To really understand dog behavior you must first understand the behavior of the dogs ancestor, the wolf.
Wolves are one of the most successful species on the planet and with bodies, brains and senses evolved to succeed as a co-operative hunter. In the process they have developed a set of complex behaviors and signals, which is key to their success as social animals.
Dogs are directly descended from wolves and have been domesticated for only 15 000 years or so, a mere blip on the evolutionary scale. So it makes sense that many of the wolf’s instincts and drives are still present in dogs.
Once you accept this, a lot of your dog’s behaviors will begin to make sense.
Here are some of the “wolf-like” behaviors you may notice in your dog.
Pack Hierarchy: The wolf pack has a simple, but effective hierarchial structure. At the top is the alpha male and his mate. The rest of the pack are usually their offspring although it may include other, non-related wolves. All however, unquestionably follow the alpha male.
In the same way, a dog will instinctively follow someone who displays the right leadership qualities. But if he feels this leadership is not present, he’ll try to take up the role himself. This is particularly try of breeds with high dominance.
Body Language: Wolves and dogs communicate extensively by body language. This involves a complex set of gestures using the tail, ears, body posture, eye contact and facial expressions.
We humans don’t always understand these signals. A common misconception, for example, is that a wagging tail indicates happiness when it can actually mean anything from submission to aggravation.
Territorial Behavior: A wolf pack will often stake out a territory and defend it against intruders. Dogs are the same, except their “territory” may be a favorite toy, their favorite person, or a preferred spot on the couch.
Social Interaction: The social structure of the pack promotes co-operation, while play and social interaction helps the pack develop the co-operative hunting skills that are central to their survival.
You can simulate this with your dog through play, walks and obedience training. But you need to go further, socializing your dog with a broad spectrum of people and other animals, so that he doesn’t start to see everyone outside his immediate circle as a threat.
Pursuit: Wolves hunt by following a prey animal until they run it to ground. Their instinct is therefore to chase objects moving away from them.
The same behavior can be seen in dogs when they run after a fleeing cat or a passing car.
Running Away: Most predators (even lions) choose their battles carefully. They’d rather flee than fight a battle where they could suffer an injury. The same usually applies to wolves and dogs.
Vocalization: A wolf has the same vocal abilities as a dog and contrary to popular belief they do occasionally bark. However, as vocal signals would frighten off prey, or alert enemies, they tend to use their voices sparingly.
Dogs have no such concerns and use an extensive vocabulary that includes barking, whining and howling to express their feelings.
To find out more about dog training, dogs 101, dog health and other useful dog info visit http://www.dogsanddogtraining.com