Body Language

Our pets communicate their comfort, fear, and desires with us through body language.  Watch your pets ears, tail, facial expressions, and body posture for clues as you introduce them to new situations.

Some of the most common misinterpretations or "miscommunications" we see between pets and their owners include:

• the yawn - unless you're cozied up in bed together or your pet is just waking up from a nap, this is a sign of an anxious dog

• the wagging tail - when a cat tail is flicking or wagging like a dog as opposed to a smooth, upright wiggle, they are more likely nervous than relaxed; same for dogs with a low, tense, quick flick of the tail versus a relaxed, whole butt waggle

• the smile - dogs and cats with tense faces with their lips pulled back are nervous. A "smiling" dog has their jaw and lips relaxed with either relaxed eyes or alert eyes if they're excited about something.  A "smiling" cat has whiskers neutral when relaxed or slightly perked forward if they're curious.

We use these tips and tricks at our facility to promote calm, comfortable behaviors.

• we try to only put dogs in situations where they are comfortable. Not every dog is a social butterfly so some might enjoy group play while others prefer to get their energy out on the treadmill or in an independent room with enriching activities.

• we use calming pheromone sprays like Adaptil and Feliway and we offer calming supplements like Composure