FEAR FREE SHELTER COURSE
Module 2c Script
Slide 1:
Welcome to Module 2c: How dogs communicate their feelings
This module contains only one lesson, and this is the topic of that very important lesson. This lesson will help
you understand the behavior of dogs in the shelter. It will also help you to begin to identify simple ways to
reduce FAS and frustration in shelter dogs.
Slide 2:
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
• Identify common body language and behaviors that tell you a dog is relaxed or content
• Identify common body language and behaviors that tell you a dog is fearful, anxious, or stressed
• Describe at least two key ways to reduce FAS in shelter dogs
• Identify common body language and behaviors that tell you a dog is frustrated
• Describe at least two key ways to reduce frustration in shelter dogs
Slide 3:
It’s time to observe some dogs and see what we can deduce about how they are feeling emotionally.
Remember, their behavior is a reflection of their emotions. We will start with a couple of photos.
Slide 4:
Here’s a photo of a shelter dog. Let's work through the points of observation and describe his body
language. Everything about this dog tells us he is neutral and relaxed.
1. Overall body posture – The dog is walking with a natural and neutral stance. Her body appears appear
loose with no signs of tension.
2. Hair coat - Her hair coat appears normal with the hair lying naturally against her body. There is no
appearance of puffed up hair, or hair that is standing on end.
3. Eyes – She has a soft gaze and her pupils appear normal in size and shape.
4. Ears – Her ears appear to be in a neutral or slightly perked up position and are relaxed without tension.
5. Mouth – Her mouth is open, and just like the rest of her face, it appears relaxed without tension.
6. Tail – Her tail appears loose with the base carried below the level of her back. It appears to be gently
wagging just below the level of her back, with the fluffy tip slightly higher.
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7. Vocalizations – Of course we can’t hear anything, but it appears that this dog is quiet at the moment.
8. Context – The dog is walking off lead, looking in the direction of the camera. Based on her body
postures, she certainly does not seem to perceive any threat from the person taking her photo!
Everything about her says she is relaxed!
Slide 5:
In sharp contrast, this is a photo of a dog experiencing FAS. Let's work through the points of observation
and describe his body language. Everything about this dog suggests he is highly stressed.
1. Overall body posture - This dog’s body is low. He is in a crouched posture, leaning back, and
appears quite tense. His back legs are tucked under body.
2. Hair coat - His hair coat appears normal with the hair lying naturally against his body. There is no
obvious appearance of puffed up hair, or hair that is standing on end.
3. Eyes - The dog is staring with his eyes held wide open. There is mild tension in his brows, which
appear slightly furrowed. Although difficult to see, his pupils are moderately large and round.
4. Ears – The dog’s ears appear to be in a neutral to slightly low position. Without knowing how he
naturally holds his ears, it is hard to say for sure, however, they do appear to be somewhat lowered.
5. Mouth – The dog’s mouth is closed. There is tension around his mouth, lips, and throughout his
face.
6. Tail – The dog’s tail is very low, with the base held down against his body and the tip touching the
ground
7. Vocalizations – We can’t hear him, so we don’t know for sure if he is vocalizing or not.
8. Context - In this case we don't know the exact context, but we can surmise from his body postures
that this dog is experiencing significant FAS. He is feeling threatened, presumably by whatever is in
front of him. He is preparing to respond and his body postures are sending a clear message that he
is uncomfortable and would like some space from whatever it is that he perceives as a threat.
Slide 6:
In module 1, you learned what it means for dogs to be emotionally healthy. They display a wide variety of
positive emotions and normal behavior patterns that tell us they are content.
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Slide 7:
These include friendly behavior with people, eating, playing, resting, and grooming.
Slide 8:
They also periodically engage in other typical dog behaviors such as chewing or chasing a ball.
Slide 9:
They remain relaxed and calm as they observe their surroundings and often curl up or stretch out on their
sides when they are comfortably resting.
Slide 10:
They greet people confidently and with enthusiasm and then settle down to enjoy the social contact.
Slide 11:
If they are socialized with other dogs, they enjoy playing and hanging out with compatible canine companions.
Slide 12:
Each individual is unique, thus behavior varies somewhat from one dog to the next, depending on their
individual personalities. But in all cases, dogs that are emotionally healthy and content do not experience
significant or prolonged periods of fear, anxiety, stress (FAS) and frustration.
