Displacement behaviour

From Aunty Kaye’s Doggy Dictionary of Training and Behaviour.

Displacement behaviour is the doggy equivalent of nail-biting. It is behaviour which helps to relieve stress or deflect trouble, without dealing with it directly. Some dogs scratch themselves, urinate, jump up on you, attack the dog next to them, or pick up a toy when they feel stressed. These can all be displacement behaviours. Displacement behaviours are all normal  behaviours (in their proper place) but they occur out of context.

The one I see most often in training is that a dog will stop and scratch itself when somewhat confused.

Dog on the left may be unsure about whether to join in rough play of litter mates.

Displaced aggression occurs when a dog is highly excited or agitated but frustrated, for example by the presence of a fence (which is known as “barrier frustration”). If the dog is unable to express the aggression directly, he may “take it out” on someone else, such as a dog standing nearby. If a dog is inhibited by the presence of a person who will punish an aggressive display, he might direct his aggression towards another person such as a child or family member seen as having less authority.

From Handelman, Barbara, Canine Behavior – a photo illustrated handbook.

Displacement Behavior:

Displacement behaviors get their name from the fact that they appear displaced, or out of context when they occur. Displacement behaviors occur because of conflicting or frustrated impulses to perform behaviors that are impeded. Displacement behaviors also occur when the animal experiences simultaneous conflicting emotional states and cannot figure out what else to do.

Displacement behaviors arise from situations of either conflict or frustration. When an animal may be motivated to perform two or more behaviors that are in conflict with each other (e.g. approach-withdrawal, greeting but fear of being punished).

The inability to perform both of the strongly motivated behaviors can lead to conflict resulting in the performance of a displacement behavior. Similarly, when an animal is prevented or frustrated from performing a highly motivated behavior (e.g. territorial aggression but dog is behind a barricade), a displacement behavior can also be observed. Displacement behaviors are usually normal behaviors that are shown at an inappropriate time, appearing out of context for the occasion (Overall & Landsberg, 2002).

Dogs use displacement behaviors when they are feeling stressed or uncertain. By engaging in a familiar behavior (usually one not stimulated by or relevant to the immediate environmental context), the dog can distract himself from and avoid responding to whatever caused his stress.

Displacement behaviors are a reflection of the dog’s internal emotional state, rather than a deliberate attempt to signal information to others.

“Most, if not all, displacement behaviors are ‘voluntary’ behaviors, e.g. sniffing or scratching” (Lore I. Haug, letter to author, August 2007).

Some dogs will interrupt play, or other types of interactions with humans or other dogs, to take a quick “inventory” of their own uro-genital body parts. This is a form of displacement behavior that appears most in stressful situations.

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A research study on Displacement Behaviours found that dogs kept under most austere conditions in shelters had high levels of locomotor activity, nosing, urinating, and paw lifting.

Behaviours associated with acute stress: body shaking, yawning, ambivalent postures and displacement behaviours.

Chronic stress: increased paw lifting when not disturbed; expressions of arousal when mildly stimulated;

Because behaviour can occur in other contexts, behavioural data easily misinterpreted.

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An article on Dog Body Language by Sherry Woodard says:

Displacement activities

Involve behaviours that would otherwise be normal action patterns for dogs except that they are performed out of context (O’Heare 2007). They are used to create a break in the current situation and are indicative of a stress response. Used to increase distance between the dog and the stressful situation. The behaviours include :

• Shaking


• Yawning

A big yawn – displacement behaviour or calming signal?

• Sniffing


• Scratching


• Looking away.

From an article by Doggonesafe…

Displacement Behaviors

Displacement behaviors are normal behaviors displayed out of context. They indicate conflict and anxiety. The dog wants to do something, but he is suppressing the urge to do it. He displaces the suppressed behavior with something else such as a lick or a yawn. For example, you are getting ready to go out and the dog hopes to go too. He is not sure what will happen next. He wants to jump on you or run out the door, but instead he yawns. The uncertainty of the situation causes conflict for the dog and the displacement behaviors are a manifestation of that conflict. The dog may want to bite a child who takes his bone, but instead he bites furiously at his own foot.

Some examples of displacement behaviors include:

• yawning when not tired


• licking chops without the presence of food – Watch the video below to see why this is important


• sudden scratching when not itchy


• sudden biting at paws or other body part


• sudden sniffing the ground or other object


• wet dog shake when not wet or dirty

These are all things that dogs do anyway. It is important to look at the context to determine whether the dog is feeling anxious. For example: if it is bedtime and the dog gets up, stretches, yawns and goes to her bed, then that yawn was not a displacement behavior. If the kids are hugging the dog or lying on him and he yawns or starts licking at them over and over then this is displacement. He wants to get up and leave or even to bite, but he displaces that with yawning or licking them or himself. In this context the licking or yawning behavior tells you that the dog is uncomfortable with whatever the kids are doing and it is time for you to intervene. You must then either prevent the kids from doing this in the future or use positive training techniques to teach the dog to enjoy (not just tolerate) these actions from the kids. Visit the dog owner information page for advice on how to do this.

Listen to a terrific interview with Doggone Safe cofounder and dog behavior specialist Teresa Lewin about displacement behavior.

Displacement Behaviors

In “Dog Language”, Danish evolutionary biologist and ethologist Roger Abrantes writes that dogs only share 50-80% of wolf-communication in true or modified form. I read that years ago, and was happy that a scientist of international caliber pointed out that dogs’, because they live in different conditions, aren’t like wolves’. Every time that happens it counters the popular perception that our common house-canis is in its essence but a status seeking competitor we better be wary of.

