These things are actually built into a dogs DNA as part of their survival instincts. Yet if our dogs display any of these whilst living amongst us it is a sign that things are not quite right. It does not mean things are drastically wrong yet there is definitely room for improvement, at least for the dogs benefit. All dogs think they are doing the right thing at the moment they are doing it.
* Fight
* Flight
* Avoidance
* Submittance
Fight Believe it or not virtually all dogs do not want to fight. Yes it is true even the loud obnoxious ones. When we look at the make up of a dogs mouth they have 42 teeth that are developed for ripping flesh from bone. They have jaw pressure that far exceeds a human being, yet in the vast majority of dog altercations there is rarely any blood. Imagine that, 42 super sharp teeth and there is rarely blood. When a dog enters into a fight it can be for a few reasons yet whatever the reason is they will do it without fear or the fear of consequence. They will be whole hearted and give it 100%. The various situations of a dog fighting can be when it is defending the pack they are in or to elevate their status in the hierarchy which could be as part of a dog pack or in the presence of a new dog. Dogs that have been neutered can attack dogs that have not been neutered seemingly out of the blue yet equally a dog that has been neutered can play with a dog that has not been neutered. There are also many breeds that were bred by man to be more aggressive and more fearless in combat. What ever the reason our dogs may be aggressive deep down they do not want to fight and in most cases do not want to be aggressive. The reason that there is rarely blood is because it is conversation in dog language which is not understood by or correctly remedied by the owners.
Now I am not trying to make light of aggression I am just highlighting the fact that most of our dogs really do not want to fight, even though they are more than capable of defending themselves and their pack. That being said if our dogs are aggressive then we have to take a hard look at ourselves and our relationship with our dogs. We can not make excuses for our dogs aggression even though there are multiple reasons of why they can be aggressive. Whether it be towards other dogs or human beings.
Many of the things that I have highlighted would happen in the wild and should not be happening in a human environment. It is vary rare indeed that a dog cannot be trained to lose its aggression towards dogs and humans. Very rare!
Flight Flight is best described as straight line running as fast as possible away from the present situation without any looking back. This is an essential part of survival in the animal kingdom. If there is clear and present danger then survival instincts say get the hell out of there. There is no shame attached to it from a dogs point of view. They do not wonder what might have been if they had stuck around, just the fact that they are still around. This is primarily where flight is used all across the animal kingdom, to survive. Dogs are all unique yet all will have flight in their DNA. However the flight can be instigated for far less than clear and present danger or threat to life, a dog can use flight just because they do not trust the situation they are in, some dogs have a more timid deposition where if the slightest feeling or instinct is out of kilter they will leave the situation as soon as possible with out a second thought. Please remember that they think this is the right thing to do.
When our dogs use flight in a human environment it is definitely something that needs to be addressed because it symbolises a complete break down in our relationship with our dog. There is absolutely no trust at any level from the dog and most likely from the handler. It also means that the dog is living a most unpleasant life despite what the owner perceives.
Full on flight mode must not be mistaken for our dogs running away from us when we let a joyful dog off the lead. Even though this is almost certainly something the owner does not want, it usually means the dog is more simply looking for stimulation, a level of stimulation that the dog does not see in its owner. Another reason this may occur is that it is just following its nose. This is also seeking stimulation yet in a more natural way and the dog acting on its instincts instead of staying with its owner. If your dog is displaying flight symptoms please seek help because it is not a pleasant situation for the dog or the owner.
Avoidance Avoidance is primarily a less severe form of flight yet can be almost as distressing for our dogs. Avoidance in the wild is staying out of a situation that seems unstable. It is also another form of communicating which can be where a dog will give up their position in a pack by avoiding the conflict to protect the position. Avoidance can be used where a previous experience has spooked them enough to avoid repeating it again yet not enough to induce full flight. So avoidance is again a part of the animal kingdoms survival DNA and yet again a vital part of living in the wild. Most commonly I see avoidance when the dog does not trust its owner enough to approach what it is avoiding.
However in my opinion it is most definitely not something I want to see from a dog in a human environment. Firstly remember a dog living in a human environment is not the same as living in the wild amongst a pack of dogs. So they have to be taught how to deal with the situations that they face. For a dog to live a happy life with humans we have to teach our dogs how to behave in the many situations that will arise as we take our journey together. Sometimes avoidance can be seen as a handy trait in our dogs where they will stay out of a situation that we would not want them to be in anyway. This may seem like a good scenario to have yet it is the absence of training a dog to deal with that situation and then relying on them to know each time it happens again or when a similar situation arises within a different environment. So in other words we are using avoidance instead of training a dog how to behave amongst humans and with humans. We should never create or encourage avoidance over training and bonding with our dogs.
I have never put a dog into a crate, ever. I have been supplied crates by the animal rescue I was helping to rehabilitate their dogs. I did not even assemble one together. I personally hate crates to the point where I encourage my customers that use them to do away with the crate. I do not want to rant about crates yet I raise the issue because crates cause avoidance. We place our dogs in crates to avoid teaching them how to behave. Avoidance should not be created or encouraged for our dogs to have a happy and fulfilled life with us.
Submittance Submittance has a key role in the wild especially if you live amongst a pack of dogs that all have the capability of hunting and killing. Submittance is again an essential tool for communicating amongst dogs in order for dogs to fulfil their primary basic instinct, which is pack survival. Submissive behaviour and submissive body language are probably some of the most obvious to see in the dog world. This is because it is very well demonstrated by the dog showing submittance. They have to show clearly their intention of surrender before it escalates into anything that could harm them. There is a whole array of submissive and non threatening body language that dogs communicate with. This can be the way they look at each other or a full on flop to their back looking totally away. If we are willing to learn our dogs will be more than happy to teach us how they communicate to each other.
If you think that you need to see submissive behaviour to have a controlling role over your dog in your household then you should not own a dog in my opinion, of at least take a strong look at yourself.
Submission in a human household is a sign things are not right. I had nearly 40 different dogs visit me in my last house, many of whom had been mistreated. They all behaved and I never used aggression. It breaks my heart thinking back to the times I had dogs visit me that had been abused. The dog in the picture is Luther taken at the home of the people that adopted him. Now this fills my heart with joy looking at the picture and knowing the journey that myself and Luther had taken. He was very shut down and broken. Yet is now living a fantastic life full of beans. So please think how you interact with your dog and if your dog is showing submissive behaviour when you interact. Do you think that you need to see submissive body language to know that your dog has gotten the message. I can tell you that you are wrong and if that is the case then please get help! I know dogs respond so much better to our commands when they want to do the things for us that we command sooner than being too scared to not do them. All dogs are unique and all dogs will have different levels of submission. Even in a single litter of puppies you will find one puppy will have more submissive tendencies than its siblings. The antidote to submissive behaviour is confidence definitely not aggression or even taking advantage of it. I often hear people tell me that it is the tone of your voice that gets a dog to listen to you. Then I politely tell them that I work in complete silence even if a dog is attacking me!
I hope that you enjoyed this blog. If you need my help in any situation with your four legged friend, no matter what age or breed then please get in touch or click below