Expert: Lee Charles Kelley - 1/26/2008

Question
I have no issue with my dogs behavior, and although their training isnt exceptional i have no problem with that either. My question is simply about them as dogs, and how their minds work.

I have two, a submissive boxer and a more domineering spaniel. They are the same age, are both male, and both neutered. They have been together since they were puppies.
They;re both my babies. We all get on very well, and can be very silly at times.

My question regards the spaniel and dominance. Not him over the other dog, me over him. For a while I've been under the impression he is submissive to me, as it ought to be. He licks my chin, bares his belly... the usual. He gets walked regularly, and I do not allow him to walk ahead of me (if he does, I stop), and I choose the path. But we rough house a fair bit. Like all over silly rolling around, tug-of-war (i always make sure i win), fetch, and bouncing around, getting excited.

Not too long ago, maybe a week ago, I was in the back yard all bundled up, stretching out on the patio to take a break from mowing the grass. I was just laying there and he came over and started licking my hands. I pushed him away, not in the mood. He continued to lick my hands, and then began to lick my face, and I pushed him away again. He then lay across my legs,a nd I ignored him. I guess he took this as his cue, and came up on my arm and face and tried to hump me. Needless to say I leapt up and shoved him off. When he came for attention, I wasnt very happy, and pushed him away.

Later we roughhoused, but when i thouched his belly in passing he lurched up and jammed his nose into my face. I told him a firm no, and pushed him away, and took him into the back room and put him in his crate.

He has calmed down and become more submissive again, but I'm wondering if rough housing is compromising my "dominance." I love to play with him, but this conscerns me. When he tried to be dominant I was worried, because when he is dominant over the other dog he gets very snarly and tends to nip quite hard. The other dog has a few scratches from it. I do not want that to happen to me.

Help?

Answer
Hi, Naomi,

Thanks for your question.

You bring up a topic which is of immense interest to me. Years ago I thought as you do, that dogs are dominant or submissive. But as I examined the rationale behind this line of thinking, I began to realize that most of it doesn't make any sense. For instance, dogs have supposedly inherited their dominant and submissive behaviors as part of the pack instinct, which is supposedly all about who's alpha and who's not. It turns out none of this stuff is true. In real wolf packs, living in the wild, no one ever makes an issue over who gets to walk ahead of everybody else. Mostly it's the breeding female, followed at a close second by the breeding male. But the kids take over from time to time, and it's no big deal. It turns out that all the behaviors we were taught signified dominance are non-existent in real, wild wolves. And when they present themselves in captive wolves and dogs, they're actually a symptom of stress and anxiety.

For more, read these articles:

http://www.tiny.cc/dominance209

http://tinyurl.com/2q2esp

I think what's probably happening with your dog is you've been treating him to too MUCH dominance. And to him, since he has no ability to think in those terms, it doesn't come across as dominance, he just sees it as petty aggression. Add to that the fact that you roughhouse, and play tug, but you never let him win, and you've got a very stressed animal.

Here's what I'd recommend, play tug, but always let the dog win and praise him enthusiastically for winning. Also, stop using all forms of correction and punishment that are in any way based on the idea that you need to show your dog that you're his pack leader. There is no pack leader in wild wolf packs. They're a cooperative hunting society. So instead of correcting him, telling him no, using physical force to get him to behave, try to understand that he's stressed and is looking to you for cues on what he should be doing with his energy. So when he misbehaves realize that he's telling you he's in need of help and instead of trying to make him stop the behavior, give him an alternative outlet for his energy.

Finally, be aware that your dog loves you. You're the center of his universe. But if he's exhibiting so-called dominant behaviors, it means he's anxious and stressed. And he needs you to help him DE-stress and relax. Playing tug, and letting him win, will help do that because it gives him a satisfying outlet for his pent-up energy. Fetch is also good.

I hope I haven't rocked your world too much!

LCK