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What is this bark and body language saying?
Hi everyone!
How do you perceive Barkley’s actions?
What are thoughts as to what Barkley is communicating here based on observations?
Based on those observations do you allow an interaction or not?
0:06
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19 Replies
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Hi. What is he facing? i.e, What is he barking at that we can’t see off-camera?
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I agree. I would like to know what is he focused on to look at the body language and bark. Cute pup!
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Hi @jenz – I agree; I’d like more context too, but if we are just looking at body language, I see that he is highly aroused, fully aligned with tail up and waving in short arcs. His feet are square; his weight is over his feet – neither backing up nor coming forward. His bark sounds frustrated/excited to me, rather than “serious”. His eyes and ears also don’t look angry/hard. He seems a bit conflicted.
Interestingly, my dog Bliss shook off after hearing his barking (when it stopped) so it was a bit stressful for her… she probably knows what he’s saying way better than I do!
Tell us more!
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One more thing; his tail is wagging to his left, which according to this study, is perceived as more stressful to the other dog. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982213011433
Based on that and the intensity of his arousal, I would likely not allow an interaction at this moment.
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@catherine i think it is so interesting how your dog just shook off, just hearing the audio. Great break down of body language!!
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Right?! I ALWAYS believe what the other dog thinks of a social partner. Bliss is still new to my crazy life – she’s only 6 months old. Joy, my 10yr old, doesn’t even lift her head when I’m watching/listening to dogs on my computer. She’s habituated to it.
But yes, importantly, @jenz how was the OTHER dog feeling about Barkely’s signals? That’s key, too!
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I purposely left out the context because I felt if would allow for a bias response.
The context is, his mom, dad and relative visitor are chatting in the kitchen. Barkley is gated behind. Barkley has known the visitor since puppyhood but he is an infrequent visitor. No dogs. (but yes, I always watch the other dog reaction. It provides so much info!)
I did not allow any interaction with the visitor. I take him out the rear door to allow a visitor to come in the front. As soon as we walk in Barkley is usually over threshold just sniffing and knowing immediately someone is in the house. He has developed territorial aggression and starting to use DS/CC.
Let me know if you need more info!
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This is one of his many responses to visitors in the home. They vary in intensity and reactions. Some over threshold, some calm and the in-betweens. I have been consistent with the arrangement.
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Thanks for these additional details and extra clip, @jenz I appreciate @bmacwatt ‘s read on the situation and concur that there’s frustration here. I’m sorry to hear about the territorial aggression. How does that usually begin? What signals does he give that indicates aggression vs. social arousal? I know you are working on muzzle conditioning with this dog too… Sometimes, wearing the muzzle makes everyone relax, including the dog. It will be interesting to see the impact on Barkley when you get to the point where he can wear it for longer periods. I appreciate how careful you are being with him; setting him up for success as much as possible.
Is he territorial only in the home? Do you think meeting the friend outside would be any better? I know some dogs are super cool if the visitor comes in the garage door (where only family enters) vs front door (where the strangers enter) too… just some antecedent arrangements to consider.
Please keep us posted on his progress. He is one lucky dog to have landed with you & yours.
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@programdev
I agreed with your initial observations with the frustration and @bmacwatt . He switches so quickly and seemingly random.
The territorial aggression is newer, just before the VB consult. I was thinking he felt his defensive aggression was not working so he “switched” to offensive aggression. (or it who he is suppose to be as he enters adulthood) He has a forward lean, forward motion, tail up high, ears forward, barking and growling (sometimes). He has shown this on property, or in the house. He shows either neutral or fear based signs off property. He was recently startled on a walk with myself and sister. Kids were swinging from a tree branch and caught us off guard. He showed forward motion, barking and growling at them. Then, as another person exited a house with a dog really close, he could care less.
We have tried introducing people outside, same reactions (no consistency). What works 1-2 times also fails. We tried having him out in the back yard, but he will get amped up since he can hear them I am guessing. As soon as he comes in the house (after the person) he has a bunch of reactions. Rarely has he been calm enough to allow me to slowly let him greet them, even people who “knows”. We have tried walking in together.
Hoping we find a med that can work for him soon!
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What a challenging bunch of behaviors and conditions you have with Barkely, @jenz . I’m so glad to know you are working closely with a veterinary behaviorist and trying to get his medication needs sorted out. It can be really difficult when he’s showing such BIG FEELS around novel things. That makes it really, really difficult to do any DS/CC. He’s such a sweet and squishy boy otherwise; I hope he is able to find a nice secure level in his feelz so you can continue to enjoy him. Again, he is soooo lucky to have landed with you. Thanks for bringing us along in your journey.
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@programdev
Yes, he can be very ” squishy” . That makes it even harder to know he has so many ” big feels” and he is going through so much.
Even when he is voluntarily approaching and affiliating with us, he is lip licking and yawning. He has done this from when Tam got him. We always gave him space. I never thought it would continue.I should have seen that as an early sign. However he also presented as a cautious but confident , easy going, self sufficient pup. Perhaps his secrets were hidden in those behaviors too!
Thanks as always for you kind words and support. I am lucky to have him too- I am learning so much ( I wish it was not at his emotional expense) .
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Oh, wow, @jenz I’m sorry to hear that he’s so conflicted still, when being affiliative. How old is he, again?
And of course I’m happy to be in your corner, and so grateful for your open sharing in our community.
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@programdev
He is approaching 16 months.
It is a roller coaster for sure!
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I can see why it would be a roller coaster. And still a ways to go until “maturity”. I assume he’s already neutered, coming from the shelter, so I’m not really sure what “maturity” looks like in terms of age, but certainly by 2 or 3… Keeping fingers crossed.
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Here is another clip of the same event just moments before.
So many emotions for this pup.
0:18
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Based on the short clips I see a frustrated dog who wants to interact. I don’t see anything here that indicates any type of aggression. I would allow interaction in a safe manner.
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Sorry missed part about the territorial aggression Maybe not a good idea to meet i would have to see the territorial aggression before making a decision on whether to meet
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@bmacwatt – I just wanted to “riff” along with your comments and thoughts. Many times in doing behavior consultations, I never had the opportunity to see the aggression happening, and to be honest, I didn’t really want to. If the owners were able to capture a video prior to our consultation, I would absolutely look at it; but once I’m there, of course I want to do my best to set up management and training in such a way that the owners never see the aggression again. Yes, that’s a bit unrealistic (especially in a tricky case like Barkley, where he’s responding with aggression to novel things), but my thought was always to not set up any more practice of that behavior and to find a way to work with the dog under threshold.
I guess I’m saying things you already know… sometimes we get to see the unwanted behavior and sometimes we have to go soley on what we know from the history. Most of the time the owners were really frightened of their “aggressive” dog and were on board with setting up management and training so that we “never see the behavior again.”
Often, I could see signs of stress/fear or hard eyes/stiffness way before the owners could – (if it was stranger-danger, and I was the stranger) and I would teach the owners to see that – there’s where we begin, not when the dog has “blown up.”
I’m interested in what you think of all this?
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