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Canine Behavior/puppy sitting on head of older dog
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Question
Our 4 month old beagle puppy has started to sit or straddle our older dog's head and most recently has begun to back up to the older dog and kick her hind legs like she does after having a bowl movement. What social message is this?
Hi, MaLisa,
Thanks for the question.
Dogs don't send "social messages" per se. That's how we, as humans, perceive their behaviors. But almost all canine behaviors are an attempt to reduce some internal tension or stress that the dog is feeling. There's not the same kind of intent to communicate a message that WE would have.
How old and how big is the older dog? Does he or she like to play with the pup, or would s/he rather not be bothered with all that puppy energy? Has the older dog ever growled, showed teeth, or barked at the pup to try and make the pup back off?
Even without answers to these questions my feeling is that the pup is probably frustrated that the older dog won't play with her, at least not with the same kind of energy she has. The older dog's head may be bigger than the pup's, which would automatically create SOME tension. Normally that kind of tension in a pup would be released through licking the older dog's jowls (often misinterpreted as an "appeasement" gesture). Or she might bark at the older dog. Or jump around her in crazy circles, etc. Instead she's chosen to "turn her back" on the problem (which would make sense if the older dog's head were bigger), but still wants to engage the older dog in play. She just hasn't found a successful strategy yet.
I hope this explains it to your satisfaction. If not, let me know how I can help you further.
LCK
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Lee Charles Kelley
Expertise
I've been training dogs in New York City for nearly 20 years. My training approach and philosophy are based on the way police dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and detection dogs are trained--through the prey drive, inherited from the wolf. It's true that there's been a shift away from using the "wolf model" in dog training recently, and to some extent, there's a good reason. That's because trainers have been using the wrong model, the one that says you have to be the "alpha" or the pack leader in order to control your dog's behavior. This simply isn't true. In wild wolves there is no dominance hierarchy, no "alpha" wolf, and no pack leader (not in the traditional sense). The pack instinct only exists to enable wolves to hunt large prey by working in harmony. (Wolves who live near garbage dumps, for example, and who don't hunt together, don't form packs.) So if wolves don't have an instinct to "follow the pack leader" or "obey the alpha wolf," how could dogs have inherited it from them?
Years ago, before I became a dog trainer, I noticed that the happiest, most obedient, and best-behaved dogs I met weren't the ones who'd been to a dog trainer or behaviorist; they were the dogs whose owners always had Frisbees and tennis balls on hand. And while it might seem that my approach would only be relevant to high-drive dogs who love fetch and tug-of-war, it isn't. Even something as seemingly unrelated as a housebreaking issue or greeting behavior are often the direct result of a dog's predatory energy not having an acceptable outlet.
All behavior is an expression of energy. So when a dog's energy isn't utilized in a way that feels satisfying to his or her instincts and emotions, that's when behavioral problems develop. Giving the dog an acceptable outlet for its energy will almost always bring the dog's behavior back into alignment with its instincts
Feel free to ask me questions about any training/behavioral issue.
LCK
Experience
20 years as a dog trainer. I'm also a bestselling author, writing a series of dog-related mystery novels for Avon.
Organizations
Dog Writers Association of America
Education/Credentials
Just a natural gift I have for understanding and training dogs
Past/Present Clients
Too numerous to mention.
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