![]() ![]() Their behavior suggests they understand that the barrier prohibits physical contact and that this understanding affects their behavior. Imagine that the barking dogs are communicating something along the lines of, “Boy are you lucky that this fence is here! Why, if it weren’t for that fence, I would tear you paw from tail!” At the same time, the dogs could be thinking, in some canine sort of way, that the fence protects them from having to follow through. I believe that this peculiar reaction of ceasing and desisting when there’s no fence to separate dogs (as seen in the video) can best be understood as a form of bluster. See our privacy statement to find out how we collect and use your data, to contact us with privacy questions or to exercise your personal data rights. So, it would make sense for them to appropriately greet one another and maybe even play, if they were acting out of frustration at not being able to interact. Still, other dogs lose control because the other dog’s repeated appearances bring on a state of high arousal and over-excitement. So, it’s reasonable to expect the dogs to fight if given the opportunity (since they appear to be threatening each other). For some dogs, the barking is motivated by fear, while for others, it’s a territorial response. ![]() That is also a sign of a dog who is afraid rather than confident in the situation.Īlthough this reaction to suddenly finding themselves without a barrier is unusual, most dog behaviorists have seen it from time to time. In addition, the dog on the left approaches with its weight back and continues to lean back rather than charge forward. The fear grimace is a facial expression that allows us to see many of the dogs’ teeth, which is why it looks so menacing to us, but it is a behavior that indicates fear. They are both showing a common sign of fearfulness - the fear grimace, which is when they pull back the corners of their mouths. The fence gives these dogs an out - a way to avoid being aggressive. It is a reminder of the importance of avoiding situations in which dogs have no way out. The other dog followed on his own side so that soon they were back at it, barking away at each other on opposite sides of the fence as if they wanted to tear each other to shreds.ĭogs often choose not to be aggressive when they have another option. Then, one dog moved back to where he had come from and started barking through the fence again. Both dogs stopped barking for a few seconds and looked stricken as they stared at one another with nothing to keep them apart. After traversing 50 meters of fence, they came to a spot where the fence was broken and suddenly there was no barrier between them. I once saw a similar reaction with two German Shepherds who were barking at each other and walking along a fence. ![]()
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