# Do your dogs act submissive when you approach them?



## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

I think mine acts submissive. Not sure.

When I start getting to a certain distance, he puts his ears down and back, and usually goes to the down position, but not always. Usually he then brings his face back up for "doggy kisses" as they're called. Other times, he exposes his belly for some belly rubs.

But other times he does try to act dominant and/or aggressive, like low growls over a toy or something.

Also, thought this website was interesting:

How to Interpret Your Dog's Body Language, Facial Expressions and Vocalizations


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## Davey Benson (Nov 10, 2010)

Some of them do, some don't. The pyrs don't, the GSD doesn't, the black lab doesn't, the blue heeler, the border collie both do.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

It's not a breed thing, it's a personality thing. Some dogs are just more submissive than others. It's nothing breed specific.

The head down, ears back, the licking are all calming signals. A confident dog shouldn't act submissive when it's own family is approaching in a non-threatening way, but it does happen.

The growling and "acting dominant" with the toys is more of a resource guarding thing than a dominance thing.


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

Age will effect this behavior as well. Especially the males. When they are over the age of puppy silliness, but not quite mature adults they will express behaviors that seem conflicting from one day to the next. If you've ever lived with a teenaged boy, you will understand .
My male just turned 2 on Saturday and has recently been thinking he is Big Man on Campus, then when I give him a look (the mom look) he will totally turn into a marshmallow. He's testing right now, so I don't expect this to last long, but I'm not surprised or worried about it. When they turn 3, then you usually get the cool, confident adult he's working on becoming.

Annette


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

She's not submissive entirely....it's sort of a combo of submission and happy/playful.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

My guy (noe 3.5yo male GSD) has never acted submissive in that sense - no peeing, no head down or tail between the legs, etc. (to anything or any other dog either for that matter). he is VERY dominant to other dogs but very friendly with 90% of the ones we meet as well as most other animals including geese we found out a couple of days ago!

OTOH, he will roll over on his side and let me rub his belly when he comes out of his crate and he also "Bows" whenever I come up to his kennel run which his behaviorist said was a sign of submissivness and an invitation to play!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

None of my dogs ever act that way when I approach.
They are wagging tail and pushing a toy into me when I come home.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

I trained my dog using the alpha roll because he was aggressive, and contrary to popular belief, he does not ask submissive when I approach him, not at all. He walks up to me confidently, wagging his tail and looks at my face. My lab does the same.


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## Alexandria610 (Dec 2, 2010)

Alex does a combination. Sometimes it will be the 'omg i'm so excited to see you, mommy! let me bound up to you like a bat out of ****!' and sometimes it's the head down, ears back, tail wagging while she approaches me calmly but I can still tell she's happy to see me and she always lets me love on her while she's being submissive.

My other dogs don't tend to do any of that, ever. I think Alex might not have, had her past been different, but I think her personality was shaped GREATLY on her first four months were she had no socialization, training, or love given to her (she was a rescue from an abandoned home) - she's always had a bit of timidity towards me, but never aggression.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

My girl runs up to me and brushes herself against my legs then falls onto my feet and goes belly up for a belly scratch. Sometimes She'll try to jump but I've trained her not to jump on me so she falls down before reaching my chest then sits anxiously, waiting for my release command for a warm welcome. It's darn cute.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

No, my dogs act normal when I approach them, they just act happy to see me.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

You don't give the age of your dog, which is a minor consideration.
They go through phases and it could be a phase.
As for my dog, I usually have to step over her prone figure when 
I pass where she is. If her head is up or she is not laying down
she is usually looking for some sort of fun or just to see what
is going on so she can stick her nose in the middle of it. (age 2)


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

My pup (15 weeks tomorrow) has his ears back when he meets people with his tail wagging and when we let him out of his crate in the morning or if he's been in while we've been gone. 

Twice he's "leaked" just a bit when he's met kids... is this just a puppy thing or should I be concerned? I've never had that issue with any of my animals.


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## Davey Benson (Nov 10, 2010)

Is it a happy tinkel or a scared tinkel? 

The happy pee is a puppy thing that will probably be outgrown. 