Slide 13:
Feelings of FAS and frustration are serious problems for shelter dogs. In module 2a, you learned that there are
many ways that dogs express these feelings. One way to think about these is by using the 4 F’s: fight, flight,
fret/fidget, and freeze. Dogs experiencing FAS become tense. Their body will start to stiffen and tension can
also be seen in their face. Their pupils often dilate. Dogs who are in fight mode may struggle, growl, bare their
teeth, snap or lunge. They are attempting to drive away the threat. Dogs in flight mode avoid contact, try to
run away, put their ears back, tuck their tail and lower their bodies, or roll over to evade contact. They wish to
escape. Some dogs will move restlessly, pace, jump, shift, yawn, lip lick, or scratch themselves. They are
showing fret/fidget behaviors as part of their FAS response. Finally, dogs who remain motionless are in freeze
mode. They are not relaxed, but instead are frozen in a state of helpless terror. Dogs with FAS often display a
mixture of fight, flight, fret/fidget, and freeze behaviors. In addition, some will also bark, whine, or even
scream. For dogs, an additional sign is refusing to eat tasty treats if offered. This is often a tell-tale sign that
they are highly stressed.
Now, let’s look at some dogs that are showing some of these behaviors.
Slide 14:
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Meet Casper. Casper gets along great with the shelter staff, but when potential adopters or other
strangers stand in front of his run and look at him, it really stresses him out! In this short video clip we see
numerous signs of FAS including aggression. Casper is ready to fight!
Note that he is standing on his hind legs with his front paws on the gate. He is very tense, and as the
camera zooms in on his face you can see the tension building. He stares with his eyes held very wide. The
whites are exposed and his ears are pinned back against his head. These are both tell-tale signs of his fear.
Casper barks and then momentarily freezes before he begins to bark again in a low deep pitch. He lunges
upwards, closer to the video camera and lets out a series of barks with snorting-like growls in between. If
you look closely, you will see his tail is wagging. This isn’t a sign of friendliness! Dogs tend to wag their
tails whenever they are in an intense emotional state, be it a positive or negative one.
For Casper, the tension in his face, his wide eyes, his hard stare, and his low bark-growl are all signs of
fight behaviors that may be seen when a dog is experiencing FAS. This is Casper’s way of telling us he is
experiencing a high level of FAS and would like us to get away from him NOW!
Slide 15:
The great news is that sometimes the solution to a dog’s negative reaction like this can be as simple as
what we like to call, “the power of cookies”. We can use cookies to literally change how a dog feels about
strangers outside of their run!
A few minutes after the last video was taken, the staff took Casper out for a walk. And, while he was out,
the person who took that video of him attached a treat bucket to the chain link at the front of his run. She
then asked the staff member to return Casper to the run, close the door, and feed him a few treats from
his new treat bucket. Then, she came back with her camera and did the same thing.
Slide 16:
Were you surprised at how different Casper behaves in the second video? Did you notice that the tension
in his body and face were gone? In sharp contrast to the first video, Casper has a soft expression on his
face in the second video. At times, he perks his ears up. He willingly and appropriately takes treats gently
from her hand. As he stands waiting for the next treat, his stance is neutral. He is standing flat on his feet.
Once he hops sideways to get the treats from her on the left side of his run. Notice that his tail is wagging
low and wide. This time his emotional state is a positive one. With continued use of the treat bucket,
Casper will experience less and less FAS with strangers, and will learn instead that strangers coming means
treats are coming, too. That’s the “power of cookies”! Using a treat bucket is a key means of reducing FAS
in shelter dogs.
Slide 17:
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Next, you will meet Gertrude. Like Casper, she is also highly stressed when potential adopters or other
strangers stand in front of her run and look at her. In this short video clip, we see Gertrude show many
signs of FAS including flight behaviors. Gertrude is prepared to run away.
