Dog Behavior Information

One of the first people to seriously study dog behaviour was Charles Darwin, who also sketched out many of the behaviours he observed. Although dogs spend countless hours staring at people in order to learn a person's body language, some dog owners do not return the favour. According to the non-profit organization Doggone Safe, teaching children basic dog behaviour can prevent dog bites.

  1. Submission

    • Various signs that a dog is acknowledging its superiors are by urinating, rolling on its back to expose the belly and by a play bow. This is when the dog has the chest and forelegs flat against the ground but the hindquarters are up in the air.

    Eye Contact

    • Dogs take staring unblinkingly into their faces as a sign of aggression. "The KISS Guide to Raising a Puppy" (Liz Palika, 2002), recommends not letting dogs stare at other dogs in order to prevent dog fights.

    Aggression

    • Leave a dog alone that is growling, snarling, showing teeth silently or suddenly raises the tail straight up. Dogs that suddenly urinate even if they are fully housetrained are thinking of biting.

    Changes

    • It is important to know how one's dog normally behaves. According to "ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs" (Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld, VMD, 1999), sudden changes in a dog's normal behaviour can indicate severe illness.

    Misconception

    • Not all dogs that are wagging their tails are friendly. If the dog is wagging its tail and barking or backing up, chances are it is scared and may bite.