# Does this dog look mad or upset?



## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

It's my former friends dog and I found a picture online, but he looks mad or upset to me but I'm not sure if it's just my perception. He's he greatest dog I ever met. I think he has a scratch on his nose but it's prolly from his little sister puppy, she's always climbing all over him and he doesn't mind.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Impossible to really tell from a single, still photo. That's pretty much the expression on Molly's face all the time.

It's entirely possible, though, that the dog is unhappy at the moment that photo was taken. It looks like he's getting a hug. Some dogs enjoy that. Some dogs merely tolerate it. Some dogs actively dislike it.

You're not going to get any useful information from a yes or no answer, so I ignored the poll itself.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

Thanks, that's not this dogs usual expression.


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## Spirit_of_Cotons (Jun 21, 2009)

He just looked nervous to me. Like he wasn't sure what was going on; sometimes my dog gives that face too when he's confused. The dog is nice looking.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

Spirit_of_Cotons said:


> He just looked nervous to me. Like he wasn't sure what was going on; .


Maybe he's thinking, how am I gonna keep from biting this jerk who's trying to choke me. :wink:

and thanks about the nice looking comment, he is a handsome fellow.:cheer2:


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

It was probably him being weirded out and uncertain about what was going on- person leaning over him with a camera. Or could be a split second pic where he was making an odd face. Happens to the best of us!


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## Bear2010 (Aug 21, 2012)

Some dogs have what's reffered to as a "poker face",you can't ever tell what they are thinking by expression only becasue it's always the same..ha..ha..I had dobies that had major
"poker faces"


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Sibe said:


> Or could be a split second pic where he was making an odd face. Happens to the best of us!












Yep. Happens all the time. All that would have had to happen to make the dog look uncomfortable there is it to be looking slightly to his right and twitching an ear, and there you have it. 

You snap a photo you get expressions in motions. Also, without other cues (like motion and sound) it's just about impossible to judge. Quite aside from Kylie not really being angry in the above photo, Jack almost always looks uncomfortable in photos. Because more often than not, he puts his ears back if he sees the camera. 









All he wanted was the cheese, but he looks danged uncomfortable/nervous there. And he just *WASN"T*. He was vibrating with happy.


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## Bear2010 (Aug 21, 2012)

CptJack said:


> Yep. Happens all the time. All that would have had to happen to make the dog look uncomfortable there is it to be looking slightly to his right and twitching an ear, and there you have it.
> 
> You snap a photo you get expressions in motions. Also, without other cues (like motion and sound) it's just about impossible to judge. Quite aside from Kylie not really being angry in the above photo, Jack almost always looks uncomfortable in photos. Because more often than not, he puts his ears back if he sees the camera.
> 
> ...


Darn,they all have those "poker faces" what cuties!! ha..ha..


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Bear2010 said:


> Darn,they all have those "poker faces" what cuties!! ha..ha..


They OCCASIONALLY have expressions - HUGE ONES - but they're not really telling as to what's going on with them, to be honest. More like optical illusions. And never when cheese is involved. When cheese is involved it's all srsbzns. 

...That would be a good idea for a thread, here. Dogs making faces.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

Bear2010 said:


> Darn,they all have those "poker faces" what cuties!! ha..ha..


But dogs are very expressive. The Rottie I love (of a former friend of mine) after you send him out of the room for barking at the TV will try to walk around shoulders slumped like if to say " he's sorry". If we send him out the room and he didn't do anything wrong he will get stubborn and not want to come back even if you try to lure him with treats. 

When I met his puppy sister the first time, even as much as he loves her he got jealous. I bought them each a toy and he took the one that was for her, the smaller one and put it in his mouth using his lip muscles until it was hidden. He's a funny guy, I miss him. He was a kind dog. 

Dogs really are just a big ball of unconditional love.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

CptJack said:


> . And never when cheese is involved. When cheese is involved it's all srsbzns.
> 
> .


 I found out by accident that my former friend's dog Favorite treat was bread. When I got to his house I would give him a few treats but his favorite was french bread. Then when I left I would have a little more bread for him. His puppy sister likes it too, but she got bored with it after a few pieces, but he would eat a whole loaf if it was offered. I think he liked bread better than ice cream. One of the last times I saw him I couldn't give him bread because he was on a restricted diet due to seizures.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

SoDog said:


> But dogs are very expressive. .


There is a fine line between a dog being expressive and anthropomorphizing them. ESPECIALLY based on pictures.