Note that her body and face are very tense. She avoids making direct eye contact with the camera, and
immediately turns her head and quickly moves away. Once she has retreated to the opposite
compartment of the run, she looks back more directly at the camera. Throughout the video, her eyes are
wide, her ears are back, and her mouth is tense. She barks continuously in a high-pitched bark. Notice that
she is also wagging her tail. This is not friendly behavior. She is in an intense emotional state. Her body
tension, her wide eyes, pinned back ears, and high pitched bark all communicate her fear. Her immediate
flight away from the front of the run tells us that she wants to avoid the person making the video. This is
her way of letting us know that she is experiencing a high level of FAS and needs to get some distance
away from the person with the camera. Poor Gertrude! She could really benefit from a treat bucket, too.
Slide 18:
In this next video clip, you will see a dog named Shorty. Shorty is experiencing a low level of FAS
compared to Casper and Gertrude. That said, he certainly is neither relaxed nor content. A person is
talking to him through the chain link panel of his run. Shorty is using a variety of fret and fidget behaviors
to communicate that he is feeling a bit stressed and emotionally upset as he responds to the person
greeting him. Although he does not appear to feel overtly threatened or markedly fearful, he appears to
be experiencing some conflicting emotions and he may also be feeling frustrated.
As you watch the video, look for the following fret/fidget behaviors that Shorty is using to tell us how he is
feeling: pacing, stepping back-and-forth on his front legs, high-pitched barking, lip licking, sniffing, lifting
up one paw, blinking, and shaking off. At times throughout the video, his body appears slightly tense, his
ears are held slightly low and back, and his tail is wagging. At times, he gazes softly at his visitor and at
other times, he looks away. His pupils do not appear dilated. His mouth is open at times, but closes
whenever he becomes tense. As the visitor approaches, he gazes softly at her and wiggles his hind end.
When she reaches to pet him, he jumps up on the fence and accepts petting, but looks away and licks his
lips. When she leaves, he shakes off and begins barking again in a high pitched tone.
• As a visitor talks to him, he paces, stepping back and forth on his front legs at the fence; as she talks to
him, he wags his tail and wiggles his hind end and gazes softly at her, then begins barking in a high
pitch, licks his lips, sniffs, turns, barks some more, and pauses, lifting his paw, then continues barking.
• As the visitor approaches the fence to greet him, he wiggles his hind end and then jumps on the fence
and stands on his hind legs. He accepts petting, but looks away (averts his gaze), blinks, and licks his
lips repeatedly. Here we can see the tension in his face increase, his mouth closes, and his ears are
held low. The visitor scratches him beneath the ear and on the nose, and then moves her hand down.
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When she moves her hand, he turns and presses his nose to her hand to solicit more petting. She
begins to pet him again, and he once again averts his gaze and licks his lips.
• Here, he is standing at the fence, leaning in towards the person who is stooped down scratching him.
When she gets up to walk away, he shakes off (as though he is wet) and then begins pacing again,
stepping back and forth on his front legs at the fence, barking, and waving his tail.
Behind the barrier of the fence, Shorty cannot greet the person directly and he is definitely telling us that his
current situation is upsetting to him. He appears to be conflicted between his desire for her attention and his
mild discomfort with her presence. His high pitched bark as she walks away signals his desire for continued
contact as well as his frustration with being confined.
Slide 19:
Video
Slide 20:
Next, you will see a poor puppy who is experiencing a very high level of FAS. Many of his behaviors are in the
freeze category. As the camera person approaches, the pup is sitting in a crouched position, trembling in
place. His body is very stiff and there is tremendous tension in his face. His eyes are held wide and he avoids
eye contact with the camera, turning his head away. He curves his body around, lowering himself into a down
position. His tail is against his body and his ears are back. He looks as though he wants to disappear into the
concrete floor. If he were more closely approached, it is possible that he could try to flee or he might simply
remain in place, helplessly shutting down.
Everything about this puppy tells us he is terrified. It may be that he has not been well socialized, but we
cannot tell that from what we see here. It is also very possible that he is a well socialized pup who is simply
overwhelmed in the kennel environment. Changing his environment by bringing him indoors to a quiet ward
and providing him with soft bedding and other creature comforts may be all that is necessary to reduce his
FAS. The longer he remains in a state of terror, the more difficult it will be for him to recover from it.
Slide 21:
One additional behavior that is occasionally seen in highly stressed dogs is called “feigning sleep”. Feigning
sleep is defined as “giving the false appearance of sleep”. In other words, a dog may appear to be sleeping, but
really is doing no such thing, though their behavior may be mistaken as such by an untrained observer. This
behavior is more commonly seen in shelter cats compared to dogs. In contrast to cats, dogs tend to be much
more active in their responses to stress. Even so, some dogs will feign sleep when they are highly stressed.
