The concept of dominance in animal behavior should be understood through the lens of resource access rather than human sociological definitions, which can lead to misunderstandings in pet care. When a dog moves into your space quickly, it may see itself as the leader in the relationship, but this interpretation can be contentious as we often lack the language to understand animal behavior accurately.

Research shows that there are separate brain circuits for mating behavior and dominance behavior in animals, indicating that mounting behavior can signify dominance rather than sexual intent.

I would label a dog backing away when confronted as a fearful reaction rather than a submissive one, as it does not indicate priority access to resources.

Anthropomorphism, the attribution of human traits to animals, can lead to misunderstandings of animal behavior, while anthropo denial overlooks the commonalities between humans and other species.

In relationships, it's crucial to separate a person's actions from their character; addressing behavior without labeling someone as 'bad' fosters healthier communication.

Understanding how animals perceive threats is crucial, as well-intentioned human interactions can be perceived as predatory by animals, leading to fear or avoidance behaviors.

Dogs have innate mechanisms for recognizing self versus other species, which prevents them from attempting to mate with different species unless it's a dominance behavior.

Feral dogs in the wild form linear dominance hierarchies regarding access to resources, which can shift depending on the resource, indicating that these hierarchies are fluid and variable.

We often show more compassion to animals than to each other, despite being fundamentally similar beings.