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A dog's body language

Hector

Well-Known Member
This is a really good picture of nervousness. Nervousness that can easily turn into resource guarding with this dog.

DSCN1896.jpg
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
Headline waiting to happen imo

View attachment 46916

Sometimes it's really hard to decipher a dog in a photo. The dog "might" seem uncomfortable. I can see the whites of the eyes, maybe a furrowed brow, tense mouth, ears back, but the body doesn't look too tense. It's really hard to tell unless you know the dog or had access to more details/visuals, same dog, similar situation. If the dog was staring at the boy and pulling her head away or even signs of lip scrunching, I would be more inclined to believe that it a warning growl/bite/maul depending on the dog is coming up.


For all I know, that dog might even be a therapy dog.
 
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Siloh

Well-Known Member
I was a bit conflicted when I first saw it, and thought about posting "How do you think this dog feels?" but as I studied it I personally felt the dog looked uncomfortable. Photos ARE much harder to tell from, though. My beagle girl often looks sad or nervous when she's actually in a very calm state. Many people think she's bothered by them when petting her when the nervousness or discomfort they perceive in her eyes is actually just how she looks when she's being very mellow and affectionate. Although the whites aren't like the above photo. She gets big seal-looking eyes. :)

Completely unrelated--the Animal Planet article this photo came from seems to have confused neos and bullmastiffs? I'm no expert on either but Breeds You Should Know : Bully Breeds: Animal Planet (item 9)???



"Nothing is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so."
Hamlet Prince of Denmark
 

TWW

Well-Known Member
OMG Hector, you have created 2 monster wife and Ex are picking on Rottie Boy.
Good lord it is the end of the world when those 2 agree on something.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
I was a bit conflicted when I first saw it, and thought about posting "How do you think this dog feels?" but as I studied it I personally felt the dog looked uncomfortable. Photos ARE much harder to tell from, though. My beagle girl often looks sad or nervous when she's actually in a very calm state. Many people think she's bothered by them when petting her when the nervousness or discomfort they perceive in her eyes is actually just how she looks when she's being very mellow and affectionate. Although the whites aren't like the above photo. She gets big seal-looking eyes. :)

Completely unrelated--the Animal Planet article this photo came from seems to have confused neos and bullmastiffs? I'm no expert on either but Breeds You Should Know : Bully Breeds: Animal Planet (item 9)???



"Nothing is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so."
Hamlet Prince of Denmark

Yeah, wtf....here they present an article about bully breeds you should know, yet they don't get the bullmastiff right, but bullmastiff isn't even considered a bully breed is it??? :lolbangtable: Oh..big seal looking eyes that beagles usually get. I've seen those and always thought they looked sad...calm and mellow...I have to remember that.
 
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Hector

Well-Known Member
OMG Hector, you have created 2 monster wife and Ex are picking on Rottie Boy.
Good lord it is the end of the world when those 2 agree on something.

Are you referring to my 3 dogs? I'm not sure what you mean.
 

whipper

Member
What kind of effing idiot is the guy with the rottweilers??? Honestly if someone approached me 1) with dogs behaving like his, 2) with idiotic comments like his, or 3) a voice as annoying as his, I would have politely excused myself...quickly.


Im with you. Very well behaved Bully though with the rottie barking and two of them. What part of my dogs not good with other dogs makes him stand there antagonizing the poor Bully around his family. i would say OK and keep walking. The Barking Rottie seemed a little aggressive to me. shouldn't have been barking. thats another reason he should have removed his dogs away from those people! I was in the pet store the other day and a guy had a 1 year Boxer all over this adult Great Pyrenees. the Pyrenees was just standing there but the boxer was leaping in the air and snapping at the other dog? He wouldn't stop and the owner said Oh thats how they play. The Boxer was growling and whining frustrated as the owner kept yanking him back before the snaps were getting the other dog. This went on and on! The Great Pyrenees owner said i think my dogs had enough then the boxer owner still let his dog jump all over the Pyrenees for a long time trying to have a talk with the guy who clearly just wanted the Boxer dude to beat it! WOW some people. My old bully would have had that boxer by the throat on the ground in a split sec trying that with her! The great was amazing at keeping his cool threw the whole ordeal I must say!:)
 

Siloh

Well-Known Member
Ughhh pet store conflicts. I have literally had to shout above the din of barking dogs to another owner, "Control your dog!" as his little fluffer was charging my beagle. I wasn't worried about her so much as I was worried about how the other owner would feel when Annie, who assumed a defensive warning posture, flipped that dog to the ground.

