Which of the following are appeasement body signals?

• A. Staring, stiff body, whale eye.
• B. High tail and/or body, leaning forward.
• C. Turn away look away, yawn, sniffing, nose licking, lifted paw, body shake.
• D. Panting and barking.

Answer: (C)

Appeasement signals are dog body language cues used to soften tension and avoid conflict. The signals in this example—turning the head away, looking away, yawning, sniffing, nose licking, a lifted paw, and a quick body shake—are classic calming gestures that communicate “I’m not a threat; please stay calm.” They are often used when dogs are communicating with each other to reduce arousal and invite a peaceful interaction.

This fits best because each of these movements tends to de-escalate a tense situation rather than escalate it. In contrast, staring with a stiff body and whale eye signals high alert or potential aggression, a high tail and leaning forward denote confidence or intent to approach or dominate, and panting with barking can indicate stress, arousal, or warning—none of which are appeasement signals.