Is He A Beast of Burden - Concealed Violent Body Language Signs

Think you've found Mr. Perfect? How can you know who he really is; a prince or an animal in disguise? We all secretly hope there is a little animal in our man; but only enough to entice and protect us. How can we know if he's more beast than man, more destructive than loving or more likely to become a burden than a catch? Men share many body language traits with canines; animals are not nearly as interested in hiding their intentions. A quick review of their similarities will help you decide whether to tether or cage the latest catch.

1. Am I Big Enough - Watch your man in public and social settings. The aggressive male, just like the aggressive animal, needs to control space. They seek to make themselves appear larger. Men do this by standing taller, hands on hips with elbows out, or spread their legs out in front of them, sometimes in aisles, to take up more space. Dogs do this in the same manner; happy and contented dogs appear balanced in their stance. They assume a submissive posture by cowering or trying to appear smaller; or a dominant and aggressive posture by 'muscling up,' leaning forward and preparing for battle.

2. Am I Bad Enough - Depending on his social status men display this exactly like dogs. The aggressive male with money and position wear their dominance with expensive clothing, shoes, wallets and jewelry; all designed to say I will accept, reject or control you. Those holding a lower class status exhibit this by being loud, confrontational, standing with arms crossed, sending back food for no apparent reason or being eager to make a scene. Their dog counterparts display this by barking loudly, holding their tail high and rigid, legs squared and prepared to lunge, ears up and alert; all signals that say I am the alpha male and you better be submissive and back down.

3. Am I Hard Enough - Posture, posture tells this story. Do they stand toe-to-toe drawing an invisible battle line in social settings? Stiff legs and feet spread wide says 'I am ready for battle; arms crossed in this posture suggest they are willing to listen but are protecting their territory. Leaning in says, "I will invade your space at will; I'm in charge here." And the canine counterpart to this? The hair and the tails have it; hair raised indicates they have their hackles up, a rigid tail held stiff and high signals I am ready for battle. When a dog adds a slow swing back and forth with a rigid tail, they are saying, " I am standing my ground and prepared to attack, now." These postures indicate an alpha male attitude that signifies a willingness to force submission.

4. Am I Tough Enough - Pay attention when your man disagrees with or is disturbed by others in a social setting. Flared nostrils, straight line 'smiles' that resembe bared teeth, squinted eyes, clenched jaws and stares are all forms of repressed aggression. And their dog language similarities; not much difference. Anxious dogs may yawn in an exaggerated fashion, retract their lips or pull them up vertically to expose their teeth, draw their lips back horizontally, creating a tight-lipped appearance and finally the clenched jaw that becomes an open mouth growl. Canines stare as a form of aggression; men stare to gain submission. A direct stare is a threat in man and animal, a wide-eyed stare is an indication of impending attack or aggression in both. If you notice this in social settings or alone, your hair should stand up; get your back up.

5. Am I Clear Enough - Gestures and hand signals display this message in men. Clenched fists when angered are obvious. Standing and blocking doorways and aisles, forcing others to ask 'permission' to pass, freely touching others, never breaking eye contact first, locking their hands behind their heads, placing their personal items on the table to claim space and always taking the lead through doorways all signal aggressive and hostile behavior. Our canine equivalent of this behavior is again, not much different. Dogs make their heads appear bigger by how their ears are positioned; ears that are alert and pulled forward and high on the head, like the clenched fist, says I am alert and ready. Dogs stake their space and claim dominance by urinating on spaces, just like the male who places personal items on public spaces to claim them. Dogs urinate over top of other dogs' urine to claim their alpha place; the equal to men who touch others at will; both behaviors say 'I don't respect your boundaries." A man blocking doors and aisles to force others to pass with their consent is the same as dogs who spread their front feet wide apart, lower their back and prepare to lunge if you dare to cross their space without a confrontation or their permission.

You don't have to get involved to know the nature of the beast. If you are unsure what you have in your man; just look at their beast behavior!