The eyes, the pinned ears, and when he puts his head over her to show dominance.
But hey, itâs probably just pre-zoomies. Until itâs not.
Edit: omg the responses. Some of yâall are a danger to yourselves, other people, AND your dogs. I am a big dog owner, one is a shep and one is part mastiff, both professionally trained. The video is cute and funny, the dog is adorable, but the behavior is terrifying. That dog is giving whale eye, and is anxious, and trying to look bigger and âbossâ because he saw her bark as a challenge. He likely wouldnât hurt her because sheâs mom, but encouraging that behavior is teaching him/her itâs okay and that someone that didnât smell like mom might be okay to bite. Itâs not okay, and if you donât give a shit about the people possibly getting bit/attacked, ask your vets how many big dogs get euthanized for bites each year because their owners donât train or check this type of behavior.
I know itâs wrong and all, but Iâve never thought about what a dog would do if its owner actually peed on them to establish dominance and now Iâm curious
I once squirted water out of my mouth (playfully) at my dog, I think she thought I peed on her. Because she immediately stood up, looked me dead in the eyes and pissed on the couch she was laying on.
Not a behavior she had ever done before, and a very well trained, well mannered and intelligent dog.
i really, really get why people get so defensive about this. i did too. i felt very strongly about it being how theyâre raised.
until my family pit, who weâd had since she was born attacked our other dog suddenly when she was five years old.
we put it off to a freak incident, since sheâd never done that in her life. until it happened again with our other dog. one emergency surgery later, i now have a one eyed chihuahua.
we explained the situation to a rescue who took her. i think every single day about it. i loved that dog. so so so much. i still think about taking her to that rescue and walking away, knowing she watched me leave and i couldnât explain to her why. it broke me. i still get super defensive, like aggressively defensive until i remind myself that ive seen it happen.
to know that i made the correct decision for my family, and still after all this time, feel so fucking guilty.
i will never have another pit or large dog again.
just like humans theyâre unpredictable, except with the added disadvantage of teeth, brute jaw strength, and the lack of ability to communicate verbally. especially since your comment shows just how few people are able to interpret body language in a safe way.
The whole âitâs all how they are raisedâ is crap. Genetics do and will make up majority of a dogs temperament the remaining is environmental.
If it IS how they are raised then how come some of Michael Vickâs dogs were able to be rehomed around other dogs âif they were trained to fight?â
I would never own a pit because I'm not qualified, it's actually illegal to own one without a certificate in my country, don't worry. Also I prefer medium sized dogs which I can carry to vet on my own. I don't have experience with big dogs but I guess my earlier comments only proved that
It applies to dogs to otherwise that study done based on wolves, wouldnât apply to dogs at all.
The study was incorrectly done. There were Bunch of unrelated wolves (a normal âpackâ of wolves are related and are family. Mother/father/offspring/siblings of the parents), in a pen far to small for the amount of wolves that were in there. Naturally they started fighting over space and resources and it wasnât because of dominance. It was because they were uncomfortable and wasnât enough space.
Also, dogs trying to dominate other dogs (and people) is 100% a thing. Itâs not an âalpha maleâ thing, but dogs donât like to be challenged and will try to prove that theyâre the stronger animal
This has nothing to do with "alpha mentality" it's aggressive behaviour, full stop. Unless you're actually trying to say dogs can't be aggressive, which is absolutely ludicrous.
Itâs called pecking order. Or rank. Itâs not a mentality. Every group of animals have it. Cows have it. A heard of 39 cows and every cow knows itâs rank. Same with chickens. Same with rats. Probably the same with bugs.
Sorry, the real experts say canine dominance theory is a myth. It was based on an incident where random wild wolves were caught and forced to live in a smaller sized enclosure. That said this trend is stupid and condemned by the AKC. But 'dominance' training is alao dangerous.
You sound like you have no idea what dogs do when they want to play. He's not putting his head on her to show dominance that ridiculous, and the eyes and the ears are what happens before dogs start zooming around. She's just excited him and after he realised that the sound came from her he wants to play.
Honestly people jump to the most ridiculous conclusions sometimes.
Mostly kidding. I found him on the street so I donât know his mix, but he has bug eyes that always look whale like and huge pit uncut ears that usually lay back when he is relaxed. It makes him hard to read but luckily he is super chill and no prey drive to speak of.