Let's play a game. You tell me what you think the dog's emotional state/mood is, based on these pictures.

A:









B:









C:









I'm not saying expressions *can't* be telling, they really can, but pictures are strange things - and even outside that, some dogs just aren't all that expressive. A? The dog isn't actually happy. He is stressed and hot B? The dog is. C: Not uncomfortable or shy, just sleepy.


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## Roloni (Aug 5, 2011)

SoDog said:


> Thanks, that's not this dogs usual expression. If he's not upset then it's the angle it was taken. Rotties are normally serious dogs, but this is the kindest most well mannered dog I ever met. He never barks at people or other dogs and allows everyone to pet him. He only barks to protect us from evil villains on tv. :clap2: He has no tail to wag, but I can see when he was excited because if I visit him after two weeks of not seeing him he bounces around on his front legs from side to side like he's a silly dog.
> 
> Here he is relaxed.
> 
> http://oi45.tinypic.com/2mzxkbp.jpg


I have Roxxie Trained to find women over the age of 40...
We like cats and fancy dogs...







[/IMG]


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

Roloni said:


> I have Roxxie Trained to find women over the age of 40...
> We like cats and fancy dogs...


She's so cute. I really love Rotties. They are my favorite breed after I met my former friend's dog. I used to be a little scared of dogs before I met him. Many years ago my grandparents had a Rottie/black lab mix, but it looked mostly Rottie, but he wasn't as sweet as the dog in my pictures.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Abbylynn my Dobie/Rott has that look when she does not want the camera pointed at her .... she hates pictures being taken ........ In fact she has that look most of the time. If you did not know her ... she would be very intimidating to a stranger. But she is a total sweetheart.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

Abbylynn said:


> Abbylynn my Dobie/Rott has that look when she does not want the camera pointed at her ..


She's a cutie.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

Another reason that I think the dog looks upset is because it's my former friend and I know he is going through problems and I think the dog can sense it. A friend of his is the one with his neck around the dog in that picture. Before our friendship ended I felt that this dog who never barks at me barked at me as I was leaving last time I saw him, as if to say, something is wrong, don't leave. He also snapped/barked in his owner's face when he approached him really close to his snout face on. I know that dogs can sense things when things are wrong. When I saw him last I stopped over my former friends house when I knew the friendship was going bad to try to talk to him and to give him something that I had for the dog. When my former friend opened the door he came right out happy to see me. The dog felt the tension when my former friend wouldn't let me in and walked in slumped and dejected. I love this dog a lot, but if his owner won't let me see him there is nothing I can do.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

SoDog said:


> It's my former friends dog and I found a picture online, but he looks mad or upset to me but I'm not sure if it's just my perception. He's he greatest dog I ever met. I think he has a scratch on his nose but it's prolly from his little sister puppy, she's always climbing all over him and he doesn't mind.
> 
> http://oi46.tinypic.com/2ugfdar.jpg


This dog looks really uncomfortable being hugged. So no, not bad or upset, but uneasy.


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## marsha=whitie (Dec 29, 2008)

SoDog said:


> Thanks, that's not this dogs usual expression. If he's not upset then it's the angle it was taken. Rotties are normally serious dogs, but this is the kindest most well mannered dog I ever met. He never barks at people or other dogs and allows everyone to pet him. He only barks to protect us from evil villains on tv. :clap2: He has no tail to wag, but I can see when he was excited because if I visit him after two weeks of not seeing him he bounces around on his front legs from side to side like he's a silly dog.
> 
> Here he is relaxed.
> 
> http://oi45.tinypic.com/2mzxkbp.jpg


He just looks bored here.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Just out of curiosity, why are you so interested in the expression of your _former_ friend's dog?


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

HollowHeaven said:


> Just out of curiosity, why are you so interested in the expression of your _former_ friend's dog?


I think this guy is going through some trouble and I worry that his dog will suffer for it.


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## SoDog (Sep 30, 2012)

marsha=whitie said:


> He just looks bored here.


Yeah I wasn't talking about this picture, I think he looks really sweet and innocent in it.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

SoDog said:


> Yeah I wasn't talking about this picture, I think he looks really sweet and innocent in it.


Then maybe you'll listen to what we're telling you, at 'a dog's facial expression in a snap shot isn't really indicative of much', and try to let it go. I know you're worried. I think that's wonderful. I just don't think you're going to get answers this way.


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