# Dog's fur on back stands on end when meeting new dogs...



## couponcutter (Nov 18, 2011)

Is this normal? Her tail is usually in the air and she is very alert. She is a lab mix so she has short hair. We had an older dog whose fur also stood on end but she didn't get along with a lot of dogs. I guess this has made me a little nervous when our current dog meets unfamiliar dogs.


----------



## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

It's normal, it is a sign of being in a state of arousal, it can be a part of play or aggression.


----------



## WheatenDaneMom (Nov 4, 2011)

When my dog's hair stood up it was a very very bad sign. I think you just need to become more in tune with your dog's personality... is your dog meeting new dogs while on a leash?


----------



## DustyCrockett (Sep 24, 2011)

Hackles raised, tail high don't always mean aggression. Lots of times that kind of posture breaks out into a full fledged game of chase or tag or whatever it is dogs think they're doing.

If her ears are forward too, then she's on full alert. I wouldn't be too happy with that posture...if the other dog makes one wrong move, you could have a flurry of fur and teeth on your hands. Look for signs that she's just excited, interested, playful. For instance, if she's barking, that's good. 

Sometimes its hard to read your dog's body language, but watch the other dog's reaction. If it's acting playfully, you don't have anything to worry about. A dog doesn't try to play with an aggressive dog.

Especially if the dogs are leashed, don't make any moves or sounds that your dog might interpret as fear or aggression while the dogs are sniffing each other's mouths and butts. If she gets the idea that you view the other dog as a threat, she'll react accordingly.

If the other dog is unleashed, lots of times I'll drop my dog's leash (if it seems safe...quiet neighborhood, no traffic, whatever), the leash seems to put a dog at a psychological disadvantage somehow.

Be aware that if you are uncertain, or nervous or afraid, your dog will know about it (they always know) and it will affect the way she percieves the situation.


----------



## Daenerys (Jul 30, 2011)

Faolan's fur is always on end when he is meeting other dogs. He looks like a hyena! It goes from just behind his head all the way to his tail and spans an area of like 3 or 4 inches wide. But its never been a sign of aggression. Faolan has never ever EVER acted aggressive, but there has also never been a time when his hair hasn't stood up when meeting another dog. Just watch for other body signs to determine if its play or aggression or dominance or just a sign that s/he's unsure, etc.


----------



## w49_boarding (May 13, 2011)

With my dog it seems more out of an excited nervousness. She just doesn't know what to expect just yet from the other dog. So she is excited for play, but still nervous just in case the dog is a little snappy. I wouldn't read into it as a sign of aggression per se. It is just a sign of ambiguity and not really knowing what will happen.


----------



## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

There are two types of raising hackles - one raises just to the shoulders making the dog look more fierce, and the other goes all the way back to the tail when the dog is anxious of fearful. Both can lead to fighting or biting. Both can also indicate a misunderstanding and eventually lead to playing, depending on the other dog. My dog has done the second with rambunctious puppies that pestered him, and my dog has caused other dogs to raise hackles, then he did a playbow and both dogs started playing.

When your dog's hackles go up, watch to see if stares directly or looks away ... looking away is better. And does she lick her lips or nose, nose is OK, but lips is better. The better expressions are calming signals that indicate that she is anxious or uncertain about the intentions of the other dog, but she isn't planning aggression. I believe that the more dogs that you socialize her with, the fewer times that her hackles will go up....


----------



## couponcutter (Nov 18, 2011)

WheatenDaneMom said:


> When my dog's hair stood up it was a very very bad sign. I think you just need to become more in tune with your dog's personality... is your dog meeting new dogs while on a leash?


Yes, this is while we are out on walks. Since she is fairly new to us, I don't like to drop her leash because we don't have a good recall yet.


----------



## couponcutter (Nov 18, 2011)

hanksimon said:


> There are two types of raising hackles - one raises just to the shoulders making the dog look more fierce, and the other goes all the way back to the tail when the dog is anxious of fearful. Both can lead to fighting or biting. Both can also indicate a misunderstanding and eventually lead to playing, depending on the other dog. My dog has done the second with rambunctious puppies that pestered him, and my dog has caused other dogs to raise hackles, then he did a playbow and both dogs started playing.
> 
> When your dog's hackles go up, watch to see if stares directly or looks away ... looking away is better. And does she lick her lips or nose, nose is OK, but lips is better. The better expressions are calming signals that indicate that she is anxious or uncertain about the intentions of the other dog, but she isn't planning aggression. I believe that the more dogs that you socialize her with, the fewer times that her hackles will go up....


Thanks for the advice. Her hackles go all the way down to her tail. I never thought she was being aggressive although she does like to be dominant.


----------



## hast (Aug 17, 2011)

She sounds like a "bossy bitch" who wants to tell other dogs about how big and important she is ... it doesn't necessarily mean that she's going to jump on them ... but it MIGHT mean that if she meet another "bossy bitch" they'll get at it since neither is likely to back off. My rottie is a "bossy bitch" who is very grateful that I step in and control situations with strange dogs ... she does want to control the situation with dogs (and cats ... and horses) she knows though, so I have to keep an eye on her and her body language at all times so I can break her before she starts something. 
We had a situation with a loose Golden at a dog show last weekend. The Golden came running to posture at my girl (my girl was on a leash and I won't let go since I need it if a fight breaks out ... if for nothing else I can hit a dog with my end of the leash which has a metal ring on it) who postured right back. When the Golden turned towards me with the same posturing behavior my rottie gave a growl as a warning and the Golden answered her and turned back. I swear Mandy smiled when I grabbed the scruff of the Golden and growled right back "STOP IT!" right before the owner finally got there to take his dog. 
It might not have been a smart move, something I realized when the Golden didn't immediately put her ears back and lower her head towards me ... something my girl have done when I broke off a 'fight' with my son's dog. (They were posturing, growling, and biting but all bite inhibition was in place and not a scruff on either of the dogs) In this scenario with the Golden the dog turned towards me with the same high held head, but the owner came right then. He looked hesitant to grab her, now I'm thinking that maybe it saved me from a dog bite (followed by a dog fight) that it broke the dog's focus when I handed her over.


----------