Slide 22:
Here is a photo of a dog feigning sleep. He is not curled up in a ball nor is he laying on his side. Instead, his legs
are positioned beneath him in such a way that it would be easy for him to quickly stand up and move if he
needed to do so. Although his eyes are closed, a careful observer will notice that he is not comfortably resting.
Note that his head is lowered, but it is not resting on the ground. As a result of his high level of FAS, this poor
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dog remained alert and ever aware of his surroundings. A moment later as the camera person snapped
another photo, his eyes opened and his ears came forward. All the while, his head remained lowered—a tell-
tale sign of his FAS.
Slide 23:
Within a short time, most dogs will begin to relax in the shelter when we reduce FAS. But even though they
may no longer feel threatened, they may not be content. When they are confined without adequate periods
of exercise, mental stimulation, and social companionship, feelings of frustration quickly set in.
When dogs are frustrated, they display a number of different behaviors. Repetitive high pitched barking and
jumping at the front of their runs are among the most common. Some dogs will appear frantic and may try to
climb out or escape. Some may become destructive, shredding their bedding or biting the cage wires in an
attempt to escape. Others will simply appear highly excited and aroused. And, many more will appear
emotionally conflicted. As dogs become increasingly frustrated over time, they may experience even higher
levels of FAS.
These frustration-related behaviors often occur in response to a trigger, such as hearing or seeing other dogs
being let out, or seeing people or other dogs walking by. They are very common in animal shelters because of
the restrictive environment.
Slide 24:
More extreme, abnormal behavioral reactions may result from FAS, emotional conflict and/or frustration,
especially when dogs are housed long term. Abnormal repetitive behaviors are a common example. They
include behaviors such as spinning, wall rebounding, tail chasing, and licking.
These behaviors frequently develop in situations of conflict and frustration related to confinement. They arise
when the environment is barren or stress evoking and when dogs lack the opportunity to regularly engage in a
wide variety of normal dog behaviors and activities.
These behaviors, which are also called stereotypic behaviors, tend to cease when an animal is no longer
confined and is given adequate care.
They often occur in response to a specific trigger, such as a person passing by their run. However, they may
become more generalized over time, meaning that they may eventually begin to occur in response to many
triggers or in different contexts or situations.
Slide 25:
Aggression is another example of an undesirable behavioral reaction that may result from FAS, emotional
conflict and/or frustration in shelter dogs.
Many dogs exhibit “reactivity” or aggression in their enclosures characterized by barking and lunging and/or
growling and snarling when a person and/or another dog approaches or passes within sight. This behavior may
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begin at the time of intake or may develop over time and occurs for a variety of reasons. Common underlying
motivations include fear and frustration. When fearful dogs feel threatened, aggressive displays may occur.
Likewise, when frustrated dogs are highly aroused in the kennel, aggressive displays may occur.
Many dogs that exhibit reactivity behind a barrier are not reactive once they are no longer behind that barrier.
Those motivated by fear may no longer perceive a threat, and those motivated by frustration may experience
immediate relief when they are no longer confined and can socially interact.
Slide 26:
Regardless of the motivation, dogs should not be allowed to repeatedly practice this sort of aggressive
behavior. This is because practicing this response at the barrier over time can have lasting negative effects.
The more a dog behaves in this manner, the more persistent the behavior will become. And, over time, the
aggressive behavior may occur in response to other triggers or in other contexts. Remember, too, that
emotions are contagious. When one dog is reactive or aggressive at the barrier, it can affect the behavior of
other dogs. For all of these reasons, proactive measures to prevent barrier reactivity and aggression are crucial
in animal shelters.
A simple and effective tool for managing barrier aggression is to use a visual barrier on the bottom of the run,
such as an inexpensive plastic shower curtain. This way, the dog inside will not be triggered to react when
people and other dogs walk by. In other words, the trigger for the behavior will be eliminated. Using a treat
bucket in conjunction with a visual barrier so that visitors can toss the dog treats as they pass by will
ultimately go a long way towards changing the dog’s response.
