How Should We React to Canine Submissive Behavior?

Dogs don't speak our language, so we must learn what they are saying to us through their body language and vocalization. Our loveable pooches have learned their language that was handed down to them from the wolf. Just like the human face speaks volumes, so does the face of your dog.

Canine body language: happy

Take a good look at your dog. Are his eyes open wide and bright? Are his ears relaxed and slightly forward? Is his mouth in a relaxed pose and his teeth covered by his lips? Does he appear to be happy? If you said yes to these questions you have a happy dog. The body language of a happy dog is easily readable. Your dog may be very excited and glad to see you when you get home from work.

When your dog wants to play he may run, back and forth, jump up and down excitedly, turn round and round. His tail will be waving excitedly. He may be very vocal with playful barks and growls. His body may also be in a stance where the front of his body is toward the floor and his hind end is up in the air. He'll most likely go back and forth between all of the above mentioned behaviors.

Canine body language: submissive

Many dogs of all breeds become submissive to other dogs and to humans. Submissive behavior is normal up to a point, such as when the human assumes pack leader. A submissive dog will show through body language that the human is the boss, and the dog is the follower of the human. The same is true when a dog assumes a submissive posture to another dog; its body language shows that all authority belongs to the alpha dog. For example, a submissive dog is one that lies on its back and shows its belly, which is its most vulnerable side.

When your dog is exhibiting submissive behavior he most likely will have his ears flattened down so that they are flush to his head. His eyes may be narrowed so that they look almost closed, or they can be wide open and have that 'worried' look. A submissive dog may way to nuzzle into you to be held. He may also want to kiss you on your face. A submissive dog will also try to make himself smaller by lowering himself close to the ground. He may also offer you his paw, as if to shake hands.

Your dog may vocalize or make no sound at all when he is exhibiting submissive behavior. Submissive vocalization may be exhibited by yelping, whining, or whimpering. This is not the time to comfort your dog.

It is important that we don't cause the submissive dog undue anxiety. Showing dominance over your dog will reinforce anxiety; therefore to prevent anxiety we should never look our dog square in the eyes, because direct eye contact is a sign of aggression. We should never approach our dog while looking directly at him; your dog will have less anxiety if you approach your dog while not looking directly into his eyes. When you approach your dog, do not tower over him; get down to his level by lowering yourself into a small position. Just as you would approach a child in a smaller position you should approach your dog in the same manner.

I have a dog that I rescued. She was dumped off by a moving car in the wee hours of the morning. I happened to see it happen because I was outside with my Chihuahua so he could use the potty. The female dog (we named her Cammie) was so skinny. When I approached her she dropped down and rolled over showing me her belly. I scooped her up and took her inside. The poor girl was so anxious that she urinated on the floor.

She lives outdoors now. She has a kennel with a dog house on the inside. She has a roof over part of the kennel. I lead her out of the kennel each day to be hooked up to a long runner where she can enjoy the outdoors. When I get her she keeps dropping down in front of me, and if I am not careful I could easily trip over her.

How should we react to submissive behavior?

It is important not to give praise when a dog is exhibiting submissive behavior, because this will reinforce the behavior. By praising submissive behavior, the dog thinks that you want him to continue in the submissive manner, which adds to his anxiety.

It is important to be kind and use a calm assertive tone of voice. Don't ever yell at your dog; your dog may not fully understand the words you use, but he understands the tone. He knows if you are pleased with him or not. Being nice one minute and yelling the next adds to his anxiety, and also confuses him, because he may not be clear about what you want from him.

Have you rescued a dog from a shelter? Does the dog exhibit extreme submissive behavior? It could be that this dog has been abused or neglected prior to being rescued. It is important to be kind and gentle when interacting with your dog. If your dog is putting his tail between his legs, cowering, urinating, and showing other signs of anxiety it is important not to scold him. With lots of care and appropriate attention your dog will become more confident.

What about giving your dog treats?

It's fine to offer your dog treats for good behavior, but do not give treats as comfort for submissive behavior. Giving treats for submissive behavior will only reinforce the behavior. It's important to know when to give treats, and when to give attention. If you give them at the wrong time, you will be reinforcing the behaviors that you don't want.

What about allowing your dog to jump on you?

The way to discourage your dog from jumping on you is to fold your arms and turn your back to your dog. It may sound mean to some, but your dog understands your body language. He doesn't understand all that you say to him. You may yell "Stop!" and your dog won't listen. He doesn't listen because you don't speak his language.

Try not to encourage your dog to jump on you one time and then tell him not to the next. This will only confuse him; if you don't want your dog to jump up on you, then don't reinforce the behavior by allowing it sometimes and not others. By jumping up on you your dog can be trying to exhibit dominance over you. When you allow this behavior you are becoming submissive to him. You should always be the leader of your pack.

Sources:

Part of my information comes from watching The Dog Whisperer

And from:

http://www.seefido.com/html/submissive_dog_behaviour.htm