a sign of very high arousal. Unless it's related to anticipation, you need to remove the dog from the situation that's stressing him.

Piloerection
Piloerection is the fancy term for the dog's hair standing up. You've probably heard someone use the term “hackles up,” which is the hair over the shoulders standing up, but piloerection can also happen in other areas, such as the tail. This is a very definite sign of arousal, and while it's indicative of stress, it is not a sign of impending doom on its own. I found that interesting since it's often a signal that's used to portray an aggressive dog. Sidenote: Sarah said that piloerection is a sympathetic nervous response, which means the dog isn't aware that he's doing it.

 Do not approach this dog! In addition to piloerection, the dog's head and neck are low, 
the eyes are hard, and the stare is direct. This dog WILL bite if you come near her Kong. 

Photo courtesy of Sara Reusche.