Signs of Submission in Dogs

Understanding how to read a dog's behavior can be a valuable tool for interacting with your own dog and predicting the behavior of other dogs. Identifying submissive behavior will help you know what is happening when your dog meets another dog or person. While it is important to not make your dog fearful, your dog needs to learn to submit to you to facilitate training and enable you to control your dog.

  1. Eye Contact

    • Submissive dogs will be the first party to break eye contact. Dogs that are extremely submissive may go so far as to avoid direct eye contact altogether.

    Head

    • A dog that is submitting will lower its head and lay its ears flat against its head.

    Licking

    • A submissive dog will lick the chin and corners of the mouth of the dog or person it is submitting to.

    Belly

    • A dog that rolls onto its back and shows its belly is displaying a submissive posture.

    Paws

    • A dog that places its paw on another dog's shoulder is showing dominance. Any dog that allows another to place a paw on its shoulder is submitting.

    Tail

    • A submissive dog may tuck its tail between its legs. This behavior can be a sign of submission or fear.