Which statement is true about submission and aggression in dogs?

Which statement is true about submission and aggression in dogs?

• A. It is the same as aggression
• B. It is unrelated
• C. It precedes aggression
• D. It is the opposite of aggression

Answer: (D)

Submission signals appeasement—it's a dog’s way of showing it yields and wants to avoid a fight. Because aggression is the act or threat of attacking, submission and aggression are opposite responses to a potential conflict. So the true statement is that submission is the opposite of aggression. They aren’t the same, and submission is part of how dogs communicate during tense encounters; it isn’t a fixed precursor to aggression, since a dog may submit and still be threatened, or aggression can occur without any prior submission.

Submission signals appeasement—it's a dog’s way of showing it yields and wants to avoid a fight. Because aggression is the act or threat of attacking, submission and aggression are opposite responses to a potential conflict. So the true statement is that submission is the opposite of aggression. They aren’t the same, and submission is part of how dogs communicate during tense encounters; it isn’t a fixed precursor to aggression, since a dog may submit and still be threatened, or aggression can occur without any prior submission.