Submissive verses Fearful Dog Behavior
Many people confuse submissive behavior and fearful behavior. While fearful behavior can present itself as submissive behavior, submissive behavior does not have to mean a dog is fearful. Submissive behavior is actually a very healthy and proper dog behavior intended for dogs to communicate to higher ranking dogs that they honor and respect the higher ranking dog and pose no threat.
It should further be mentioned that a dog that is lower in social rank than another does not mean the lower ranking dog is fearful or not confident. It means he/she knows her place in the social pack. Dogs that do not know their place will often fight with others to discover where they are at in the social order. Dogs that are comfortable and understand who they are, is actually a very nice dog to live with!
By definition from Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary submission is; 1. the condition of being submissive, humble, or compliant, or; 2. an act of submitting to the authority or control of another. Nowhere does it say that submission is fearful.
Fear in dogs is many times ambiguous or inexplicable meaning it doesn’t always have justification. It is the expectation of the worst even if there is no clear reason to be afraid. It can also be created from past bad experiences.
Dogs will behave in many ways when they are afraid. Some may be submissive. Others may revert to instinctual behaviors such as biting or aggressing to defend themselves. Some dogs may hide or try to escape.
Appropriate submissive behavior is none of those. It is a proper, respectful behavior towards authority towards dogs or humans.
The problem for humans is that we can actually increase a dog’s fearfulness by positively reinforcing submissive behavior. Many of us think a dog is rolling over for belly rubs when the reality is the dog is acting fearful. Sometimes, it is very difficult to distinguish between true submissive behavior and fearfulness. What we must do is to watch the dog’s behavior in general to know if the dog is fearful in general or confident in general but perhaps a lower social ranking dog.
For us to not increase fearful behavior, it is important to know the difference and not positively reinforce fearful behavior with petting. Humans want to “soothe” fearful behavior when in reality the best way to help a fearful dog is to give him confidence in YOU, as his leader by acting in a dog leader way.
Fearful behavior should not be confused with submissive behavior. It further means that if you have a submissive dog, it does not necessarily mean he has been abused in an earlier home. Look at the bigger picture, and try to determine ALL of your dog’s behavior before making judgments about whether your dog is fearful or properly submissive.
Caption: A fearful dog will show generalized fearful behavior. A dog that displays appropriate submissive behavior is showing respect for a higher ranking dog. Here, Lexi the puppy is one of the most confident dogs I know, but she is showing respect and submission to the higher ranking male, Evandar.
