A dominant dog may force another dog to roll on its back exposing its unprotected throat and underside. A dog will signal its dominant position to another dog by both posture and facial expression. A dominant dog when approached by a strange dog will stand as erect and tall as possible, keeping its head high, tail up and the hair on its back may stand up. Other signals involve the dominate animal placing its head over a submissive animal; sniffing its hindquarters and growling. Submissive animals will exhibit behaviors that appear to be opposite to dominant signals. In response to being confronted by a dominant dog 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 animal maintains its standing-over position. If hurt, the submissive dog may snap and run away, tail tucked between its legs.


Dog Dominance With Other Strange Dogs: Broken down into 4 levels of breeds.

Less Dominant: Submissive in 75% of its interaction with dogs.
Moderately Dominant: Moderates its behavior according to the behavior of the other dog.
Dominant: Dominants 75% of its interactions with other dogs.
Very Dominant: Trys to exert dominance over every dog with whom it interacts, regardless of the other dogs 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, Minature * 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 * Dalmation * 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 * Minature 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 * Baseji * German Shepherd (pm) * Rhodesian Ridgeback * Old Eng. Sheepdog (pm) * Schnauzer, Giant * Schnauzer, Standard * St. Bernard (pm) * Staffordshire Bull Terrier