A dog will signal its dominant position to a person by both posture and facial expression, such as a dominating posture stance; a low-pitched growl; bared teeth; hair standing up on its back; Submissive animals will exhibit behaviors that appear to be opposite to dominant signals. In response to being confronted by a dominant person they may lower their body, head and tail; pull their lips back into a submissive grin; avert their eyes; stand still when being sniffed or touched; roll over on their backs and remain in that position as long as the dominant person maintains its standing-over position.

Dominant to very dominant dogs may try to dominant family members and may attack a person who inadvertently or consciously signals dominance.

Food aggression and territorial defense are behaviors that show dominance .

Dog Dominance With Family Members/Familiar People: Broken down into 4 levels of breeds.

Less Dominant: Submissive in 75% of its interaction with family & familiar people.
Moderately Dominant: Moderates its behavior according to the behavior of family & familiar people .
Dominant: Dominants 75% of its interactions with family & familiar people.
Very Dominant: Trys to exert dominance over every person with whom it interacts, regardless of the other's behavior.

Less Dominant * Afghan Hound * American Foxhound * Basenji * Beagle * Belgian Malinois * Belgian Sheepdog * Belgian Tervuren * Bernese Mountain Dog * Bichon Frise * Black & Tan Coonhound * Bloodhound * Border Terrier * Borzoi * Boston Terrier * Boxer * Cardigan W. Corgi * Chihuahua * Cocker Spaniel (wb) * Collie * Curly-coated Retriever * Dachshund * English Cocker Spaniel * English Foxhound * English Setter * English Springer Spaniel * English Toy Spaniel * Field Spaniel * Flat-coated Retriever * French Bulldog * German SH Pointer * Golden Retriever * Great Dane * Greyhound * Harrier * Irish Setter * Keeshond * Maltese * Mastiff * Old Eng. Sheepdog (wb) * Otterhound * Papillion * Pembroke W. Corgi * Poodle, Miniature * Poodle, Toy (wb) * Pug * Saluki * Samoyed * Scottish Deerhound * Shetland Sheepdog * Siberian Husky * Silky Terrier * Vizsla * Welsh Springer Spaniel * WH Pointing Griffon * Whippet

Moderately Dominant * Affenpinscher * Airedale Terrier * Alaskan Malamute * Am. Staff. Bull Terrier * American Water Spaniel * Basenji * Bedlington Terrier * Briad * Brittany Spaniel * Bull Mastiff * Bull Terrier * Cairn Terrier * Chesapeake Bay Ret. * Clumber Spaniel * Dalmatian * Dandie Dinmont * English Bulldog * German SH Pointer * German WH Pointer * German Shepherd * Gordon Setter * Great Pyrenees * Irish Water Spaniel * Irish Wolfhound * Labrador Retriever * Llasa Apso * Manchester Terrier * Manchester Toy Terrier * Mastiff * Newfoundland * Norwich * Pekingese * Pointer * Pomeranian *Poodle, Standard * Samoyed * Schipperke * Schnauzer, Mini (wb) * Scottish Terrier * Sealyham Terrier * Skye Terrier * St. Bernard (wb) * Tibetan Terrier * Welsh Terrier * West Highland White * Wheaton (softcoat) * Yorkshire Terrier

Dominant * Brussels Griffon * Chow Chow * Cocker Spaniel * German Shepherd (pm) * Irish Terrier * Kerry Blue Terrier * Kuvasz * Miniature Pinscher * Poodle, Toy (pm) * Puli * Rhodesian Ridgeback * Rottweiler * Schnauzer, Giant * Schnauzer, Miniature * Schnauzer, Standard * SH Fox Terrier * Shih Tzu * SH Fox Terrier * St. Bernard (pm) * Sussex Spaniel * WH Fox Terrier * Weimaraner

Very Dominant * Am. Staff. Bull Terrier * Doberman Pinscher * Old Eng. Sheepdog (pm) * Staffordshire Bull Terrier