One of the long-standing myths about dog behavior is that all dogs have a “natural desire to please” humans. Ask the average pet owner if they have counted on a dogs natural desire to please when there is also a squirrel to chase, and you’ll find that the natural desire to chase prey won out. This is one of the many countless examples of a dog “misbehaving”. Because she is carrying out a truly natural dog behavior.

When dogs need to settle their differences they engage in physical “arguments” that can include growling, snarling, snapping, and more. Ritualized aggression can look like dangerous fighting to the untrained eye, but it is actually a natural part of canine communication.

It is normal for a young pup to be cautious of new stimuli, or even retreat into a full fear display if something new is intense. however, as long as the new stimulus is not actually panful or overwhelming, given sufficient time and distance, a normal puppy will become comfortable with it. This is called bounce-back.

4-12 weeks of age is the critical socialization period. Trying to socialize a dog after the critical socialization period has ended is called remedial socialization. Remedial socialization is a slow and time consuming process.

At about 5 or 6 months of age, a puppy begins to shed its goofy natural and emerging adolescent behaviors will emerge. During this period a dog’s elimination control, puppy biting, and ability to focus should be improving. changes in a dog’s hormones and its developing brain causes changes in the behavior. They begin to sense their physical strength and agility and may be bolder with jumping, body slamming, intentional mouthing, chewing, and more. Adolescent dogs become more concerned with their social status and their territory. Leading to increased independence, assertiveness, protectiveness over processions, and potentially heightened aggression towards other dogs and strangers. Behavior in an adolescent will be more erratic and unpredictable than it was in puppyhood.

Other adult dogs will treats and adolescent differently than they treat a harmless, naive pup. Improper behavior from an adolescent (such as in-you-face greetings, body slamming during play, or direct threats) towards adult dogs will not be tolerated in the same way as it might be from a young pup. Adolescents will be more likely to get a “correction” in the form of growls and snaps to send a message of “mind your manners”. This is often helpful communication for a “teen” dog that is learning proper social norms and Is usually not intended to injure, as long sit comes from a well socialized adult dog.

Developing an "eye" for reading dog behavior is an ongoing process for individuals who work with or own dogs. It involves observing and understanding subtle cues, body language, and vocalizations to interpret a dog's emotions, intentions, and overall well-being. Effective communication with dogs relies heavily on the ability to recognize and respond to their signals accurately.

Orienting Response: the orienting response is when an animal turns to face something that has caught their attention. Usually nose, eyes, and ears will all be facing in the same direction. What a dog is oriented towards is what he is focused on and thinking about. It tells you what his priority motivator is in that instant and can help you determine he is likely to do (or not do) next.

Greeting Behavior: Whether two dog know each other or not, the moment when they first approach one another is a very interesting time to observe body language and communication.

Mutual sniffing is the most commonly seen greeting behavior. This includes dogs sniffing each other’s muzzles, butts, and genital areas.

3 Main Possibilities After Greeting:

Disinterest- one or both dogs have no interest in further interaction and they both go their separate ways

Play- the dogs engage in play interaction like chase or wrestling

Conflict- the dogs engage in ritualized aggression or a fight. Ritualized aggression is far more common than a real fight (with intent to harm) because dogs typically don’t want to risk injuring themselves.

Appeasement and Submission: A dog that gives an appeasement signal upon greeting is deferring status or control to the other dog he is meeting. Technically the difference is that appeasement is designed to prevent an aggressive act before it starts. Whereas submission is shown to a dog that is already acting aggressively - in order to “turn off” the aggression.

Obnoxious submission: This tactic may be used to gain access or space without eliciting an aggressive response

Some submissive behaviors can be easily confused with different signals. Two examples are submissive grin and submissive urination. A submissive grin is when a dog pulls up his front lips to reveal his front teeth and it is often misinterpreted as a threatening snarl. Submissive urination is often confused with a house training mistake. It is not. It is a communication signal where the dog is actually “being polite” by saying, “I mean no harm, let’s be peaceful”.

Common appeasement behaviors:

Lowering head or body

Averting gaze

Ears back

Tongue flick

Wagging tail

Rolling on back

Submissive urination

Butt Sniff: These investigations are typically accepted by both parties if they are well socialized, tolerant dogs. A “rude” butt sniff may be met with displeasure or a threat if it is too invasive (some dogs push their nose up under other’s tails) or goes on for too long.