The scared pee, is what is refered to as "submissive urination". You can do a search on that condition. It is something that can be trained out of a dog, usually. The most important thing is to not go balistic when he or she does it, because that just feeds the vicious circle.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Davey Benson said:


> Is it a happy tinkel or a scared tinkel?
> 
> The happy pee is a puppy thing that will probably be outgrown.
> 
> The scared pee, is what is refered to as "submissive urination". You can do a search on that condition. It is something that can be trained out of a dog, usually. The most important thing is to not go balistic when he or she does it, because that just feeds the vicious circle.


Agreed. You have to down-play greetings, even ignore them instead of greeting.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I think it's a happy pee, he doesn't act scared at all...he's usually wriggling and trying to lick the kids' faces. 

First time was when there was about 5-6 13 yo's petting him outside the car window, last Saturday night while he was standing on the arm rest, and then tonight, when my dtr brought her friend home. This friend came in with my dtr and son, they're all 12-13 yo kids and they all crouched to pet him. He seemed happy. I figured it just might be a bladder control thing, or at least am hoping it is. Thanks for the input.


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

What's wrong with your pup being submissive? I don't view submissive as fear. It's a personality type. A submissive puppy can be very confident if they are secure in their leader. Right? I'm I wrong? There is a big difference in being submissive and having fear.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

JulieBays said:


> What's wrong with your pup being submissive? I don't view submissive as fear. It's a personality type. A submissive puppy can be very confident if they are secure in their leader. Right? I'm I wrong? There is a big difference in being submissive and having fear.


 
Not too bad in little puppies - not something that I would want in an adult dog, no matter who it occurs with including the owner. 

A GSD is not supposed to show fear or nervousness under any circumstances.

JMT


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

codmaster said:


> Not too bad in little puppies - not something that I would want in an adult dog, no matter who it occurs with including the owner.
> 
> A GSD is not supposed to show fear or nervousness under any circumstances.
> 
> JMT


My point is that fear is different than submissive. Right? Submissive and fear together is a human condition. I think that we, as humans, tend to think that submissive is a bad thing and fear oriented. My thought is that a submissive dog and pack is a dog thing and totally different. Being submissive to your pack leader as a dog is normal. I think? Right?


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

JulieBays said:


> My point is that fear is different than submissive. Right? Submissive and fear together is a human condition. I think that we, as humans, tend to think that submissive is a bad thing and fear oriented. My thought is that a submissive dog and pack is a dog thing and totally different. Being submissive to your pack leader as a dog is normal. I think? Right?


I don't know... but I went through this with my oldest dog. When my bf moved in over seven years ago, my oldest dog, for some reason, began to submissively pee. He did NOT do a single thing to scare her - he was just big, with a deep voice and new in the house and that's all it took. 

Around this time, though, any male who was tall with a deep voice got her submissively peeing. It may have been a fear stage, I don't know for sure.

Once I trained the *humans* to ignore her upon their approach and when they did acknowledge her, to get low when they called to her and even use a higher pitched voice, it went away fairly soon. She was *never* punished in any way for this behavior.


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## GermanShepherds6800 (Apr 24, 2011)

No, all of mine trust me and greet me with happy expression and wagging bodies. They show me respect by not jumping on me and waiting for permission to go through doors and such to show they accept me as the leader. My dogs are working dogs. They are expected to be confident yet obedient. I would not train a dog for my tasks that act the way you describe.


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

GermanShepherds6800 said:


> No, all of mine trust me and greet me with happy expression and wagging bodies. They show me respect by not jumping on me and waiting for permission to go through doors and such to show they accept me as the leader. My dogs are working dogs. They are expected to be confident yet obedient. I would not train a dog for my tasks that act the way you describe.[/QUOT
> 
> I agree as adults they need to be confident and greet appropriately. Sasha greets me with ears down and a crazy wagging tail. She is only 5 months old. I keep working on her confidence. She needs it and I know this. But, she does look up to me as her mom/leader. What I am trying to say is...
> 
> How would a dog react to it's pack leader after the pack leader was gone for 6 hours or so? I'm just giving a scenario. I really want to know this. I need to know this for Sasha.