Was in Petsmart with Hamlet one day and a mini yorkie was just barking and lunging its little head off at him. Of course the owner thought its body language was hilarious. Hamlet just kept looking at me like "Why? Make it stop, mommy!"
 

sjdavenport

Well-Known Member
Pretty cute, guilty dogs responding in different ways. The one that I don't understand is the teeth baring, but good to see it.

A Funny Compilation Of Dogs Caught Doing Something Bad By Their OwnersÂ* | SF Globe

Lol, aw, a few of those are kind of pitiful. My pit bull Mazey does quite a bit of submissive grinning. It's usually when she sees her favorite people (like "I'm trying to be polite and submissive, BUT I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!!!"). So always with a loose and wiggly body, not tense like the dogs in the video. I know it's an attempt to pacify/appease, and those two dogs seemed super uncomfortable. The one that baffles me is the beagle that walks soooo slooooowwwlyyy across the room.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
Lol, aw, a few of those are kind of pitiful. My pit bull Mazey does quite a bit of submissive grinning. It's usually when she sees her favorite people (like "I'm trying to be polite and submissive, BUT I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!!!"). So always with a loose and wiggly body, not tense like the dogs in the video. I know it's an attempt to pacify/appease, and those two dogs seemed super uncomfortable. The one that baffles me is the beagle that walks soooo slooooowwwlyyy across the room.

Buddy does that. Perhaps it is an attempt to disappear or maybe an attempt to get as far away from the crime scene as possible lol.
 

Siloh

Well-Known Member
My beagle does the super slow stealth walk when she's REALLY trying to get away with something. She once did that across a room over the course of about an hour so she could snatch a hush puppy from a bowl in front of me on the floor. I didn't even see her take it. B saw her with it in her mouth as she was about to be home free in the next room!

So many people told me when I got her that beagles can be super well trained and will still try to get away with murder if they think you aren't paying attention. At the time I thought this was bogus. Now... Not so sure! I think they were right.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
Here we go again with nerves. Hector has always been uncomfortable with Buddy being in his space. Sometimes he's fine, but other times he's not. There's no real pattern I can pick up on. I've worked on giving out treats to the other dogs with Hector in a stay. Letting Bud eat treats dropped right by Hector. Gave more attention and food to Bud and Ging. Those times - no reaction - he just waits on the release word. Anyway, I thought this was a good video where a dog can tell you a lot through the use of their eye muscles. This is also a typical move I've seen that results in a growl and results in a timeout. I'm glad he made a good decision.

[video=youtube_share;4O137vFpFf0]http://youtu.be/4O137vFpFf0[/video]

OKAY now to the good stuff!

I don't even have to explain this picture. I think everyone will come to the same conclusion.

Posted with permission from the owner. This was not the owner's dog, but this dog enjoys play and hand feeding from the baby. All the baby was doing in the pic was sitting, playing, and crawling towards the mother. Since the baby has gained more mobility, the dog has been seen to bare teeth, growl and lunge....

nervous dog.jpg



While we're at it, might as well

Dogs Toddlers: Watching for Signs of Stress - mom.me
 
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Hector

Well-Known Member
Wouldn't let me edit, but the baby was also not the owner's. Okay edit above post - that photo with the dog was taken months ago and the OP said the dog was fine as seen in the photo. She's telling us now fast forward - the dog is baring teeth, growling, and lunging...well no shit..
 
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