Chin or paw over back: When one dog places her paw over another dog’s back, is is similar to a chin over in that both of these behaviors are done by a dog that is seeking to assert her status or control over another dog. If the recipient dog is not tolerant, behaviors like this can lead to conflict such as ritualized aggression or a real fight. Ritualized aggression is “going through the motions” of a fight without actually hurting one another. It usually contains loud growling, snarling, body slams, and biting with limited pressure.

Mounting and Humping: If a dog is excessively mounting others, it is advisable to keep a close eye on him, as conflict is likely to come soon. Dogs may mount and/or hump whenever they are excited, for any of the following reasons;

To initiate a sexual encounter

To instigate a response for play

To assert status or control over another individual

Social Distance and Comfort Zone: Just like people, dogs have a certain social distance from others they are comfortable with, depending on the situation. Dogs also have a social distance “comfort zone” and will respond with submission, threat, or flight behavior if their comfort zone is violated.

Behaviors that Say “Come Closer”:

Play bows

Lunge forward then backward (feint and parry, invites a chase)

Walking forward with indirect eye contact and/or curved approach

Calming signals

Slow/medium tail wagging at medium height or in a wide/circular motion

Behaviors that Say “Give Me Space”:

Snarling

Growling

Turning and walking away

Ears flat back with eyes and head turned away

Tail tucked

Biting

Behaviors that Could Go Either Way - Dependent on Context:

Barking

Ears back

Ears up or forward

Lying down

Freezes: Freezes are a normal part of canine greetings, play, and conflict. They are an instant of pause during which a dog appears to decide whether to engage in friendly behavior, conflict behavior, or total avoidance. You will often see a dog do a freeze just before striking out to bite, but a freeze can also come right before a play bow.

Face Off: A face off is when two dogs are facing each other and making direct eye contact. Like a freeze, a face off can be an instant of tension, but it does not always predict that a conflict is coming. If accompanying body language looks stiff and threatening, then a face off is an indication that a fight may ensue - and the dogs should be split up as quickly as possible.

Curved Body Lines: When dogs approach once another, taking a slightly curved path towards one another conveys that they have peaceful intentions. As they get near one anther that can also show curved body lines, which means the dogs are slightly curved to the side rather than straight on (in a face off), which is far more threatening. This is similar to when two people meet and they naturally turn to the side as they shake hands. This is a polite stance that makes the other person feel more comfortable. In summary, a curved body or a curved approach are both ways to show appeasement or submission.

Paw Lift: A paw lift is similar to a freeze in that an interaction can go “either way” after the paw lift happens. A paw lift is when a dog lifts one of his paws off the ground, leaving the other 3 down. If the dog that has lifted his paw is showing signs of appeasement, then the paw lift is another way to say, “I am harmless, let’s be peaceful”. In some other cases, though, the paw lift may be accompanied by a tense body with head held high and growling.

Caution: Caution is a normal, healthy, mild state of fear. Signs that a dog is cautious are if she is leaning away from something or someone. You may also see displacement behaviors such as sniffing or scratching. During greetings, a dog with good social manners will give a cautious dog space and time to adapt to their presence. Rude or pushy dogs will ignore signs of caution and invade the cautious dog’s space - usually with the effect of causing a fight or flight response in the overwhelmed dog.

Signs of Fear:

Lowered body/head

Backing away

Tucked tail

Flat ears

Tongue flicks

When a dog is fearful it will typically respond with submission, threat, or flight. Submission would be an attempt to lessen the intensity of whatever is scaring the dog. Threat would be an attempt to defend itself by presenting aggression. Flight would be an attempt to escape. If flight is not an option (due to leash or other barrier) and submission or defensive threats are ignored, a fearful dog is likely to attack in order to defend itself. This is natural and understandable.

Standing Tall and Height Seeking: In standing tall, the dog has all four paws on the ground. He draws himself to his maximum height. Standing tall is often seen as a threat. In height seeking behavior, the dog does not have four paws on the ground. He may be jumping up with just his back legs on the ground. Height seeking can also be seen with a dog jumping on or near a human. Another variation on height seeking is when a dog seeks higher ground by jumping up or on a higher object such as furniture or a boulder.

Raised Hackles (Piloerection): It is a common misconception that raised hackles are always a sign of aggression. The stiff , raised coat is actually a sign of arousal (excitement), fear, or surprise.

