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On showing dominance by petting on the head:
- This is not a bad thing necessarily. Althhough if you are a stranger to the dog you might not want to start off on that foot. If you know the dog well being the dominant party is a good thing. The dog will accept it (if it is well trained) and even love you for it. However: dominant is not the same as harsh and unjust. A dog needs to be able to respect you!
- What is seen by a dog as dominant behaviour relies on a very complicated set of movements and body postures. We, as humans, can mostly only very crudely immitate what dogs communicate to eachother by their body language. So stating that "petting on the head is dominant behaviour" is too crude. It may be in certain circumstances and it may not be in others.
The dog will always want to sniff your hand first. So it will try and follow your hand while it moves to its head. Let it sniff. It's a form of introduction. Imagine someone moving his or her hand over your had without you knowing what is going to happen next... you'd be uncomfortable with that as well.
Source(s):
Lived with dogs for over forty years now. Also read "In praise of wolves" by R.D. Lawrence:
http://www.amazon.com/Praise-Wolves-R-D-Lawrence/dp/0345418026/ref=sr_1_1?i...
In general: read about wolves to learn more about your dog. It will help your communication skills, even though you'll be speaking in dialect ;-)
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After living with over 10 dogs in my lifetime, I know a good dog likes a nice pet on the belly, yet some like to be pet on their ears, belly, and neck.
Steps to petting a dog:
In order to pet a dog
Source(s):
http://www.infobarrel.com/How_to_Pet_a_Dog
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spoon
Dogs will tolerate being petted on the back of the neck, but since that's where a dominant dog or mother will grab them to shake them when they're pups, they associate being touched there with being reprimanded. The best places to pet them are around their ears (kind of massaging), and on their flanks. A good thing with a dog you know well is to pet down their sides from head to tail and end a little under their flank. You know how dogs that live together or are friends will greet each other with a little nose nudge under the hind leg, from the front? This is essentially what you're doing, and they'll take it as such.
So yes, they do enjoy being petted by people they know or accept. You're speaking their body language when you do it right.
Source(s):
Raising and working with dogs for...longer than I'm willing to reveal. ;-)
Books by The Monks of New Skete
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short strokes around the mouth and jowls mimics the grooming behavior dogs practice with one another, they love it. dogs also love message just as much as humans do, but this isn't something to try with a strange dog.
concerns about being dominant towards a strange dog are valid, but a dog that may get dominant over a pat on the head is just as likely to act out if you get to close to the owner, or make to much eye contact or who knows what.
sticking out you hand is more about the human feeling safe than the dog. if you want to say hello to a strange dog , first run it by the dog's human, that is the most important step.
if the human is cool with you saying hello try just crouching and let the dog approach while you have a little chat with the human, ignoring fido as you get sniffed , just for the moment. Once the dog has had a cursory sniff try a little eye contact and a little rub.
Source(s):
5 mins observing dogs at the part will demonstrate most of it
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Source(s):
-opinion
-http://petwave.com
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Answered Question
Best Answer Chosen by Asker
| January 19, 2009 04:33 PM |
- This is not a bad thing necessarily. Althhough if you are a stranger to the dog you might not want to start off on that foot. If you know the dog well being the dominant party is a good thing. The dog will accept it (if it is well trained) and even love you for it. However: dominant is not the same as harsh and unjust. A dog needs to be able to respect you!
- What is seen by a dog as dominant behaviour relies on a very complicated set of movements and body postures. We, as humans, can mostly only very crudely immitate what dogs communicate to eachother by their body language. So stating that "petting on the head is dominant behaviour" is too crude. It may be in certain circumstances and it may not be in others.
The dog will always want to sniff your hand first. So it will try and follow your hand while it moves to its head. Let it sniff. It's a form of introduction. Imagine someone moving his or her hand over your had without you knowing what is going to happen next... you'd be uncomfortable with that as well.
Source(s):
Lived with dogs for over forty years now. Also read "In praise of wolves" by R.D. Lawrence:
http://www.amazon.com/Praise-Wolves-R-D-Lawrence/dp/0345418026/ref=sr_1_1?i...
In general: read about wolves to learn more about your dog. It will help your communication skills, even though you'll be speaking in dialect ;-)
| Asker's Rating: |
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Other Answers (4)
January 19, 2009 03:58 PM
It's not safe to say that all dogs like to be petted or petted everywhere. If a dog does not know you and you come up to pet it, it might not be happy with a random stranger coming up to pet it. It's like a human, as not all humans like to be patted on their back when they do a good job. Some like to be given a high five, some like to be rewarded with words of praise, and some just like to be clapped. It always depends on the dog, and what the dog is trained for. Some dogs do not like being touched as other dogs, and definitely I would not recommend trying to pet a dog on its head if you can avoid it, and especiall if you do not know the dog. Some dogs like to be petted on their heads, but many dogs do not. Many dogs prefer being petted on their belly.After living with over 10 dogs in my lifetime, I know a good dog likes a nice pet on the belly, yet some like to be pet on their ears, belly, and neck.
Steps to petting a dog:
- Allow him to smell your hand with its nose
- Wait for the dog to approve the scent of your hand
- After the dog approve your hand gently place your palm across the dog's head between its ears
- Run your palm (facing down) along the dog's fur starting with its neck
- Gradually progress from the neck to the belly
In order to pet a dog
Source(s):
http://www.infobarrel.com/How_to_Pet_a_Dog
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spoon
January 19, 2009 04:20 PM
Just like when dealing with humans trust is a vital part of the interaction. Those steps are key when dealing with any new dog!
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January 19, 2009 04:51 PM
It depends on if the dog knows you or not. If you are in its "pack", then by being human, if it's a normal dog, you're automatically dominant--more or less. If you're not in its pack, no. Dogs will tolerate being petted on the back of the neck, but since that's where a dominant dog or mother will grab them to shake them when they're pups, they associate being touched there with being reprimanded. The best places to pet them are around their ears (kind of massaging), and on their flanks. A good thing with a dog you know well is to pet down their sides from head to tail and end a little under their flank. You know how dogs that live together or are friends will greet each other with a little nose nudge under the hind leg, from the front? This is essentially what you're doing, and they'll take it as such.
So yes, they do enjoy being petted by people they know or accept. You're speaking their body language when you do it right.
Source(s):
Raising and working with dogs for...longer than I'm willing to reveal. ;-)
Books by The Monks of New Skete
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January 19, 2009 09:27 PM
a normal dog is happy being social and won't be too picky about the form the interaction takes, just chillin is fine. this isn't to say individuals don't have preferences. short strokes around the mouth and jowls mimics the grooming behavior dogs practice with one another, they love it. dogs also love message just as much as humans do, but this isn't something to try with a strange dog.
concerns about being dominant towards a strange dog are valid, but a dog that may get dominant over a pat on the head is just as likely to act out if you get to close to the owner, or make to much eye contact or who knows what.
sticking out you hand is more about the human feeling safe than the dog. if you want to say hello to a strange dog , first run it by the dog's human, that is the most important step.
if the human is cool with you saying hello try just crouching and let the dog approach while you have a little chat with the human, ignoring fido as you get sniffed , just for the moment. Once the dog has had a cursory sniff try a little eye contact and a little rub.
Source(s):
5 mins observing dogs at the part will demonstrate most of it
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January 21, 2009 07:19 PM
Petting a dog is a simple show of affection...I've always equated it to hugging someone or patting them on the back
Source(s):
-opinion
-http://petwave.com
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