everytime i walk up to pet my dog he lays down and rolls onto his side like he is scared. if i stop like 10 feet before i get to him and call him he runs over and is fine. but if i walk all the way to him he just kinda rolls on his back and lays there..he has been doing this for a while, he used to pee if he was on his back and i would pet him, but has stopped peeing at least. not sure why he does this though, never been violent with the dog..and he is almost 8 years old. he only does this if i walk up to him, if i call him he runs over no problem, or if i sit on the ground he likes to come sit on my lap

odd behavior for a dog that you have owned for so long to just randomly pick up.

the rolling over and peeing is a simple submission.

it sounds as if it is still a submission thing and he feels he needs to be submissive when you approach him (if he does it on his own terms it is ok)

Are you tall? and do you bend over him when you approach?
A lot of times this can be considered aggresive or dominant behavior and so the dog feels it needs to respond submissively.

many dogs learn to do this because they want their belly rubbed, but you mention that he acts scared.

what breed is your dog?

When you go to pet him, bring your hand from low and palm to him, show him there is nothing there to be afraid of.

And then crack him in the face with a hidden left hook, gets him every time.

i'm not very tall only about 5'8" and i dont usually walk up to him anymore i call him over and then he runs up and lets me pet him doesnt seem scared or anything at all, and i just thought to last night i came home he always runs up to the door and as soon as i open it tries to crawl in and have me pet him. so maybe it is just that he thinks he needs to submit when i walk up to him.
i got him from my neighbors it was a cross between a purebreed lab and a mut, mostly lab characteristics though just bigger

This post was edited by ghc on May 29 2011 12:28pm

You're the alpha, your dog ain't tryin' disrespekt, nahmean?

lol