When Kelly opened her front door in late June, she didn’t expect to find a little furry visitor. A tiny little tri-colored puppy was on her front steps, creeping along close to the brick wall with her body as low as possible.

Kelly immediately understood that this puppy had been dumped, and captioned her post to TikTok with “Not again! This poor baby is breaking my heart. I’ll never understand how humans can be so cruel. #NotADropOffZone” Evidently, Kelly has found dumped and abandoned dogs in her area before, so she’s not new to the heartbreaking reality of how dogs become strays.

@nofiltermama Not again. 😩🥺😢 This poor baby is breaking my heart. I’ll never understand how humans can be so cruel. #notadropoffzone #adoptme #puppylove ♬ original sound – Kelly

Reading a Nervous Puppy’s Body Language

The tiny puppy in Kelly’s yard showed a classic combination of nervous and friendly body language. 

First, the puppy stayed low to the ground, making herself look smaller, signaling that she wanted to appear non-threatening, and avoided direct eye contact.

To show she wanted her attention, the puppy only gave Kelly quick glances and kept her expression soft. Her eyes were relaxed, she wasn’t curling her lips, and her ears were laid down and slightly to the side, but not tense.  

The wagging tail held low combined with her submissive body language and soft facial expression showed that she was friendly but nervous. In another video posted by Kelly, the puppy even rolled over to show her belly—a clear sign that she wanted Kelly’s attention and affection.

@nofiltermama Replying to @dragonflyskyhigh ♬ original sound – Kelly

Reading canine body language requires a full picture of the dog’s behavior. These individual body language signals alone cannot give you a good idea of the dog’s state of mind, you have to combine all the factors.

Abandoned Puppy Gets a Happy Ending

Luckily, this puppy found the right person, and Kelly understood her body language and that she was asking for help. With no one to claim the puppy, Kelly’s neighbors offered to give her a home after falling in love with her sweet personality!