Looking after your Dog

The Top Dog

The Top Dog

To ensure that the pack successfully coordinates activity, one individual must exert authority and become leader. Due to hormonal influence on behaviors the dominant dog is often male, he asserts his leadership through displays of dominance – ritualized activities that tell other dogs that a top dog is pressed. Although helpful, size is not the most important factor in determining who will be top dog. Dobermans and Rottweilers are naturally dominant large breeds, but many small breeds especially terrier and dachshunds, are more dominant that breed several times their size. 

Although one dog always assumes the leadership role within a pack, this does not mean that all the other dogs in the pack will behave in a meek and passive manner. Most dogs are confident and asserting – although in a less provocative way than the top dog and called “subdominants” dogs, the ritual displays when they meet are subtle and often brief, allowing almost instant social activity. When two suddonot dogs first come together there is a little tension, and the encounter results in late play or relaxed indifference, this situation usually occurs when a puppy comes across an unfamiliar adult dog.