Domesticated dogs are most likely descendants of wolves. Many behaviors naturally exhibited by dogs are reflections of wolf-like ancestry, rooted in instincts thousands of years old. Some of these behaviors are at odds with the wishes of the dog owner, who wants a domesticated companion that responds to human cues. Understanding the natural basis of canine behavior can be the best place to start a successful human-animal relationship.

Social Behavior: Dogs retain some of the basic behaviors of wolves, including living in relatively small social groups, following a leader, and exhibiting territorial protection. Dogs have relatively stable, hierarchical social structures that mediate interactions between group members and help them avoid regular aggressive confrontations. Complex body signaling of dominant and submissive postures is involved in the establishment and maintenance of these hierarchies. Therefore, in domestic life, it is important for humans to maintain a leadership role in the household.

Communication: Dogs use a combination of vocal, visual and olfactory cues to transmit a variety of messages from friendly greetings to threats. A vocalization should be evaluated in association with the dog's body language and the situation in which the vocalization is delivered. Visually, dogs use their body posture and expressions to relay messages. A dog that uses body postures to increase apparent size is usually trying to drive off another party. Conversely, dogs that use body postures to minimize their size are often encouraging approach. Olfactory cues play an important role in communication. The scents are often at levels undetectable by humans.

Sexual Behavior: Intact female dogs will come into heat about every six months. During early estrus, the female dog becomes more playful and urinates more frequently. Non-neutered male dogs often exhibit behaviors such as urine marking, mounting, and roaming. Neutering often curtails these undesirable behaviors.

Chewing/Ingestive Behavior: It is normal for dogs to have a desire to chew on a variety of items, and they usually seek items to chew if they are not provided. Dog owners should provide their pets with numerous chew toys.

Elimination Behavior: Dogs do not instinctively know to eliminate outdoors. They start to move away from their nesting area to eliminate when they are about three weeks of age and usually continue to avoid eliminating close to their sleeping and eating areas throughout life. At about eight weeks of age, puppies develop a preference for eliminating on a particular kind of surface (grass, dirt, concrete, etc). This desire often becomes a lifelong preference. Dogs may use urination to signal submission to a person or another animal. This is a normal communication behavior that usually is exhibited by young dogs. Dogs also may eliminate in situations of extreme fear.