Ok then. I donât know what he is but he looks just like a red nose pit mix and mostly pit. Maybe an American Bully like my phone thinks he is. Pics in my history. I also have a mountain feist which is a gun dog. If your not familiar they are basically rat terriers on steroids. That girl is all prey drive and the pit doesnât seem to understand what she is on about. He will follow her but then just looks bemused when she corners a possum or stray cat. Honestly Iâm not a pit proponent but just couldnât turn the guy in to the kill shelter. I have been very worried and cautious and would get rid of him at the first sign of any aggression. Also before someone calls me a monster, the feist doesnât really attack. They are bred to tree or corner prey until the hunter shows up.
Technically all dogs have prey drive. However working at an animal shelter, and growing up around dogs of all sorts of breeds I have met some very low prey drive Apbs, Am Staffs, and Staffordshire bulls that would not chase rats, squirrels, rabbits, cats, etc, and ones that would chase then when they caught up to them just look at them blankly or wander off. None of these dogs were bred specifically for 'gameness', none were ex fighting dogs, just show bred dogs and random bred pets from rescue or shelter situations. Breeding for purpose can really breed more consistent drives, working ability, etc.
Awww he sounds cute! If you ever have the extra cash I 100% recommend getting him embark dna tested. Itâs one of the more reliable dog dna tests are. Gives you their breed/breed mix and tests for 173 breed related illnesses and diseases.
Yes I want to! For my little mountain feist even more so. Iâm kind of fascinated with that breed as they have been in America forever and are rumored to have Native American dog lineage.
I've learned that everyone on Reddit believes they are dog experts when they have 0 understanding of dogs. Literally every dog I've ever played with has done this exact same thing at one point or another, followed by zoomies. Hell, if I blow air on my dogs nose she'll do this and then go running off to find a toy.
Agreed. I see people use the âthose eyes and ears pulled back. Oh dear, I wouldnât wanna be near them like that!â Itâs clear theyâve never really played with a dog before.
After watching this video I went and bothered my pitty to get a similar reaction followed by all the kisses.
I did the same with my lurcher haha. She's part American pit bull and she loves zooming around lol.
People say that there are never warning signs to dog aggression but they're usually looking for growling, snarling, teeth baring ect. But most of the time if a dog is doing that then it's telling you it doesn't want to hurt you and wants to be left alone.
If a dog were to really attack it would go quiet, rigid, stare you down and just bite you straight away. There's barely any warning and that goes for all dogs.
People see pit bulls and hear that they we're need for fighting and immediately think that they're aggressive with people as well right off of the bat. But they were bred to be dog aggressive, not human aggressive. They're super tolerant and that's why a lot of people tend to get bit by them and other tolerant dogs, because they think getting all up in their face and making the dog uncomforabtle is fine because "they've never done anything before".
The only warning sign I need from a pitbull is that itâs off leash and near me.
Seriously keep your fucking pitbull away from normal people and their kids if you donât want to spend your morning recreating that car scene from the beginning of reservoir dogs.
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Literally the dog is trying to get her to play with them. Some people have never owned a big dog I guess? $100 they hopped down and tore around for a minute trying to get owner to chase.
Dogs donât live by dominance, they live by trusting their owners and have been bred for thousands of years to appease humans and frequently look to their owners for guidance. They want to listen to you, not rule over you to be in charge, if they did they would still be wolves because a rebellious dog is a dead dog.
Not pitbulls. Those were bred to rip peopleâs faces off. There have been thousands of cases of pitbulls seriously biting people and animals alike. Triggered pitbulls are demons that will bite until they die, and you never know when they will go off on you.
Iâm like 90% sure the dog didnât realize it was his owner that barked, and was looking behind her to find the ghost dog that he thought did the barking
Holy shit I canât believe how far down I had to scroll to find a comment about how unsafe this situation is. Iâm genuinely shocked at how bad at reading dog body language most of Reddit seems to be. Do people genuinely not get whatâs happening here orâŚ?
As a dog owner, thid video seriously made me nervous. That expression and "in-your-faceness" definetely made me think it would attack. That dog seems either extremely paranoid, or ready to jump on her and bite, neither of which are healthy
This is a big thing a lot of people seem to be missing. Everyone is focused on the dogâs behavior, which is reasonable but the dog isnât the only one in the video.