Slide 27:
Now, we will take a look at a dog named “Uno”. Uno is a young, energetic shelter dog. He has a lot to tell us!
In this video, he is very active at the front of the run, moving around, looking around, jumping up at the right
hand front corner of the run. His jumping behavior increases when the camera person talks to him. He briefly
sniffs the opposite corner of the run at a couple of time points (this is the gate). He licks his lips once by the
gate.
Uno is aroused. In other words, he is in an intense emotional state. At the same time, his body is not very
tense. In fact, he is a little loose and wiggly at times, especially when she talks to him. He has a generally
neutral stance and is neither leaning forward nor backwards. His ears shift forward and back, perking up when
she talks to him. While gazing at the camera person, his ears are back and low, but not pinned down. The
direction of his gaze changes as he moves about. He does look towards the camera person with soft eyes at
several points in the video clip. The position of his tail varies – at times it curves gently over his back. When he
wags, it falls just below the level of the back and wags in very wide sideways excursions. His entire hind end
wags a little bit. As he gazes at the camera person, he barks in a high pitch and lets out an occasional whine
and some huffing and puffing through his mouth when he is not barking.
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His behavior is consistent with attention seeking (neutral stance, ears back, low wag, soft gaze, jumping up).
But, his high pitched bark, panting, and high activity relate that he is quite frustrated and stressed presumably
because he cannot engage the person directly in social contact and he wants out of the run!
He is not a crazy, barking, jumping dog—he is a frustrated shelter dog who is trying very hard to tell us that he
needs some attention and out of kennel time.
Slide 28:
In this video, you will see a series of dogs displaying a variety of abnormal repetitive behaviors including
spinning, wall rebounding, tail chasing, and licking. The presence of behaviors such as these indicates a high
level of FAS and frustration. These dogs are telling us that they are having great difficulty coping in the shelter
and are emotionally distressed. Their behavior and welfare needs to be urgently addressed.
Slide 29:
When dogs communicate that they are frustrated in the shelter, the most fear free thing we can do for them is
to provide them with daily care that meets their emotional needs—including outlets for performing normal
dog behaviors such as exercising, exploring, playing, chewing, and acquiring healthy social contact. In
particular, dogs need regular daily time out of the kennel for social contact with people and with other
compatible dogs. Providing a predictable daily routine of activities and enrichment is a key to reducing
frustration in dogs. And as always, the faster we can get them out of the shelter and into a home, the better!
Slide 30:
It is important to keep in mind that no two animals will respond in precisely the same ways. Emotions and
behavior can be complicated to interpret. You can, however, learn specific signs and interpret them within the
context of the whole animal and the entire situation. Sometimes signs of FAS will be very clear – like when a
dog growls and snarls at you, or when they tuck their tail tightly between their hind legs. But, many signs are
more subtle and some can confusing to understand until you learn more about the language of dogs. For
example, a dog who is wagging his tail may be greeting you in a friendly manner, or he may be highly aroused
and about to bite. Remember that dogs often display mixed emotions, and may therefore send mixed signals.
Fight, flight, freeze, and fidget behaviors are all common in dogs experiencing FAS and frustration. The
presence of these behaviors tells us that the dog is stressed out, and not that the dog is mean, crazy, or
unsocialized. When we see these behaviors, we need to adjust our interactions with the animal. We also need
to try to determine the triggers for their FAS and frustration and take steps to reduce it right away. You will
learn more about how to do this in the rest of the course.
Slide 31:
When we recognize high levels of FAS and frustration in shelter animals, it is imperative to promptly address
them. We must recognize that when animals are emotionally suffering, it truly is an emergency situation.
Immediate action will be necessary to prevent ongoing distress.
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Understanding the behaviors of shelter cats and dogs and the emotions and motivations behind them
prepares us to provide the best possible fear free care. You will learn more about monitoring and treating the
emotional health of shelter animals in the rest of the course.
Slide 32:
Thank you to our author, Dr. Brenda Griffin.
Slide 33:
Thank you to our photo and video contributors, Dr. Brenda Griffin, Dr. Staci Cannon, Dr. Sheila (D’Arpino)
Segurson, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Ellard, Dr. Meaghan Mielo, and Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.
Slide 34:
This course has been made possible by our sponsors.
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