that scary golden...

[primabella]

i was taking mickey for a walk today and i decided to pass by the house where his "friend" the golden retriever lived. bad idea... the two were barking and "fighting". mickey was pulling on his leash so hard so i tried to get him aay. we did for awhile but we ended up passing by it again. that dog is scary.

wait, there is a point how do i know when a dog is barking and being friendly (playful) or barking and being territorial (mean) just to know how careful i should be in the future

[kai]

oooo good question...there's a blk lab that lives 3 doors down, he tries to jump over the fence..and just snarls when we walk by...scary

[Kater]

I would think it would partially depend on the territory - whether it is neutral or not. But I'm not really all that sure.

[primabella]

well, there is a fence separated the sidewalk and this dog but i'm curious to know. there is a dog park in back of my house and if other dogs act different ways...i just wanna make sure

[Jessica12345]

Good question. Im not sure but be careful.. we wouldnt want mickey geting hurt now would we?

[Cincy'sMom]

There are a few dogs in our neighborhood I don't like to walk by. One has moved, it was a yellow lab. Another is a black, maybe chow mix? For whatever reason, Sadie reacts poorly to these two dogs. I believe it is becuase they bark and jump at the fence, and she is being protective of Cincy and I ( and Ralph, if he is with us).
Many other dogs in our neighborhood run along the fence and bark and she is fine with that. It is only when they jump "at" her that she doesn't seem to like it.

[wolfsoul]

aggressive barking is usually accosiated with raised hackles, raised tail or raised ears...I don't know how, but I can always tell whether a dog is nice or not lol ...sometimes I can tell they are mean even when they aren't barking..
Like this dog in a truck the other day, didn't move his body towards, me, just turned his head and looked really nervous and kept licking his lips like he was aggitated...yikes, you wouldn't see me going over there! lol

[Pam]

There are two little scotties that live next door to my daughter. When I take Bella over there these two run up and down the fence barking their heads off at her. I am sure they are just letting their humans know that there is an intruder nearby, but it's so funny to see Bella's tail go down and almost in between her legs as a result of their barking. They are half her size!

[wolfsoul]

That reminds me of a dog on the road next to mine...it drives me nuts!!!
Every time I go by with Timber, it barks it's little head off and chases us down the road! Whenever I turn around to try and tempt it to come to me, it runs back home. Then, as soon as I start going again, it comes back and runs after us again...crazy little dog lol

[Dixieland Dancer]

A scary Golden???? Ok... I admit Goldens can have bad temperments too but it is not in keeping with the breed standard. These dogs are happy go lucky and want to play and have fun with everyone.

Dusty (my Golden boy) barks when someone walks down the road. His tail also wags 100 miles and hour. He is trained not to leave the yard but if I hear him bark then I will go outside and if the person walking is receptive, I will let him go greet them. His bark stops when he gets my attention. I believe it is his way of saying, "mom, someones coming and I want to say hi." Dusty is your typical Golden and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He just thinks he should be the neighborhood greeter!

Body language will tell you if this is a mean Golden or one just trying to get your attention for a few pets and some fun. Notice the tail. Is it wagging or between the legs? What are the hackles like? Are they flat or standing? Are the ears perked or flat? A dogs body language will tell if he is friendly or mean.

If all of the body language is positive except for the bark, then I would say this Golden wants to play with Micki and not attack him. However, if you are not certain, use caution to protect you pup.

[primabella]

thanks and i know...i found it so weird when i heard this scary barking and saw a golden. i was like, "huh?"

okay, yesterday i took mickey for a walk and naturally passed by the neighbors house again. i checked out the body language. his ears were down and tail was wagging. but he was smiling, which i read is like growling because they are baring teeth. they were kinda playing a game or something. mickey and him would bark at eachother and run along the fence. the golden would hide somewhere and mickey would sniff it out. i'm guessing they are playing but then, the golden barks like crazy to get mickey off his territory. *sigh* and what are hackles? lol

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by primabella
thanks and i know...i found it so weird when i heard this scary barking and saw a golden. i was like, "huh?"

okay, yesterday i took mickey for a walk and naturally passed by the neighbors house again. i checked out the body language. his ears were down and tail was wagging. but he was smiling, which i read is like growling because they are baring teeth. they were kinda playing a game or something. mickey and him would bark at eachother and run along the fence. the golden would hide somewhere and mickey would sniff it out. i'm guessing they are playing but then, the golden barks like crazy to get mickey off his territory. *sigh* and what are hackles? lol

Grinning is a confusing thing, I know lol...Timber grins all the time..it is a trait that has carried on since the wolf...Dogs can grin in greeting, or when they feel submissive....but they can also grin when the are growling, so it can be hard to tell (people always think that timber is mean lmao yeah right )
hackles are the erectile hair on the back of a dog's neck and back

[Dixieland Dancer]

Smiling and growling are not one in the same. My Goldens smile a lot and wag their tail too. Dixie even "talks" (a low rumble from her throat that someone could take as a growl but isn't). It is her way of greeting. When I come home we go through a ritual of her "talking" for minutes and wagging her tail so hard her entire butt wiggles! My guess is this golden wants to play.

When the hair on a dogs back stands straight up, that is referred to as hackles.

[primabella]

Oh I get it And thansk for explaining the hackles thing Now I am going to meet up with a guy friend. We're going to take our dogs for a walk together. Let see how he reacts..

[cocker_luva]

Maybe the dog was just defending his territory? Maybe the 2 dogs are just 'arguing' who's top dog in the neighborhood?