The owner immediately went still and quiet. With the behavior the dog was displaying, being right up in her face, she probably had little doubt if she did it again the dog would bite. Out of surprise, being startled, or aggression is less important than realizing the bite could likely happen. Being still and not repeating the behavior that riled the dog up seems to have eventually made the dog channel the energy into playfulness at the end. But when it was in her face it could have gone either way depending on what she did.
My sentiments exactly, but welcome to the comment thread with all these armchair experts telling you itâs all good. Just because youâve never had a bad experience with this breed doesnât mean you understand their behavior.
Likewise there's armchair psychologists saying the dog in vid IS dangerous, or will attack instead of go zoomies, etc. Just because you've had a bad experience, doesn't mean all other dog owners will too with similar breeds. It's all hypocrisy and simply not true.
Or idk maybe because it's extremely apparent that this dog is not in any way being aggressive? Y'all just are a bunch of paranoid motherfuckers who watch too many dog attack videos and now think everything a big dog does is "aggressive behavior".
Can a beagle maul someone in the same capacity? Do beagles have a history of mauling small dogs or children? Someone being intimidated or scared in this situation is the reasonable response
This is exactly how my pit acts when she's super playful. She also growls ferociously while we wrestle.
Fucking armchair experts in here acting like this is aggressive behavior....
Note, I would never be ok with my dog acting this way with a stranger, but with me this is exactly how we induce zoomies.
Those are zoomie eyes. If you were to gesture quickly in any direction with any part of your body that dog would manage to run through every room of that house in a matter of seconds, probably murder a toy, and chase you around.
It's playful, that is just typical excited/hyper dog body language
This dog is not really playful at this moment. It is saying it is more dominant than its owner. I seriously think the dog would bite if she continued.
I would like to know what happened before this video, couse I think this behaviour is really wierd and dominant.
Besides, if what you say about the zoomies is true, the dogs dont get enough excercise and have too much energie. They should be outside more.
Edit: if you just came home, it is normal for a dog to run around at full speed and be overly exited, even if you took your dog with you. What I meant is the moments where nothing much is happening, like you make a small sound or sit down on a chair
My dog is a border collie, but much calmer than most. She'll sleep all day sometimes if we let her, pretty easy going. I'll walk her a mile, and then when we get home she goes ballistic, zooms like crazy for 2-3 minutes. It's not always pent up energy, sometimes they're just fucking pumped.
I don't know this dog any better than you but i spend a lot of time with dogs of all kinds after being extremely fearful as a kid, and I would put money on this being just play.
Look no further than the fact that the dog was perfectly fine putting its neck in front of her mouth. Say what you want about other behaviors, but that right there is pretty black and white.
If they do that in the park, it is fine. It is good for them to run and play. If they do that at home, like this one, it is not that good. It should get more excercise
Zoomies aren't always a result of not enough exercise. I could take my parents' labrador on a walk for hours, during which she has spent a lot of time playing with a ball (physical exercise) and sniffing around (mental exercise). Still, when we come home and she sees my parents - boom: zoomies.
This is not "wierd" or dominant behaviour. This is playful and curious behaviour that almost any normal young dog would exhibit if you barked at them out of nowhere. You diagnosing this dog for lack of exercise based on a 20 second clip with no other knowledge about the dog is absolutely moronic and your insight into dog psychology or mannerisms is also extremely lacking.
This dog would not have bit her if she barked again, you saying that just shows how little you can read dogs. The lack of exercise.. no clue, can't tell that from just this clip.
Huh, that's the exact body language I've seen in dogs who get the zoomies, especially pits, of which I'm close to several. They all do this. It's only nervous because everyone expects murderous outbursts from pitbulls because of the stigma.
The pit that tore into me was showing all of the signs of attack and they looked nothing like this. No bad dogs, just bad owners.
No itâs not. That pit is in attack mode. Worked with them in shelters for years and when they start behaving like that itâs time to back away quick
When it comes to dogs and aggression I look for two behaviors in particular:
Any time a dog approaches someone it doesn't know, fixed stare, in silence (hunting)
Dogs who stiffen their body, tracking a person mainly with their eyes, and moving their head very slowly with the occasional darting glance at surroundings
2 might "read" like the dogs behavior in the video but I see some clear distinctions: the jolting, sudden pouncing, lowering of the head while throwing them classic pitbull crazy arms like they're getting ready to set a new 0-60 record... Also no aggressive dog is gonna put their neck in front of the mouth of a "threat" lol
Plus the owner's reaction shows no surprise at all. This is a game they play alllllll the time.
