Humans can do it consciously, doing what wolf researchers call “look aways” by turning our heads to the side when we greet a new dog or we sense that tension is mounting. You can also cock your head, which is something never done by a tense dog on offensive alert. Many mammals cock their head to gather more information about the world around them, and they almost always do it when they’re curious and relatively relaxed. If you cock your head, you are signaling to a dog that you’re relaxed, which can go a long way toward relaxing the dog as well.
