Canine Behavior

[elzmaddy]

Often I see dogs being walked around the neighborhood and when two dogs don't know each other come close one starts barking and pulling at its leash like it wants to rip the other one's head off. Sometimes both of them do this, soemtimes one or the other is more submissive.

But my question is, and this may be silly: What would happen if the owners let go of the leashes? Do they want to kill each other or do they want to mate? If mating, is this typical behavior?

 

[Dragnov]

Depends. Some want to fight. Some just want sniff each others butt. But some just want to hump the other dog.

I don't know if theres any pattern to it.

My dogs are usually #2.

 

[thedarkwolf]

You can usually tell if its happy friendly excited barking or I want to kill you barking either by the way they are barking or body posture.

Mate you know sometimes they do just want to be friends .

 

[calpha]

My dogs bark like hell but all htey ever want to do is play.

Another way you can tell is by the breed. Even though my dogs are females----they don't fight with other dogs. But they're labs---and labs aren't dominant dogs like pit bulls or Akitas. My aunt had an Akita that would attack any dog male or female that came into their yard. My mother's dog (my dog's mother btw)---is strangely territorial. She always jumps the fence and sits on the front porch....and when other dogs come around, she'll sniff em and be nice as long as they don't come into the yard. Everyone in the neighborhood knows her now since she's such a Houdini, and will escape the back yard at all costs. When they walk by, they just say "Hey Shadow" and let her come out to say hello.

 

[Siddhartha]

With dogs their relationships are usually based on who is dominant.

 

[calpha]

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
With dogs their relationships are usually based on who is dominant.

All dogs are based on dominant--alpha- behavior. No doubt. But a dog's actions with other dogs is based a lot on it's breed was my point. I had a chow/sheapheard growing up....and he would fight at first----be friends second. My labs now----are never fighters first. The only time they've even been agressive is when they were visiting their other siblings and the food was passed out. With all other dogs they meet......they growl and carry on....but all they want to do is play.

My aunt----the Akita----is the opposite. Where my aunt lives, they've had strays come into her farm, and the Akita has actually killed one of them. With other dogs....even non threatening dogs like my mother in law's poodle----that dog will attact first.....maybe not to kill with non-dominant dogs----but he asserts his dominance before anything else.

That's what I was trying to say-----breed determines a lot of whether a dog will assert it's dominance, or be a part (like in a pack). My dogs will only be agressive if they're attacked. One chow tried to bite one of my dogs, and they went bezerk....but they were on leashes. They're sisters...and most likely symbiotes, b/c if you attack one you attack both

 

[stormbv]

My female lab has gotten along with every dog she has ever met. My friend has a male lab, and they are so cute when they play together. Haha...she doesn't even get too pissed when he tries to mount and hump her. Crazy kids...

 

[AndrewR]

Our pup, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, is mostly friendly with other dogs though she is most friendly when off the leash (more able to defend herself therefore more comfortable, is my guess). I think some of her barking/growling with other dogs is her frustration at being unable to say hello. Since we're in Japan and don't speak Japanese, we can't communicate to the other dog owners that our dog is not going to hurt theirs. Since Maggie is between 70-80 lbs, she is a little intimidating to people who are used to smaller animals for the most part.

She was the queen of the dog park back in northern Virginia though and played with all sorts of dogs without any problems whatsoever.