Understanding Your Dog’s TEMP: How Dogs Really Communicate
(Concept inspired by Susan Garrett)
Dogs can’t talk, but they are communicating with us all the time. Every wag, glance, ear flick, and shift in weight is part of a conversation.
The question is: are we listening?
Renowned dog trainer Susan Garrett teaches a simple and powerful way to read dogs called TEMP — which stands for:
T – Tail
E – Eyes & Ears
M – Mouth
P – Posture
Learning your dog’s TEMP can dramatically improve your relationship, prevent bites, reduce fear, and help your dog feel safer and understood.
Let’s break it down further.
T – Tail
A wagging tail does not automatically mean a happy dog.
Pay attention to:
- Height – Is the tail high and stiff? Low and tucked?
- Speed – Fast and loose? Slow and rigid?
- Movement – Full-body wiggle or tight, controlled motion?
A loose, wiggly tail at mid-height often signals friendliness.
A high, stiff tail can signal arousal or tension.
A tucked tail signals fear or insecurity.
Context matters! Always look at the rest of the TEMP.
E – Eyes & Ears
The face tells a powerful story.
Eyes:
- Soft, squinty eyes = relaxed
- Hard stare = tension or guarding
- Whale eye (showing whites) = stress or discomfort
- Avoiding eye contact = fear or appeasement
Ears:
- Neutral/relaxed = comfortable
- Pinned back tight = fear or stress
- Forward and rigid = alert, possibly aroused
Eyes and ears often shift quickly. They’re early indicators of how your dog is feeling.
M – Mouth
A relaxed mouth is one of the clearest signs of comfort.
- Slightly open mouth, relaxed tongue = calm
- Closed, tight mouth = uncertainty or stress
- Lip licking (when no food is present) = anxiety
- Yawning (outside of sleepy times) = stress signal
- Growling = communication, not “bad behavior”
If the mouth suddenly closes and stiffens, pay attention. That’s often a sign your dog is no longer comfortable.
P – Posture
Posture ties everything together.
- Loose, wiggly body = relaxed
- Weight shifted back = unsure or fearful
- Leaning forward, stiff = aroused or potentially reactive
- Crouched low = fearful
- Frozen still = serious warning sign
A freeze is often the last quiet warning before escalation. Respect it.
Why TEMP Matters
At the shelter, we see dogs from all backgrounds. Some confident, some scared, some overstimulated, some healing. When we read TEMP correctly, we can:
- Prevent bites
- Reduce stress in shelter dogs
- Match adopters with the right dog
- Build trust faster
- Advocate for our dogs in stressful situations
Most importantly, we can respond with compassion instead of correction.
Look at the Whole Dog
TEMP works because it reminds us to look at the whole picture. Don’t rely on just one signal.
A wagging tail + stiff posture + hard eyes does not equal “happy.”
Dogs rarely “bite out of nowhere.” They 'whisper' first. TEMP helps us hear and interpret the whispers.
Try It For Yourself
Next time you’re with your dog (or visiting one of ours!), pause and quickly scan:
- What’s the Tail doing?
- What are the Eyes & Ears saying?
- What’s happening with the Mouth?
- What does the Posture tell you?
It takes seconds and it can change everything.
Thank you to Susan Garrett for sharing the TEMP framework and helping dog owners better understand their canine companions.
We believe better understanding leads to better outcomes. And every dog deserves to be heard (even without words).