Submissive behavior is a choice, not something a dog is forced into. This behavior may be exhibited around people, dogs, or other animals. A dog displaying submissive behavior may hold its head down and avert its eyes. Its tail is usually low or in a neutral position, but not tucked.
Coupled with the fact that dogs inherently dislike something reaching down from above toward them, most dogs quickly learn to associate a hand reaching toward their head with discomfort or stress. This leads many dogs to become head shy, and they learn to duck out of the way of a hand reaching toward them.
Signaling Stress/Avoidance. Conclusion: If your dog is stressed, she will often look in the opposite direction of the stressor. This can be read as “Avoidance”. If someone invades your dog's personal space, and it makes your dog uneasy, she will use a “Look Away” to communicate that.
If he is lying down in a hallway, walk through him by gently shuffling your feet until he gets up and moves. The alpha never walks around his littermates. Don't let your dog treat you like a sibling, be the parent. In control, but calm and silent dominance works best.
If your dog sleeps on your bed, you've probably woken up to find their bum facing you. There are several reasons why this happens, and most of them are pretty benign. These include comfort, ventral contact, trust, protection, eye contact, wanting to be left alone, territory marking, petting, and parasites.
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.
They're confused. A soft stare, tilted head and pricked ears – dogs have the cutest way of letting us know they're not sure what's going on and waiting for clarifications. Oftentimes the answer to the question “why does my dog stare at me” is that they're feeling confused.
What it means: This is what some dog trainers call the 'play bow' and means exactly that. A similar pose to the greeting stretch but more animated and often with their tail wagging. When your pup is feeling playful, they'll often pose this way. It's their way of asking “will you play with me?”
Do Dogs Like Being Pet on the Head? Most dogs don't want you touching their head—at least not the top of it. This is usually because dogs feel vulnerable in that spot, and if they don't trust you, they may be worried that you will hurt them by touching their head.
Greeting Stretch
When you come home from work or school and your dog greets you with a stretch, that means that he is saying hello to you. Yes, that's right! Contrary to what most people believe, your dog didn't just wake up from a short nap or decide to do some puppy yoga.
Dogs who follow you to the bathroom
As their owner, you are the one who meets most of their needs, including for affection, so following is a sign of this attachment. They may also be waiting for routines they enjoy such as a walk or dinner time.
So when you let your fuzzy pal out the backdoor for a bathroom break and they begin to stare straight through you, remember that it is for their own safety. As the dog parent, they are looking to you to watch their back and ensure nothing attacks or hurts them during their moment of extreme vulnerability.
If your dog follows you everywhere then it's a sign that they trust and love you and that you make them feel safe. Following you very closely can be a sign that they're bored, they want something, they're feeling scared or are just being nosy.
They may even approach the stranger, but still display insecure body language (head lowered, tail tucked, hackles raised, etc.). An insecure dog may be very clingy to you, following you around the house as you go from room to room. You may not see them relax until you relax, such as when you sit on the couch.
Dominant dog body language
When your dog is feeling confident and dominant, he or she will have a strong, positive body position. There will also be signs of alertness: rigid muscles and tail; raised fur; an attempt to make direct eye contact; and a closed mouth, sometimes accompanied by a soft growl.
Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
They may prefer the person who gives them the most attention and affection. This can include petting, belly rubs, or even just sitting next to them. Dogs also respond well to touch and may form a stronger bond with the person who massages their ears or scratches their back.
Why do dogs like to sleep with you? If your pup likes to sleep with you, it means they feel secure and comfortable with you. When your dog was a puppy, they cuddled up with their littermates for warmth and comfort, so now they want to do the same with their people.
It provides them with a reliable place to lay their head and sense safety. This desire to sleep with you is likely a natural instinct to stay close for safety and secureness. You being the head of household or of certain authority to your dog, they feel the most secure in your presence.
You Walk Through The Doors First
As a pack leader, you lead the way. Your dog will let you walk through the door before him out of respect for the leader. This instinctive rule also applies in the wild, where small dogs will not enter the cave before the alpha.