The Evolution of Canine Social Behavior

A surprising book, dismissing common believes and assumptions, and leaving the reader with simple sound explanations. A book for all students of animal behavior wishing to uncover the whys and hows of canine social behavior.

‘The idea of dominance-aggression is biased. It is possible to be aggressive and dominant, but the term suggests the dog attacks because it is dominant. No dog attacks because of dominance. Dominance aims at controlling another by means of ritualized behavior, without harming or injuring it. The final attack if there is one is motivated by aggression alone.

Saying that a dog is a fear-biter is equivalent to saying that the dog does not behave purposefully. By saying that the dog shows submissive-aggression we simultaneously answer the question of how to solve the problem. The dog is submissive, which means reacting to a threat by another, giving in, and surrendering. It only becomes aggressive because its behavior does not have the desired effect. The dog is then under threat and ready to react by flight or immobility. If flight is not possible, it may freeze. Some do and die. Others resort to their last defense, they attack, and then the drive of aggression takes over. This situation is easily avoided by accepting the dog’s submission or allowing it to flee.

Barely 14,000 years ago we were predators on par with out soul brother, the wolf. We too are highly aggressive animals, with sophisticated rituals and inhibition mechanisms. Recent discoveries uncovered that the learning of human languages is partially a kind of imprinting. Maybe human and animal behavior are two sides of the same evolutionary coin after all.