What body language shows a dog is overstimulated?
Karley Hahn
2025-07-23 01:49:01
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Body language signs of an overstimulated dog can include dilated pupils, hackles raised, lip licking, poor impulse control, barking, panting. If a dog is running around consistently this can make it harder for them to listen as they’re over stimulated. Imagine a sink, and that sink is being filled with water, and the water represents over stimulation which can include barking at the doorbell, running constantly on walks, repetitive ball chucking can all result in sensory overload. Spotting these signs can help you take steps to lowering your dogs arousal levels back to baseline.
Brendon Deckow
2025-07-23 00:35:04
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Your dog could display a range of behaviours when overstimulated, including excessive jumping up, humping, mouthing, nipping, grabbing, and ragging on the lead, your clothes and other equipment.
When a dog is overstimulated, it can be hard to calm them down, and this can escalate to aggression if not dealt with appropriately.
Monitoring your dog’s body language will help to understand when they are approaching their ‘threshold’.
If we cross this distance, they’ll be ‘over-threshold’ and no longer able to do those things.
Overstimulation often looks like excessive mouthing, jumping up, and tugging on clothes or the lead.
When your dog is overstimulated, avoid distracting them with food as this could encourage them to repeat their behaviour.
Your dog could display a range of behaviours when overstimulated, including excessive jumping up, humping, mouthing, nipping, grabbing, and ragging on the lead, your clothes and other equipment.
Berneice Kassulke
2025-07-23 00:32:59
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Dogs who get overstimulated around other pets, become reactive when they feel overwhelmed.
High-energy interactions can cause and intensify a dog's response and increase the likelihood of sensory overload.
Mental and physical stimulation help dogs relax and may make them less likely to become overstimulated when exposed to external stimuli.
Dogs with severe reactivity or very low thresholds for external stimuli may benefit from Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT), a more advanced behavior modification method.
BAT encourages dogs to ignore sensory information that typically elicits a negative response.
Dorian Auer
2025-07-23 00:06:45
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Some dogs raise their hackles when they’re overstimulated or excited, not necessarily when they’re stressed or anxious. Stress signs to look for include whale eye, tucked ears or tail, raised hackles, lip-licking, yawning, and panting. Your dog might also avoid eye contact or look away. Freezing, or getting stiff, can be a sign a dog is stressed about something they see and can also be a warning sign that the dog is so stressed that they can’t handle the situation. When dogs exhibit calming signals, they’re trying to diffuse the situation or tell you or another dog that they aren’t a threat. Growling could mean that someone is in their space, they feel threatened, or that something hurts, and it’s not usually meant to be aggressive but it’s rather often a warning that your dog feels uncomfortable. Pacing back and forth can be a sign they can’t settle down because something is stressing them.
Kelsie Harvey
2025-07-22 22:48:53
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These can include. Overstimulated dogs may appear tense and agitated, with a stiff body posture and dilated pupils. As you can see, many of these signs can also be indicative of boredom, so it's crucial to determine the underlying cause of these behaviours to effectively address the issue.
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