Articles about American Pit Bull Terrier
More correct is it to say that a dog raising partial hackles is a bit worked up, but a dog with full hackles is a very worked up dog. It is said that it is adrenalin that causes raised hackles (you probably have experiences that the hairs on the back of your neck raises or that you get goosebumps if you get scared or worked up?), and adrenaline is a stress hormone. Basically it is very difficult to say something definitive about a dogs state of mind based on hackles. Is it angry? Is it scared? Is it feeling anxious? So, the only conclusion we can make is that the dog is worked up about something in some way.
Weight of the body:
How a dog places the weight of its body can say something about its state of mind. To put its weight on the back part of their body makes it easier to quickly submit and/or run away, while if the weight is on the front part of the body indicates selfconfidence and can possibly be a threatsignal. An angry dog will put it's weight on the front so that it can easily attack.
Body positioning:
A dog can turn away from another dog, or a human, to signalize peacefulness. This is the opposite to approaching straight on, that can be a threat. The so called T-position has been studied carefully, where the submissive shows its side and the superior stands directly towards the other. In other ways, a dog can show that it is peaceful by turning its butt to people and dogs. It is to mark that they do not mean harm or threat, even if it is being very close. Closeness can be very sensitive for some dogs, and it can be of importance. If a dog approaches another dog quickly, it can be interpreted as a threat or challenge. If the dog shows a clear invitation to play or submission, it is usually fine. If it comes inn stiff, it's a challenge. Some dogs can even react to other dogs being to close to each other, and try to break it up by going in between them. Some dogs can even think that humans that are hugging or showing affection like kissing are just about to fight, and will try to fix the imminent conflict. Usually to the humans malcontent.......to continue reading this article please click on here...