The other day my brother-in-law was asking me about the doggie daycare. He wanted to know how did a dog get to be top dog in the yard. I’d never thought about it before he asked.
At our daycare, we generally have fifteen dogs per yard. They are assigned to yards primarily by weight, and the heavier dogs are extremely aware of all the other dogs in the yard, and very invested in their own rank. (The smaller dogs are more human-oriented, therefore less interested in their status in the pack).
After thinking about it, I told him that, generally the biggest dog is the top dog. The Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards, and Bloodhounds are almost always top dogs. (Here’s a photo of an Irish Wolfhound - we had one in daycare just this week - standing next to a chihuahua poodle mix):
It made me think about one of the biggest fights I ever had with my kindergarten best friend, Susie. We got into a fight about whose dad was bigger. Why did we care? Is it something deep in a primitive part of our brains?
In the last one hundred years, the winner of our presidential elections has been, on average, an inch and a half taller than their opponents. In fact, in the last 118 years, the American president has always been taller than the current norm.
According to a study published in Psychology Today, “Participants viewed short men as less socially attractive, less successful, less physically attractive, less well-adjusted, and less masculine than both average and tall men.” And, it’s objectively true (also reported in Psychology Today) that every extra inch of height corresponds with a 1.4-2.9% increase in income. For either gender. In other words, a man who is six feet tall will earn $160,000 more over a lifetime than a man only five and a half feet tall. That's half of a house in many areas. Or a really expensive car.
A Swedish study reported that among pairs of brothers, the taller brother is more likely to have higher education. That may account for the income gap.
Perhaps this explains why we often hear about Napoleon’s height. He was 5’6”. I've always thought it was odd that his stature was so remarked upon, because the average height of men in Europe in 1800 (Napoleon’s dates were 1769-1821) was 5’7”. (Here he is, on horseback):
1800 was a low point for height in Europe. During the Middle Ages - the 800s to 1000s - Europeans were nearly as tall as they are today. Scientists speculate this is due to a warmer period, which meant that there were four more weeks in the growing season. Food and lack of disease seem to play major roles in average height.
Lower temperatures in Europe between 1300 and 1800 shortened the growing season, and trade was booming during that time, which meant that diseases traveled. In 1800, the Cheyenne were the tallest people in the world, with an average male height of 5’10”. Their height plummeted when European immigrants brought new diseases to America.
In any case, we seem to associate height with power. My brother-in-law asked me, “What do the big dogs DO?” The truth is, they don’t seem to have to do anything to maintain their status. Most of the other dogs in the yard give them respect without any behavioral incentive. While the smaller dogs are fighting it out for rank in the pack, the biggest dogs just sit on top of the dog bridge, surveying the yard. Occasionally some puppy will come up and nip at the big dog. Most of the other dogs turn to watch. The puppy is oblivious to the signals he’s getting until the big dog finally bares his teeth and gives one ferocious growly bark. The puppy runs away, tail between his legs. (Here’s a Great Dane - we’ve had one of those this week, too - surveying his kingdom):
The behaviors in the dog yard remind me of human society. We have the entitled guys at the top. There are a certain amount of dogs who just concentrate on staying below the radar. These dogs are usually sweet and human-oriented. They love when you pet them, but mainly, they watch the other dogs in the yard and avoid confrontations. There are a few dogs who are big bullies. They pick on dogs who are asleep, they pick on dogs who are smaller than themselves. They pick a lot of fights. But they never challenge dogs who might beat them. There are dogs who are oblivious to reading social signals. They continue trying to play long after their play-partner is done. This usually ends with human intervention.
Dog society is so clear because it is without verbal language. Perhaps this non-verbal communication is what allows inter-species friendships:
In any case, we are back in holiday over-load at the doggie daycare. We are full to capacity with dogs whose humans have had to travel to see relatives. I hope you are all safe and happy this holiday season! I hope everyone gets to have some days off with family and friends.
I’ll close with a photo of an eagle my sister took while walking around the lake the other day. (The rest of the images in my blog are from the free photo site Pixabay).
