The Submissive Dog

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The Submissive Dog

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to dealing with dogs is mistaking a submissive dog with an upset depressed dog.

Dogs act and think very different than humans. When a dog starts respecting a pack leader they not only calm down but they give space to the leader and they avoid eye contact because that is a challenge in the dog world. They lower their heads and tails and slink their bodies down smaller. For a human that would indicate that they were upset, however in the dog world it does not mean that at all. It simply means they are telling you that they accept you as their leader. If you can consistently stay your dog's pack leader your dog will become more secure and happy, not having to worry about taking care of all the humans around them. Keep in mind that a happy, secure submissive dog is one that is calm and lowers themselves, not one that is jumping around like a mad pup.

Confusing a dog's respect as them being upset can actually cause many problems. When you feel bad for the dog you will be sending them mixed signals. They want to feel that you are strong enough to care for them, and when they feel that they will begin to treat you like an alpha dog, that means not jumping all over you and watching you for direction instead of worrying about GIVING YOU direction. Dogs who believe they are alpha puff themselves out, and carry their heads as high as they possibly can to try and make themselves bigger.

When a dog constantly tries to get attention from humans that is not love, it is them trying to control the situation around them. A hyperactive dog who acts like this is a stressed dog, always worrying about controlling everything around them. You want your dog to be calm, and looking to you for direction so they can stop worrying about controlling.

You hear stories about dogs who only like one person, not liking others, protecting that one person etc etc... that is how we humans interpret it. What is really happening is the dog owns the human. Protects them out of possession, not out of love. This human is mine, stay away from them. Humans often confuse that with love. Not so. You want your dog to respect YOU as the leader, not OWN you as their possession.

To help understand how your dog thinks, we suggest Cesar Millan DVD's and or Cesar Millan Books to every dog owner, from Chihuahua to Pit Bull. An excellent guide to communicating with, understanding, and controlling your dog.