Meet
Mary Burch, American Kennel Club
Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's columnist addressing questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs, and is one of fewer than 50
Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She's the author of 10 books, including the official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program,
"Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."
I recently adopted a 3-year old mixed-breed dog named Sally. When other dogs approach, she will drop to her belly and won't budge. Sometimes she just stays there, and sometimes she springs up right as they're walking by and wants to play. This scares both the dog and its owner. What do you recommend?
From the way that you have described Sally's behavior, it sounds as though she is a submissive dog. When other dogs approach, submissive dogs will usually avoid eye contact with the other dog, keep their heads down or simply drop to the ground and lay on their backs with their bellies up.
It is as though the submissive dog is signaling to the other dog, I don't want any trouble. If I lay down and expose my belly, you won't think I am trying to threaten you and you won't feel the need to fight.
Just as you described so well with Sally, once the submissive dog knows that everything is okay, she will spring up ready to pounce and play. A relaxed body posture, wiggling, and play bows (where the dog has its front paws and head lowered) are indicators that the dog is ready to play.
Here are some suggestions to help Sally gain confidence around other dogs:
1.
Organize play dates. Provide plenty of socialization and experience with other dogs. You can do this by inviting canine friends and their owners over for the afternoon.
2.
Try controlled interactions on leash. As you take your dog for a walk, carefully observe another dog on leash that is approaching. If the dog is friendly (with a relaxed body posture) allow the owner and dog to approach and meet Sally. Have a happy voice and praise when your dog has appropriate reactions to the other dog. Whatever you do, don't baby your submissive dog (e.g., there, there, you'll be alright).
3.
Visit dog parks. To begin with, make sure there are only a few dogs present when you bring Sally to the dog park. One or two dogs would be ideal. If there are canine bullies who intimidate your dog, you should leave. If your dog is extremely fearful, she may not be quite ready for the dog park.
4.
Consider agility training. This is fun for both dogs and owners and it is one of the very best confidence building activities for dogs who are submissive.
If your dog is extremely submissive and routine socialization does not help the problem, consider getting behavioral help from an experienced trainer or animal behaviorist. Most likely, you'll need to do systematic desensitization where you'll start with your dog at a distance and over time, gradually move her closer and closer to other dogs.
Good luck with Sally!
Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch? E-mail
mary@pawnation.com. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health, you should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Paw Nation is not staffed to address individual questions about pet health, and we want your pet to stay healthy!
Editorial Director Chrissy Persico and her daughter Annabel checked out the Paw Nation photo and video booth at the event. 
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