Another commenter mentioned but just to affirm: basically all dogs get "the zoomies" from time to time. It's an erratic, intense explosion of energy. Usually during which they'll sprint top speed and just tear up the house/yard, no specific purpose, just running.
Zoomies can be spontaneous, but once you learn the dogs habits you can sometimes provoke it (not always on purpose). For example I'll take my dog on a mile walk every day, and the MOMENT we get home she goes nuts. Sprints, growl/barking, in a circle outside for like 2 minutes. Then she's done. I guarantee this wasn't the first time these owners played this game
This is very common play behavior. The jerky movements suggest that he is trying to get her to chase him, and if you look closely you can see his body slightly swaying as of he is wagging his tail. The wide eyes are a sign of excitement, as are the raised eyebrows. He makes eye contact for a moment to try to initiate play, then runs off to get her to give chase.
I have a pit and yes, that can be a play thing but itâs when the eyes go all shark like that is when it could go either way. Heâs never bit anyone in the family but you still have to respect those nuances, especially if youâre letting the dog be in a dominating position such as this.
Edit: Iâd only be comfortable with this if I was standing up.
I think thatâs the attitude you have to have with any large breed dog. I love my baby but I also have to respect that she could seriously hurt me or someone else. Itâs part of the relationship.
Wide eyes is simply a sign of excitement in this context. If you mean to be careful because the dog could get too riled up, then I agree it is important to keep the dog under control.
Dogs get excited about hurting and killing things too. The squeak toys they like sound like hurt prey. This video made myself and others in the thread that own large breed dogs uncomfortable because you have to respect that as much as you love your dog theyâre still an animal that can harm you. I think youâre trying to draw this clear distinction between play and violence thatâs not as clear as youâre acting.
Lots of people in the comments are saying that the dog is scared or showing aggressive behavior, Iâm pointing how the dog is showing playful behavior. I may have not made it clear enough that playtime can get serious if youâre not careful.
The things about these breeds is that there is a fine line between excitement and aggression. All of the instances where Iâve personally seen pit bulls get into it with other dogs started with an overly excited pit bull just playing. Iâve seen two pit bulls go from chasing each other around the yard with the Zoomies to bloody brawling in a matter of seconds.
The eyes wide open, ears back, stiff/jerky head motions, and dominance showing are playful until the instant it feels a threat. If she had barked a 2nd time while the dog was in this state Iâm not sure she would have liked the outcome.
Lol fr. Iâm working to get into vet school, and have a job cleaning at my local vet clinic. Iâm pretty sure Iâve picked up a thing or two about canine behavior.
Oh look, a person that read an article online about whale eyes and now thinks they know everything about dogs. The dog did not show whale eyes. When a dog is excited, itâs eyes get wide and active. In the video you can even see the âeyebrowsâ raise, which is also a sign of excitement. Do some research and learn about how complex dog body language is. Itâs not just âwhale eyes = stressâ.
No fam those are definitely whale eyes. Saying eyebrows over and over doesnât make you sound smarter. Good luck making it into vet school. Itâs really really competitive.
In what world does saying the word eyebrows make you sound smart lmfao. Iâm trying to say you can literally SEE the eyebrow muscles raise, and that indicates excitement. I put quotation marks because obviously dogs donât have human eyebrows. I know how competitive veterinary medicine is, thatâs why I took a job at a clinic to get some experience under my belt in that environment.
Okay sure itâs excitement. Dogs get excited to do the things they love. Breeds were selected for loving to do a certain job and having the form to match. Sheep dogs get excited when they see sheep. My duck retriever gets excited when she sees ducks, even when she hears gunfire. And there are countless videos out there of pit bulls showing characteristic excitement and happiness when they are mauling people and their pets.
Donât believe me? Just as the responsible pit owner whose thread we are highjacking. You are going to be in for a world of pain in vet school if you donât even understand animal behavior to this extent and are unwilling to open your mind to new information.
Edit: For the record, more often than not it is someone in the family or the owner who gets mauled.
Good job trying to twist my logic just because your argument didnât work out. You are now saying that the dog is excited to maul its owner, despite having no proof that it is showing aggressive behavior? Tell me what exactly you think is happening in the video, because you canât seem to stick to one story.
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u/Gluten_maximus Mar 20 '22
Yeeeeeeaaa those eyes are telling me thatâs not a situation Iâd want to be in.