Anyone can tell that a dog with its tail between its legs, trembling or trying to run away, is afraid. Stress is far more subtle, and takes deliberate, careful observation to recognise — that's exactly the skill this ethogram builds.

Is my dog really as stressed as he seems?

Dogs express their emotional state, intentions and motivations through a constant stream of visual, acoustic and olfactory signals. If a dog shows signs of insecurity, fear or stress, it is insecure, afraid or stressed — and recognising those signals matters, because ignoring them can genuinely harm a dog's wellbeing and behaviour.

Stress is a normal adaptive process, a natural response to situations that make a dog uneasy. Training itself — even well-intentioned, modern training built around learning as a tool for the dog's own development — can be a real source of stress and fear if we're not paying attention to how the dog is actually experiencing it.

Take a look inside

Some sample pages from "Ethogram of Stress and Fear Behaviours of the Dog". Click an image to open it full-size in a new tab.

Who this ethogram is for

The authors

Alexa Capra

Bibliographical and scientific research, video footage. This ethogram brings together years of research and direct fieldwork on dogs' stress and fear signals.

• Daniele Robotti — photographs, editing

This ethogram, or the whole series