13 All About Pets • Volume 3 • Issue 3 • May–Aug 2023 Pet parents should be able to understand what their pets mean by their body language, because dogs communicate mainly through body language. By deciphering their pets’ way of communicating stress, pet parents can respond aptly and help reduce their pets’ anxiety and prevent potentially dangerous situations. The signs of a stressed dog can be identified by looking for several warning signs, as listed below: Growling Growling is not always to show aggression; it could also be an indication that the dog is uncomfortable. The reason could be that something is hurting him/ her, someone is invading his/her space, or he/she is feeling threatened. Growling is often discouraged by pet parents. Also, if the dog is punished for growling, he/she will tend to skip future warnings, by not growling, and could straight away bite instead. Hence, it is important to respect the dog’s space rather than punishing him/her for growling. Giving the dog the space when he/she growls or finding out a way to help avoid the growling are better ways to deal with it. CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE
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