When reading body language: always look for multiple signals to gain a complete picture of what each individual sign may say about the dog’s overall state.

Ears:

Back - Appeasing or submissive - Letting others know “I am harmless, let’s be peaceful”

Far back but not flattened - Showing cautiousness

Flat back - Fearful or defensive

Semi-erect - Oriented towards a sound or sight of interest (up halfway or could be turned in a specific direction)

Out-to-the-side/Airplane Ears - Uncertainly, conflicted, or mixed emotions

Natural/Relaxed - In their natural position with no tension - often seen during relaxation in calm social situations

Eyes:

Soft eyes - Relaxed, partially closed, squinty, not wide eyed. Usually seen with relaxed facial features, no tension around eyes. Signifies a relaxed dog in a non-threatening state, or appeasement.

Hard eyes - Can look like a frozen, lifeless stare. Open wider than normal. Usually seen with tension in the facial muscles around the eyes. Pupils may be contracted but not a defining characteristic. Signifies stress or threat of conflict.

Dilating Pupils - The dark circles inside the eyes (pupils) are open wide. Signifies low light, stress, or excitement

White in eye - When you see more white in the eye than usual. Also called crescent moon eye because the white in the eyes can look like a crescent. A lot of white in a hard eye is often called a whale eye. White in the eye often signifies stress or threat but it can appear for any of the following reasons: The dog has hard eyes, the facial muscles and skin are tense, pulling the eyelids open more than normal. The dog may be holding his head firmly in one position (such as over a food resource he was chewing) while orienting his eyes in the direction of a competitive threat that is coming from an angle not directly in front of him.

Lips: Lips are sometimes easy to read, in the case of a snarl, whereas other times their movements and meanings are subtler. The scientific term for lips is commissures.

Short lips - The corners of the lips are drawn forward in the direction of the nose, making the mouth appear smaller and more tense

Snarl - The upper lips by the nose are pulled back to reveal the canine teeth, this is a snarl and signifies a threat. A snarl is also known as an agnostic pucker.

Lips going from long to short - This often signifies tension and can be a threat

Long lips - The corners of the lips are pulled back in the direction of the neck, making the mouth opening appear longer. In a dog with a relaxed face, long lips signifies a relaxed, non-threatening dog (sometimes reminiscent of a human smile). In a dog with tension or other signs of stress in his face, long lips can be accompanied by panting or drooling and this overall face signifies stress.

Submissive grin - An uncommon form of long lips combined with raise upper lips that reveal the entire front set of teeth (not just the canines). A submissive grin a be distinguished from a snarl by noticing that the front of the upper lips under the nose (and often the nose itself) are raise but even more so by the accompanying body language and situation: with a submissive grin the dog will usually be in fluid motion, such as in a greeting situation whereas with a snarl, the dog will usually be tense and perhaps in a freeze, such as when guarding a resource.

Tail: The tail is the most visible body part on many dogs, but is also the one that is most often misunderstood. For example, all tail wagging does not automatically signify friendly intensions. When looking at the overall tail height, always focus on the base of the tail - the thickest part, where it meets the rump, not the tip. The tail itself rarely tells you enough to know what the dog is feeling or “saying”. As always, you need to look at all of the other key body parts and the dog’s movement overall.

Level tail height - Even with the topline of the back, in other words, straight back or slightly below. Tail can be level in many different situations.

Lowered tail height - Below the topline of the back. Depending on how low the tail base is, this can signify: relaxation, lower confidence, submissiveness, cautiousness, uncertainty

Tucked - As low as the tail can go, over the anus, and in extreme cases of fear, sometimes even curled over the genitalia

Raised - Above the topline of the back. Signifies confidence, arousal, or alertness

Raised high - Straight up or over the topline of the back, or even higher, angled more towards the back. Signifies high confidence and/or high arousal

Natural - The natural tail carriage for some breeds is extreme and this must be taken into account when using their tail as an indicator of emotions or intent. For example, Whippets and some other sighthounds have a long tail that is naturally carried very low. Pugs have a tail that is curled tightly on top of their back when in the natural, relaxed, position.

Tail wagging - Not all tail wagging is friendly. Look at tail motion within the overall context of the dog’s body and the situation. Here are two examples of different extremes: A relaxed tail (around level height) moving in wide or circular tail wags is a sign of friendliness. A stiff, high tail wagging very quickly in short options may be a sign of tension and threat

Calming Signals: