What Is Common Dog Behavior?

Dog behavior is the collective term for different actions done by the domesticated dog on a regular basis. It is affected by the environment, the dog’s bloodline, its interaction with dogs and people, as well as certain events. Dog behaviour is very similar to the behaviour displayed by wolves, although there are some slight differences. Understanding dog behaviour can be very helpful in training and living with your pet dogs.

In the wild, wolves have a social unit called a pack. Domestic dogs also have a pack of their own. They consider other dog’s humans living with them as pack members. Like a wolf pack, the domesticated dog pack follows a sort of hierarchy, or a ranking system.

In most cases, a dog will see their owner as a pack leader, or alpha. Among dogs, the eldest male usually dominates other dogs. It is important as a pet owner to let the dog know that he is the alpha if he wants to control dog behaviour.

Dog behaviour is also affected by the relationship between a dog and its master.

There are basically two types of dog-human relationships: companionship, and working relationship. Companion dogs are very dependent on their human owners, and would always seem to trust their masters to deal with problems such as when they want to go outside. They also beg for constant attention, asking for belly rubs and scratching at the back of the ears.

Working dogs are more independent and less affectionate towards their human companions. If left alone, they can feel very distressed, and can cause it to howl, chew, dig, and bark constantly, which can be bothersome for neighbours. This is because they treasure the companionship of his pack members.

Training at an early age can help prevent separation anxiety in dogs when they grow up, but it is recommended that a dog owner should constantly spend quality time with its pet when at home.

Dogs also like playing around, usually by roughhousing with their owners or other dogs.

At a young age, a puppy will always try to engage in mock fights with weaker looking puppies. This is because they like to play a more dominant role. This later help the puppies learn more about coordination when they grow up.

Sometimes a dog will try to chase its own tail. Although there is still no clear explanation as to why they do that, some experiments suggest that it is related to their innate “fight or flight” behavioural pattern.