A veterinarian recently told me an interesting story. A woman who had brought her beagle in for vaccinations mentioned that she was very concerned about the dog's behavior. There was a baby in the family, and it seemed that the beagle would lick his lips whenever he was in close proximity to the infant. The dog also growled when the infant made certain sounds or movements. Did this lip licking, the woman wanted to know, mean that the beagle wanted to eat the baby?
The woman's concern is understandable. But the good news is, it's very unlikely that the dog was looking to have the baby for lunch. Lip licking is a common, subtle stress signal in dogs. It's often seen in anxiety-producing situations such as sitting in the vet's waiting room, being in a training class where harsh corrections are used, or even being hugged. (There are some dogs who like or tolerate being hugged, but many don't like it.) In this situation, it's likely that the beagle was simply anxious around the baby. The growling further reinforces the likelihood that the beagle was stressed, since growling is a dog's way of warning us that he's uncomfortable. (See my previous post "Why Growling is Good.")
Other subtle stress signals to watch for are yawning, scratching, sniffing the ground, scratching, turning away of the head and/or body, or averting the eyes. Of course, any of these signals, including lip licking, can be seen at other times as well; canine body language must be observed as a whole, and in context. It's ironic that understanding these signals is absolutely crucial for dog owners, and yet they're not commonly taught or discussed. In a situation such as the beagle-baby one, had the owner's mind not been put at ease, the dog might have lost his home.
While lip licking and other stress signals do not indicate aggression, keep in mind that a scared dog, if pushed too far, can become dangerous. If you see any of these signals in your own dog, try to figure out why he might be nervous. If possible, remove the dog from the situation, and, at another time, work on reducing the dog's stress in those situations. Paying attention to these subtle signals can alert us to the difference between a dog wanting to eat a child and wanting to simply be left alone -- and that's a life-changing difference for everyone involved.
Nicole Wilde is a canine behavior specialist and author. Visit her website nicolewilde.com. Follow Nicole Wilde on Facebook.