The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

by Patricia B. McConnell

As a matter of fact, the universal tendency of adult domestic dogs to bark is one of the many behavioral markers that suggests that adult dogs are actually a juvenilized version of adult wolves. Barking appears to be directed toward two different receivers. One is, of course, the intruder (“I see you. Can’t sneak up on me. Better watch out!”), but barking is also directed toward the rest of the pack (“Help! Trouble at the west border!”). The pack usually comes running, responding to their pack member’s danger signal. The dogs who make my blood run cold are the ones I can barely hear, who stand stiff and still, staring straight at me while producing a low, quiet growl. If barking correlates with a juvenile and submissive condition, then it’s doubtful that dogs read our loud vocal displays as dominant or impressive. Rather, they might see them as a sign of fear or as a sign that we don’t have a lot of control. Many people to whom dogs are drawn are laconic and soft-spoken. I think their lack of “barking” is perceived as a sign of leadership, and dogs are drawn to their sense of self-confidence.