Facial expressions

Read through the following behavioural signs, look at the pictures and watch the video examples. Once you have used this page, continue onto body posture.

The following facial signs are likely to indicate anxiety or fear:

Lip licking repeatedly		Lip licking
Yawning repeatedly		Yawning
Tense facial expression: wrinkled eye brows, closed mouth, tense lips
Wrinkled muzzle, lifting lip to show teeth or muzzle retracted back over teeth	Wrinkled muzzle, muzzle retracted back over teeth
Wide eyes / big pupils Showing whites of the eye		Wide eyes with big pupils
Twisted muzzle (the skin around the dogs nose twisted around to the side) 'Appeasement grin', the dog bares its teeth and lifts its lips with a soft lips
Ears held low or back against head		Ears held back against the head
Avoiding eye contact		Avoiding eye contact