Why Do Dogs Love Some Dogs and Hate Others?

By Langley Cornwell

Dogs are amazing creatures. The amount of information they can discern in a short amount of time is really something. I have a friend whose dog, Sally, is like a cartoon character; everything the dog does is exaggerated. Seriously, this dog should have her own reality show! She’s like the Joan Rivers of canines. She knows in an instant if she likes or dislikes another dog, and she lets you – and the other dog – know it.

To give you the entire picture, I’ll start with the dog. Sally is a seven year-old mixed breed from a shelter. My friend has had her since she was 10 months old. The dog lives in a single-dog household with two cats. She gets along wonderfully with the cats, but my friend has been reluctant to adopt another dog because she can never anticipate how Sally will react to other dogs.

When she’s out walking Sally and another dog approaches, Sally can immediately tell if she likes the other dog or not. My friend works hard on breathing calmly and not communicating anything from the other end of the leash. It doesn’t matter what my friend does, though. Sally will make a snap judgment. She’ll bow up with her hackles raised and begin to bark threateningly, or she’ll drag my friend over to the other dog with her head lowered and her tail wagging in a friendly manner.

Her decision is immediate and unwavering. What’s more, Sally can make her assessment from great distances and it seems to have nothing to do with how the other dog is responding to her. In fact, sometimes she’s sized up the other dog before the other dog even notices Sally and my friend approaching.

When I pitched this article idea, Diane at CANIDAE responded by saying that her dog, Breezie, also instantly decides if she likes or hates another dog, and Diane has no idea why. Other friends have shared similar experiences, so I was curious about what the experts would say.

Jean Donaldson is the founder of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers. Additionally, she’s authored several books on dog training and behavior, including The Culture Clash and Dogs are from Neptune.

In a Modern Dog magazine article, Donaldson confirms that even properly socialized dogs do not and will not like every other dog they meet. She goes on to liken a dog’s behavior to that of a human. She says that outgoing, well socialized humans do not like every other person they meet. There are even some humans who function well in society but only like a few other people.

The difference between dogs and people is that dogs are able to make faster decisions about who they do and don’t like. I’ll go out on a limb here and say they are able to make more accurate decisions, too. Since the canine olfactory sense is so keen, dogs can determine from a great distance if the approaching dog is male or female, neutered or spayed, and maybe even if they had CANIDAE dog food or something else for breakfast.

It’s not just a dog’s ability to take in so much information via the nose; they are also experts on reading body language – canine and human. They can tell immediately if the approaching dog displays welcoming or rude body language. Even though dogs can’t see details or colors as well as humans, they are authorities on picking up on other dogs’ movements and intentions.

Donaldson also suggests that the reasons for some dog’s snap judgments are based on profiling. Not the CSI version of profiling, but rather a reaction to a certain type of dog; as if a certain category of dog bothers your dog and her prejudice causes a pre-emptive reaction.

As an example, Donaldson shares a personal experience with her Border collie. She says her dog was perfectly nice to most dogs and tolerant to practically all dogs but she hated Standard Poodles – all Standard Poodles regardless of height, size, color, haircut, etc.  Donaldson is convinced her dog’s reaction to Standard Poodles is a result of one slightly irritating poodle on one particular occasion.

Is your dog like Sally and Breezie, or does she love everyone?

Top photo by Richard Harrison
Bottom photo by Hunter-Desportes

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Five Reasons Why Your Dog Ignores You

By Linda Cole

There's no getting around it, some dogs are quite good at ignoring their owner! It's frustrating when you try to get your dog's attention and he keeps on doing whatever it is he's doing. Here are five reasons why your dog might not be paying attention to you:

Lack of Proper Training

How we train a dog matters, and can make a difference in how they respond to us. If you don't take the time to teach your dog how you want him to behave, you can't expect him to know what you want. Yelling, kicking, hitting or any unfair punishment won't teach a dog how you want him to behave. As responsible pet owners, it's also our job to make sure we put valuable or important things up out of a dog's reach, and provide a safe and secure area in the home where he can wait when we're away from home.

Poor Timing During Training

Most dogs respond to treat training and praise during training sessions. Poor timing (when the reward is late) can mean the difference between a dog learning a command or not getting it. My dogs love CANIDAE TidNips™ treats, especially Keikei. As soon as she sees the treats, she's ready for her lessons. To be effective when giving a treat reward or praise, it has to be given immediately after compliance by the dog. You only have a window of about 3 seconds where your dog can associate the treat with the command. If the dog misses the connection between the two, he won't understand what you want him to learn. If you are teaching your dog to sit, the second his behind hits the floor, give him his reward. When you call him to come, as soon as he's in front of you, give him his reward.

Not Understanding Body Language 

Dogs learn not only from our verbal words, but also from watching our face and body language for cues. A dog's knowledge of body language is so refined, they understand what we want by signals we give with our body and tone of voice. If you have an understanding of the body language of dogs and are aware of the signals you are giving your dog, it can help get your point across. It's possible you are being ignored because your pet doesn't understand what you are asking him to do.

