Instinctual Behaviors of Our House Dogs
The domestication of dogs from wolves over the last 30,000 years has led to significant changes in their behavior, physical appearance, and roles in human society. Despite these changes, many instinctual behaviors have persisted, remnants of their ancestral wolf lineage. Let's explore how some of these behaviors still manifest in our beloved canine companions today.
Rolling on Dead Stuff
Wolves are known to roll on dead animals, a behavior thought to help mask their scent during hunting or to bring scent information back to the pack about the prey's health and location. In domestic dogs, this instinctual behavior persists but serves a different purpose. While not essential for survival, dogs still engage in scent rolling to mark territory with their scent, using their face and entire body, or simply to overlay their own scent with interesting smells they encounter (Siniscalchi et al., 2018). This behavior is less about survival and more about scent marking and personal satisfaction in their environment.
Howling
Wolves use howling as a crucial communication tool—it helps in locating pack members, coordinating activities, or warning rival packs. Similarly, domestic dogs often howl to signal their presence to their human "pack" or respond to other sounds. Howling can be particularly pronounced when dogs experience separation anxiety, indicating distress when left alone (Marshall-Pescini et al., 2017). This is not a sign of disobedience or boredom but a profound expression of social bonding and the need for companionship.
Hierarchical Pack Structure
The concept of a hierarchical "wolf pack" structure is a subject of debate among researchers. In captivity, wolves may exhibit a clear hierarchy with instances of aggression while other wolves constantly fight for alpha, with the actual alpha of the pack always winning. However, in the wild, wolf packs often function more cooperatively, with minimal overt aggression, communicating through subtle body language and vocalizations to assert their hierarchy (van Kerkhove, 2004). This complexity casts doubt on the applicability of wolf pack theories to domestic dogs, particularly those that are neutered or spayed and do not display sexual behaviors associated with dominance.
Interestingly, feral dogs show a different social structure entirely, often forming loose-knit groups rather than structured packs, primarily due to their reliance on human food waste rather than cooperative hunting (van Kerkhove, 2004). In homes with multiple dogs, outdated advice from books of many well-known behaviorists (Dodman, 1996; Hetts, 1999; Overall, 1997) might suggest establishing and supporting a hierarchical structure to prevent conflicts. However, not only is identifying an alpha dog within a household extremely nuanced and difficult, it simply does not treat aggression. Especially in the current dog-owner landscape, multiple dog households often have dogs of different breeds and sizes. To paint the picture a little more, if the alpha dog is a small breed dog and the larger breed dog decides a certain resource is worth challenging the alpha dog and you are not there to maintain the alpha dog’s position, any amount of size or age difference could result in a detrimental dominance-related fight. Modern behavioral science recommends techniques such as operant conditioning, positive reinforcement, and negative punishment to address and mitigate aggression more effectively (van Kerkhove, 2004). These methods focus on altering behavior through consequences and associative learning, proving more effective and humane in managing inter-dog aggression.
In conclusion, while domestic dogs have evolved significantly from their wolf ancestors, they retain behaviors that hint at their wild origins. Understanding these behaviors from a scientific and empathetic perspective can enhance our ability to care for and connect with our canine companions, respecting their inherent nature while guiding them gently within the human environment.
Wendy van Kerkhove, "A Fresh Look at the Wolf-Pack Theory of Companion-Animal Dog Social Behavior," Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 7(4), 279–285, 2004. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Siniscalchi, M.; D’Ingeo, S.; Minunno, M.; Quaranta, A., "Communication in Dogs," Animals, 8(131), 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8080131
J. P. Scott, "The Evolution of Social Behavior in Dogs and Wolves," AM. Zoologist, 7:373-381, 1967. Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio.
Sarah Marshall-Pescini, Simona Cafazzo, Zsófia Virányi, Friederike Range, "Integrating social ecology in explanations of wolf–dog behavioral differences," Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Volume 16, Pages 80-86, 2017. ISSN 2352-1546, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.05.002.
