part 2 body language Written on January 14, 2010, by marlene.

Signs of Submission (avoids conflict):

Head is down, the dog squats/lowers itself to ground, belly up, urination, avoids direct eye contact

Signs of Friendly/Playful dog:

Tail/whole body wagging, play bow (front legs and chest on ground, hind up!), bouncing back and forth,
soliciting other dog to chase, mouth open and relaxed

Signs of a Fearful dog:

Tail between legs, body hunched over, body tense, eyes shifting back and forth, wincing, barking
and backing up, fast sporadic movements to try to escape, mouth tense and closed, tension in the body.
These dogs could easily transition into fight mode if they feel threatened enough to have to defend themselves. Watch out!

Vocalizations:
Play growl (occurs when roughousing) a softer noise, usually does not sound menacing. A play growl will be accompanied by signs of friendliness (playbow; full body wag, relaxed pouncing, etc.)

Serious growl (increases in volume as it continues, accompanied by menacing posture-stiffness
raised hackles, etc)

Dog Fights:

Never use hands or feet to separate dogs. Use 2 metal food bowls to clang together.
Have them accessible BEFORE you get the dogs together, just in case. Also, it’s a good idea
to have a bottle of water to empty onto the dogs that are fighting. This can startle them and give
you a second to separate them.

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