For example, if your dog continues to jump up on you and isn't listening to your down command, turn your side to him. Fold your arms so he can't touch your hands, don't look at him and don't speak to him. If he follows you as you move away from him, turn your back to him. If he continues, calmly walk away from him. He knows what that means. Your body language tells him everything he needs to know. Work on his training, but don't neglect your body language to help him learn.

Inappropriate Punishment

Dogs are no more perfect than we are, and mess up once in awhile. The come command is one of the harder commands for owners to teach a dog. Not because the dog doesn't understand the command, but if he is punished for coming, he learns not to come. Punishment to a dog can include being called inside when they're not ready to stop playing.

My Husky was an escape artist. She could slip out of her collar or pen in a matter of minutes, and race off into the woods for a run. When she ran off, I was both angry and concerned because there was no way to find her once she disappeared into the woods. She always came back after an hour or so of freedom, and I greeted her not with anger, but with praise. I didn't want her to learn she'd be punished for coming back home. Thankfully, I eventually found a collar she couldn't slip out of, and fixed her pen so she couldn't escape.

Something Else is More Interesting

Make it worth your dog's time to pay attention to you. If your dog is barking excitedly at squirrels playing in the trees, he's distracted and you need to give him a really good reason to listen to you. What you are offering him needs to be more fun than barking at squirrels. If you're calling him to come inside, give him a few minutes of your time and play catch or tug of war with him before taking him in. You don't want him to associate coming and the end to his fun by going inside right away. Show him you can be fun, too.

If your dog ignores you, take a step back and consider what you may be doing wrong. Sometimes it's just a matter of making some minor adjustments to get your dog’s attention. Be positive, stay consistent and add a dash of fun to his day.

Top photo by Dane Khy
Bottom photo by Alan Porter

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Is a Smiling Dog Showing Aggression?

By Linda Cole

One of my dogs, a Terrier mix named Sophie, was a smiler. She would curl up one side of her lip and wiggle all over, grinning if we asked her to do something she didn't really want to do or when we talked to her in our “You're such a good girl” voice. I called it her “Elvis” smile because that's what it reminded me of. It was so cute and always made me laugh. If she was in trouble, which was rare, I quickly forgave her transgression. As it turned out, Sophie knew exactly what she was doing, and it worked. A smiling dog might be showing aggression, but not always. Sometimes, a smile is just a smile; it’s a way some dogs convey they are not a threat.

When it comes to understanding a dog's body language, everyone recognizes that a snarl with teeth bared means to back off and leave that dog alone. When Sophie smiled, she was showing deference to us with a submissive grin. The difference between a snarl and a submissive grin is broadcast loud and clear in a dog’s body language.

When a dog submits, he lowers his body closer to the ground, and may cower. His tail is tucked to one side, but never between his legs like with a fearful dog. His ears are held out, resembling airplane wings. He holds his front paws up, avoids eye contact, might roll over on his back, and may urinate to signal his compliance to you or another dog. When a submissive grin is added, you see excited body movements and squinting eyes. An aggressive dog isn't going to roll over and expose his belly to someone or another dog he views as a rival. Everything about his body language says he's on alert and ready to fight, if necessary. A growl usually accompanies his snarl, but not always.

There's a difference between a dog submitting and one showing fear. A submitting dog isn't a threat, but a scared dog could attack out of fear. One clue is the position of his tail and ears. The submitting dog pulls his tail to the side, and holds his ears out to the side. The fearful dog tucks his tail between his legs and he has “whale eyes,” meaning you can see the whites of his eyes, and his ears will be pulled back against his head. His overall body language says he's scared. All he wants is to be left alone. Never turn your back on a fearful or aggressive dog. Watch them without making direct eye contact.

Sophie gave us her submissive smile if she thought she was in trouble, but she also flashed it when she was greeted by other people. However, when she realized she received positive attention for smiling, she began to do it at other times, as well. In the beginning, she smiled if she felt stressed to show she wasn't a threat, but learned to use it to her advantage. Because it was cute, I admit we helped her along with some tasty CANIDAE TidNips™ treats when she gave us a smile.

If you like seeing your dog smile, there's no harm in encouraging the behavior and adding it to his repertoire of cute tricks. When your dog starts to smile, give him a command such as “Smile” or “Cheese” and reward him immediately after he smiles.

Some people and children mistake a submissive grin as a snarl, so if you have a dog that greets visitors with a smile, it's a good idea to let them know before meeting your pet so they won't misinterpret his intentions. His smile is part of who he is as an individual. You can't stop him from grinning in situations where he feels threatened, but you can redirect his attention if he's uncomfortable when greeting people. Engage him in a game of fetch or tug of war, give a command like sit, or ask him to perform a trick. Using play or a treat to refocus his mind takes him out of a stressful situation to one where he feels more comfortable.

A submissive grin has nothing to do with aggression. It's one way some dogs show their friendship to the people they love. According to Texas A&M University professor of Veterinary Medicine, Bonnie V. Beaver, DVM, and author of “Canine Behavior,” a submissive grin is most likely an inherited behavior, common in certain purebred and mixed breed bloodlines. So if you have a grinning dog, enjoy his cute and beautiful smile!

Top photo by Susan E. Adams
Bottom photo by Ginfox

Read more articles by Linda Cole