Response to Threat
Fight or Flight
Just like people, when dogs feel threatened, one of two instincts kick in: fight or flight.
Why? To put distance between dogs and perceived threats to themselves, or to keep things like food, location, or a loved one away from someone else. (Visit Resource Guarding for more about the latter.)
Simply put, when dogs fight, they’re trying to make the threat go away. When dogs flee, they’re trying to move themselves away.
With a powerful jaw and sharp teeth, dogs’ mouths are formidable weapons, but it’s not in their best interest to just go around biting people and other animals. So dogs have lots of ways to warn off threats first:
Why? To put distance between dogs and perceived threats to themselves, or to keep things like food, location, or a loved one away from someone else. (Visit Resource Guarding for more about the latter.)
Simply put, when dogs fight, they’re trying to make the threat go away. When dogs flee, they’re trying to move themselves away.
With a powerful jaw and sharp teeth, dogs’ mouths are formidable weapons, but it’s not in their best interest to just go around biting people and other animals. So dogs have lots of ways to warn off threats first:
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If after all of those warnings, the threat still has not moved away, dogs might THEN bite with full force.
It’s important to note that dogs’ warning signals are very individual — some do all, some do some, some bypass them altogether and go straight to biting.
As dog guardians, there are two ways we can help our dogs select the safest route possible:
It’s important to note that dogs’ warning signals are very individual — some do all, some do some, some bypass them altogether and go straight to biting.
As dog guardians, there are two ways we can help our dogs select the safest route possible:
- Allow our dogs to growl and snarl and snap. These are warnings! They are not examples of the dog being rude or misbehaving; they are wonderful tools dogs use to say that they are uncomfortable. In fact, these behaviors are a dog’s way of saying everything possible to us so that he does NOT have to bite someone or something. It’s up to us to listen.
- Teach puppies to bite with little force. Dogs learn to do this from interactions with their moms and siblings just weeks after birth. But in today’s society, not all puppies are given the interactions needed to teach them to bite softly. However, training can get the job done. (Visit Puppies to learn more.)
Freezing
There is one other thing to look out for when a dog senses a threat: rather than flee or fight, some dogs will freeze.
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It’s a common occurrence at the vet — the dog is up on an exam table, unable to escape, so he shuts down. Or a shy country dog visits the big city for the first time and is overwhelmed by the cars and buses and bikes and kids and strollers and… the dog just stops in her track, unable to find a safe escape.
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You see a different type of freezing in the case of resource guarding. If another dog or a person comes near while a dog is working on her bully stick, for example, she might stop what she’s doing, tense up, and follow the incoming threat with just her eyes.
Either way, freezing is something to look out for. Whether guarding her food from a perceived threat or frozen on a busy sidewalk, fear is the root cause. It might seem like that country dog who is refusing to walk at all on the city sidewalk is just being stubborn, but take a look at her body language. With a tucked tail, hard eyes, furrowed brow, and making herself appear as small as possible, it’s clear to see that this dog is not being stubborn, she’s just plain scared.
Enough!
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Here's a great video of a dog communicating very effectively that she has had enough and would like the other dog to "Back off!" Notice the growl and snarl.
It took a second to sink in, but the other dog got the message and gave her space. Way to work it out, kids! |