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## GermanShepherds6800 (Apr 24, 2011)

Best thing would be to have a behaviorist in to watch her and work with her or at least video what you are concerned about. It could be very misleading to go by a worked description and someone may catch something you are not seeing. Online diagnosing can go so wrong and if your dog needs help she does not need a problem diagnosis.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

JulieBays said:


> My point is that fear is different than submissive. Right? Submissive and fear together is a human condition. I think that we, as humans, tend to think that submissive is a bad thing and fear oriented. My thought is that a submissive dog and pack is a dog thing and totally different. Being submissive to your pack leader as a dog is normal. I think? Right?


 
IMHO, an adult GSD should not be outwardly submissive to anyone or other dog esp. not to the point of peeing on their arrival. Puppies might do it sometimes but should then grow out of it. 

I had a female GSD who would do that sometimes until she was almost 15 months but then got out of it (we used to ignore her when we came home) and she went on to be a great temperament dog and was a good ScH dog when we trained her in that as well as in AKC Obedience thru utility.


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

I still want an answer to my question. (that I didn't ask)  I know we're not dogs but, how would a puppy or dog greet their pack leader? How do they do it? I'm curious and serious about this. The reason is that I think the original article is bullcrap. That's all I'm sayin'.


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## GermanShepherds6800 (Apr 24, 2011)

I think to much has been made of key phrases like "pack leader" and "alpha rolling" so that it could all be packaged up in a bow to sell or get tv ratings. Perhaps you should ask Caesar Milan lol


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## JulieBays (Jun 26, 2011)

GermanShepherds6800 said:


> I think to much has been made of key phrases like "pack leader" and "alpha rolling" so that it could all be packaged up in a bow to sell or get tv ratings. Perhaps you should ask Caesar Milan lol


I don't agree with "alpha rolling" either! I don't even know who Ceasar is? I had to google the guy!! What the heck have I said? I just disagree with the fact that "submissive" means "fearful" in dog. That is it! If everyone just would back up and think about it. Sheesh!!


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## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

I should point out that mine is almost 9 months old. So not an adult yet.

But like I said, sometimes he acts aggressive and other times he acts submissive. So kind of confusing.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

JulieBays said:


> I don't agree with "alpha rolling" either! I don't even know who Ceasar is? I had to google the guy!! What the heck have I said? I just disagree with the fact that "submissive" means "fearful" in dog. That is it! If everyone just would back up and think about it. Sheesh!!


 
So maybe you could define and differentiate the two terms as you apply them to dogs? Since you disagree, then you must have an idea of the difference between them?


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

BGSD said:


> I should point out that mine is almost 9 months old. So not an adult yet.
> 
> But like I said, sometimes he acts aggressive and other times he acts submissive. So kind of confusing.


 
If your dog is acting like both to the same stimuli, then perhaps he has a type of fear aggression? 

Supposed to be pretty common in many dogs according to some folks.


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

Banjo is a confident, happy dog. When he's with me all is right in the world and he is pretty laid back. When greeting kids, his ears go back and his head dips some. He's trying to be as non-threatening as possible. Adults are greeted with ears up and tail wagging, usually a sniff and that's enough for him unless the humans want to pet him. His eyes are locked on me the whole time, I guess you could say he tolerates the interaction. His concern is ME, so in the end I dictate how he reacts more than anything. A mere twitch of my head and he'll blow off anyone, if I act non-concerned he pretty much copies me. Folks say Germans are aloof, I say they are not. I say they are more concerned with their owners and it comes across as aloofness. It really is amazing how well these dogs can scan their owners and adapt to the situation. So, as to the dominant/submissive aspect I submit that my dog is submissive to my needs and in social situations displays no submissive/dominant traits to others. Banjo is simply doing his job and relying on me to make the decisions. With other dogs? All bets are off, he's a silly monkey that loves to play.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

JulieBays said:


> My point is that fear is different than submissive. Right? Submissive and fear together is a human condition. I think that we, as humans, tend to think that submissive is a bad thing and fear oriented. My thought is that a submissive dog and pack is a dog thing and totally different. Being submissive to your pack leader as a dog is normal. I think? Right?


I agree that there is a difference. If Abby sees someone she really likes she will walk/run over to them with her tail wagging and lie down at their feet for a belly rub. Even at 2 she will occasionally leak but it is very rare.
Then she gets right up and starts trying to get them to play.
There is no fear involved.


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