To clarify, dogs’ communication is not inferior to wolves’; it is not that they lack language skills, only dropped some signals and developed others because the environment they live in demanded it. Trust me, dog-speak is not mumbled because they live in the midst of humans, like some dog-pros suggest. To the contrary, they talk very clearly with us, and because they have learned that our hands can provide and attack, bring pleasure and hurt, their lingo includes a variety of signals intended to pacify. Expressions of active and passive submission, appeasement and displacement I see a whole lot more than assertive growls and snarls. Dogs, by nature, defer to us. In relation to humans they are prey, not predator.

Most everyone has, at least rudimentarily, an idea what a dog who pleads for kindness looks like. Even non-dog-owning people understand groveling and rolling on the back, tail up the belly, whining and dribbling urine.

A different story when it comes to displacement behaviors, which, by the way, can be observed in all animals. Simplified, they are species-normal actions expressed out of context to temporarily reduce anxiety, unease, uncertainty. The pooch feels confused or pressured, needs more time or information, or simply is bored. Not necessarily proof that he was trained with corrections and fears to make a mistake, it could also be that.

Two very common signals are sniffing and scratching. Of course, dogs sniff because they’re trailing a scent or reading the “Taily News”, but if I see mine put her nose into the bush the moment neighbor’s Brutus struts down his driveway, I know that she is a bit worried and hopes that old Brut won’t, la-la-la-la-la, perceive her as someone worth paying attention to.

Certainly, a dog also scratches an itch, but when I see one during an obedience trial eagerly run for the dumbbell, but stop on the way back to scratch himself, my hunch is that he’s concerned about an, at least at times, irritable handler and my advice for him is to be less overpowering and more inviting.

A play bow, the front down, butt up mega signal that friendly interaction is sought, can also be a displacement one. Not long ago I worked with two rescues who both exhibited it in different contexts: one in front of a treat she was leash-prevented to access. Without receiving any information from me, she had no clue what to do to get the loot and bowed, an action that might have, in the past and other situations, resulted in favorable outcomes – from her point of view. It became a habit. But maybe it was her launching position; her trying to gain momentum.

The other dog, a powerful male I assessed, bowed outside a run that contained a litter of puppies, and we knew it wasn’t play because he tried to attack (the puppies weren’t harmed in any way) a few hours prior. When he saw them the second time, unlike before, they were sleeping and that detail change, from animation to stillness, threw him enough of a curveball to trigger a different behavior: bowing instead of lunging.

Described in “The Domestic Dog”, biologist Ray Coppinger observed a group of Border collies who were presented with chickens sedated just enough that they stood still when the herders stared at them. Border collies give eye in anticipation of movement, and when what they expected, the birds scattering, didn’t manifest they had a problem they didn’t know how to solve. They stopped holding eye and, in frustration, resorted to a variety of displacement behaviors, including the play bow. At first suggestion that the chickens were about to move they locked on again, resumed giving eye, like the male dog lunged for the pups again the moment one awoke and became animated.

Which displacement signals a dog gives varies and depends on circumstance, personality, and what led to desired results in the past, but it can be anything that is part of his behavioral repertoire, including digging, self-grooming and rolling over.

When insecure of all novel situations husky Chinook went belly up as soon as I tried to teach her something new, it wasn’t an attempt to appease me, but to create a pause in our interaction. I ignored the behavior and her, and she popped up a few seconds later and did exactly what I had asked for. Sadly, Chinook’s owner interpreted her action as willfulness, but fortunately I could convince her that her mild, lovely pooch did want to please me, just needed a little more time to figure out how; concerned that I might not be safe if she’d get it wrong, and that is likely based on traditional training methods she once experienced.

Such misinterpretations humans make are common, because the average dog’s bilingual skills are much better than his person’s. One of the most misunderstood behaviors is mounting. Labeled as a dominant or sexual behavior it is typically neither, but exhibited by a dog in conflict; one presented with a person, dog or situation that makes him nervous but he feels powerless to do anything about. Mounting is a not so subtle effort by the dog to control or change a situation that’s not working for him – at the moment or generally, and it can be directed at the perceived “problem”, or redirected like a redirected bite – meant for one but directed at the other.

A displacement behavior always reflects a dog’s emotional state; signals that he is indecisive, needs more information, is buying time to contemplate his next move, would rather not deal with the dilemma altogether, is overwhelmed or utterly bored. If your dog intersperses an action with a behavior that is only normal in a different context, ask yourself why. Your best response is as multifaceted as the dog’s reason. If he is just confused, it is worthwhile to wait 20-30 seconds to see if he comes up with his own perfect solution, like husky Chinook and the rescue dog who bowed in front of a food treat. Problem solving builds brainpower and confidence and we want to foster both. If he is truly concerned, help him, and if he worries a lot, proactively avoid situations that create unease, for example change training facilities and build confidence in an environment he feels less overwhelmed in. If he is chronically mounting, chances are his living arrangement, or part of it, isn’t working for him and changes might have to be made there.

Setting the pooch up for success prevents that the displacement behavior turns into a problem behavior. If it is regularly reinforced, it can become an obsession; if reinforced by the person, a habitual but annoying attention getter that is, like all addictions, difficult to undo.