Of course, we all know that dogs are dogs, not people. However, when it comes to certain behaviors, humans are sometimes offended or embarrassed by their pets!
Some of the things that dogs do may seem ill mannered to humans, but to dogs they’re simply natural behaviors that help them to explore their world, learn about others and establish relationships. Things such as sniffing one another’s private areas, mounting one another and wrestling with other dogs, sometimes accompanied by play biting and growling can seem rather off-putting to humans.
However, since dogs use these behaviors to establish their pecking order with other dogs, it’s usually best to “leave well enough alone.” When humans interfere by stopping their dog from interacting with other dogs in these ways, it can serve to exacerbate the situation, making the more dominant dog feel even more the need to assert his leadership.
For example, when dogs sniff each other at body parts that humans find offensive, it’s because they use their sense of smell to get to know one another. With their strong olfactory abilities, dogs can learn a lot about one another through scent alone. Questions such as male or female?, leader or follower?, and young or old? are all able to be answered by dogs through sniffing.
Mounting one another is another behavior that humans sometimes find offensive, but is natural for dogs. Since dogs are pack animals, they use shows of dominance or submission to establish the pecking order between themselves and others. It can be easier to let the dogs work things out on their own once you understand that the dogs do not intend to procreate (unless there is a female in heat, in which case, keep them separated!) and are not doing it for recreational reasons.
Another thing to understand is that dominant leadership has nothing to do with size or gender in the dog world. There are plenty of little dogs who have more dominant personalities than larger dogs and vice versa. Nothing you can do will change that.
Once dogs have met one another and have done their “dominance dance,” they’ll usually begin playing together. Just like baby lion cubs will play using mannerisms such as stalking and pouncing, so do dogs play using mannerism of biting, wrestling and growling. As long as things are not escalating into a dog fight (which they usually don’t), there’s no need to interfere by separating the dogs.
Of course, if your dog does things to humans, such as greeting them at the door with an offensive sniff, mounting your children or play biting with humans in ways that are far too rough, some obedience training will be required. While it’s fine to allow dogs to be dominant over their dog friends, it is not acceptable for your dog to consider himself dominant over the humans in the household. Implementing some obedience training and building the amount of respect your dog has for family members should alleviate the issue. If you need help, contact a knowledgeable trainer for assistance.
All in all, when it comes to potentially offensive dog behaviors, understanding that a dog is an animal and this is how they communicate can help alleviate embarrassment when these behaviors are displayed.
Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, small business consultant, and Certified Master Trainer for 18+ years. Her novel, “Momnesia,” (contemporary women’s fiction) has been designated a National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist, and her nonfiction book, “Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” has been widely acclaimed in its genre. To learn more, please visit www.LoriTheAuthor.com and join Lori on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor.
