Dogs may not be able to speak in the same way that we do, but if you watch them carefully, they communicate all the time with their bodies.
Animal behaviourist Zita Polgar, at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, shares eight body language signals that show your dog is feeling stressed and uncomfortable.
Zita said: "Often what we perceive as friendly, playful gestures, can in fact come from nerves or fear.
"By trying to interact and play with them at these points, we could actually be adding to their distress and eventually, this could lead to aggression.
"If these subtle signs are not noticed and perceived threat remains, the dog may progress to growling, snapping or even biting - but most dogs will react in at least one of the above ways first.
"It's important therefore, that dog owners keep an eye out for these signs and try to make their dog as comfortable as possible to avoid this."
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Yawning, blinking, nose licking
Like humans, dogs yawn when they're tired, but they also do it in times of stress.
A dog that is stressed may often lick its nose or lips, or just repeatedly stick part of their tongue out slowly - sometimes they'll also lick the person or animal that they want to leave them alone.
All of these are clear signs that the dog is not comfortable with a situation, so it's important to pay attention to what may be causing this and removing that problem if you can.
If your dog is displaying these signals when a stranger is trying to pet them, then ask them to stop.
No eye contact
If a dog turns its eyes away from you, so you can see the whites of their eyes, that is often a sign that they are uncomfortable.
They may not turn their whole head, but turning the eyes away is usually a clear signal that they want to escape a situation.
Turning away
When a dog is looking away, and particularly if they turn their whole body away, they are trying to communicate that they need space.
Back off and give them some physical space.
Walking away
If a dog walks away from you, it's a clear signal that they're unhappy.
Trying to block their exit can cause further distress, so the best thing to do is to let them go and make sure they have some physical space from other people/animals.
Ears back, creeping
A dog that pins its ears right back and slinks away, keeping its body close to the ground, is not a happy dog.
Let the dog have some space and don't try to crowd it at this point.
Tucked tail, crouching
When a dog is feeling nervous, it will often try to make itself as physically unimposing as possible, so it might crouch down and tuck its tail in.
Frozen, unresponsive
If you notice that your dog's body has gone completely stiff, they could be paralysed with fear and they may stay that way until the threat has gone.
If the threat is not removed, they may then progress from this to aggressive behaviour, so it's important to notice if they have reached this stage and take immediate action to make sure they feel safe again quickly.
Lying down, overwhelmed
A dog that is lying down on its back, with eyes partly closed, head turned, ears flat back and tail tucked is not a resting dog – it's a dog in a state of fear.
It is trying to avoid a physical confrontation. Don't pet the dog or try to calm it by touching.
Give it some space and make sure nobody else approaches.
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