Insights from our Ask the Expert webinar

Every dog is communicating with us all the time — we just don’t always notice. In our second Ask the Expert webinar, we were joined by Leza Bliss, a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and a registered animal training instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). With a background lecturing in animal welfare and training assistance dogs, Leza walked us through how to spot when a dog is telling us they’re not comfortable — and what we can do about it.

For pet professionals, this is knowledge that protects both the animals in our care and our own businesses. Here are the key takeaways.

Some stress is normal — too much is the problem

Leza started with a helpful reminder: not all stress is bad. Picture a curve. In the calm zone, a dog is relaxed. In the middle sits eustress — a healthy level of stress where a dog is alert, engaged and problem-solving well. This is peak performance. But tip past a dog’s personal threshold and you reach distress, where the body struggles to function and the worrying behaviours start to appear.

That threshold is different for every dog and depends on all sorts of factors. Common triggers in our working environments include noise, unfamiliar places, the presence of other dogs, and being restrained — something groomers and walkers will recognise instantly. Even being on a lead can create stress when a dog can’t communicate naturally with another dog.

Watch for trigger stacking

One event rarely tips a dog over the edge. More often it’s trigger stacking — lots of small stresses building up through the day until one final, seemingly minor thing becomes the straw that breaks the camel’s back. We experience this ourselves: it’s that end-of-a-bad-day feeling where one tiny thing tips you over. Recognising trigger stacking helps us understand why a dog might react to something that seems trivial in isolation.

The canine ladder of communication

Based on the work of behaviourist Kendal Shepherd, the ladder of communication (sometimes called the ladder of aggression) shows how dogs give increasingly obvious signals as they grow more uncomfortable. Leza prefers “communication” over “aggression” — it’s less alarming for owners, and more accurate.

At the bottom are the subtle, easily-missed signals — the dog whispering, “I’m not sure about this”:

•     Yawning (in context — not simply tiredness)

•     Blinking or slightly unnatural blinking

•     Lip and nose licking

•     Turning the head or body away

If a dog isn’t listened to, it climbs the ladder — walking away, creeping, ears back, tail tucked, a stiffening body — and finally the signals everyone notices: the growl, the snap and the bite. Owners tend to spot the loud signals but miss the whispers.

A crucial point: a dog with a history of being ignored may skip the early rungs entirely and go straight to the top. That’s not a dog being “unpredictable” — it’s a dog that learned its quiet signals don’t work. Respecting the early communication is everything.

Learn to spot “whale eye”

When a dog turns its head away but keeps its eyes on something, showing the whites of the eyes, we call this whale eye — a clear sign of discomfort. It often appears when people go in for a full-on hug or put their hands around a dog’s muzzle. This matters most around children, who naturally want to cuddle. A dog leaning away with whale eye is asking for space.

The five stress responses

We’ve all heard of fight or flight, but Leza explained that we now recognise five stress responses in dogs — and two of them are frequently misread:

1.   Fight — escalating up the ladder, or going straight to a growl, snap or bite.

2.   Flight — running away, hiding, or trying to make themselves small.

3.   Freeze — digging their heels in and locking up. A dog in freeze often won’t take food, even a foodie dog — a strong sign they’ve tipped over threshold.

4.   Fawn — appeasing behaviour: rolling over, whining, rubbing up, avoiding eye contact. This is very commonly mistaken for a dog “looking guilty.”

5.   Faff about — the release of pent-up tension, like children let out to the playground. The “zoomies” after a stressful moment can be a stress response, not just excess energy.

“Dog guilt doesn’t exist in the way owners think it does. That ‘guilty’ look is usually a fawn or appeasement response — or a learned reaction to our body language.”

Prevention starts before the dog is uncomfortable

The best intervention happens long before a dog needs to communicate distress. That begins with thorough history taking. Ask detailed questions before any interaction — but remember owners may not recognise subtle stress signs, may have misread them, or may not want to admit a previous experience went badly. A phone call or in-person chat often reveals far more than a paper form.

Managing owner expectations matters too. If a dog shows anxiety, we may need introductory sessions, positive visits to the salon, or a home visit first. Going slowly is not a failure — it’s good practice.

The LEGS model

Leza introduced Kim Brophy’s LEGS model for understanding what influences behaviour: Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self. As professionals we have little influence over a dog’s genetics or personality, but we can shape two things: the environment and new learning experiences.

•     Environment: Can you change where you walk, who the dog interacts with, or the equipment you use? Could you groom on the floor rather than a table, reduce restraint, or lower the noise?

•     Learning: You can build new, positive experiences even if you don’t know a dog’s full history — especially important for rescue dogs.

Building positive experiences: the ABC chain

A simple way to create good associations is the ABC chain — Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence. The antecedent is whatever prompts the behaviour; the consequence is what follows. For example, leave a harness out (antecedent), let the dog investigate it (behaviour), and scatter food around it (consequence). Done slowly and repeatedly, this helps a dog learn to wear a harness, enter a crate, or stand on a grooming table without stress.

Cooperative care and consent

One of the most exciting ideas Leza shared is cooperative care — consent-based interactions that let a dog opt in and out of their own care routine. The concept comes from the zoo world, where an elephant is trained to place its foot on a barrel so its feet can be inspected safely. The animal chooses to participate, is rewarded when it opts in, and its choice to opt out gives us valuable information.

For dogs, this might mean station training (standing on a mat or a vet table to be examined), or teaching a dog to offer a paw for nail trimming or checking for grass seeds. It gives dogs a sense of choice and control — and makes care calmer for everyone.

Know your limits — and when to refer

As a trainer, Leza was clear about the boundaries of the role. Training can help a dog learn to wear a muzzle, accept a harness, or have a positive experience on a grooming table. But if a dog is escalating quickly, showing behaviours near the top of the ladder, or displaying significant anxiety, that’s the moment to recommend referral to a clinical animal behaviourist (CAB or CCAB), who works under veterinary referral.

And always consider pain first. Even a minor behaviour change is worth ruling out with a vet — discomfort is one of the most common hidden drivers of behaviour.

The tricky conversation with owners

Perhaps the hardest part of our work is telling an owner their dog may be worried rather than showing love. People very much want to feel loved by their dogs. Leza’s advice is to approach it gently and obliquely — a running commentary in the moment (“did you see that lick? That can be an appeasement signal, let’s give them a bit of space”), or sharing owner-friendly resources like the ladder of communication as something fascinating to explore together, rather than a correction. Slide the information in through welcome packs and emails, and let understanding build over time.

The takeaway for pet professionals

Once you start watching for these signals, you see them everywhere. Learning to read canine communication makes us safer, more effective, and better advocates for the animals in our care — exactly the kind of professionalism the Alliance exists to support.

Ask the Expert webinars are a member benefit here at the Animal Focused Alliance, alongside legal guidance, sector updates and exclusive discounts. Members get access to the full recordings — and a community of professionals who care about doing things right.

Raising standards together.

With thanks to Leza Bliss, tutor at Canine Principles, for sharing her expertise. Alliance members receive a discount on selected Canine Principles courses.