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behaviour· both
Reading your pet's body language
The small signals that tell you whether your pet is relaxed, stressed, or asking for space.
Dogs
- Relaxed: soft eyes, loose body, wagging tail at body level.
- Stressed: yawning, lip-licking, pinned-back ears, whale eye (showing whites).
- Need space: looking away, moving away, growling. Always respect a growl — it's a warning, not a crime.
Cats
- Relaxed: slow blink, tail still or gently swaying, ears forward.
- Overstimulated: twitching tail, flattened ears, dilated pupils — play is about to become too much.
- Wanting space: turning away, tail tucked, hiding. Let them retreat.
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