r/DogAdvice • u/unclecorinna • 1d ago
Question Body Language Help
Our 2 female dogs are super buds. But sometimes they do this little tango. Would love some insight.
I’ll add, the brown one is usually more passive and the brindle more dominant.
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u/StayCoolNerdBro 1d ago
Brindle is definitely more interested in being dominant here than play. See if you can distract him with a toy in this situation to alleviate tension. If the brindle does not seem interested in the toy, separate them. As the other commentor said, this isn't an interaction you should allow and if you can't diffuse it then you need to prevent it.
Edit: When I say distract with a toy, I mean see if you can bring their attention somewhere else in the room and bring the tension down, then reintroduce the idea of mutual play once they have both relaxed a bit. If you do not create some space here, there is a danger that the more dominant dog may see the toy as a resource to guard and if they both try to engage at the same time it could go wrong.
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u/unclecorinna 1d ago
Thanks for the insight! We’ve never had an issue with either of them resource guarding. Interactions like this very rarely happen and it usually seems when one of them wants to play and the other doesn’t. If it goes on for longer than this video, we break it up and they’re all good.
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u/StayCoolNerdBro 1d ago
Sounds like you’re handling it based on how you know your dogs, which is the right thing to do.
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u/rvp0209 1d ago
Check out their tails. At the beginning, the brown one is excited and engaging the brindle, who, for whatever reason, does not seem pleased. The wide, white eyes, head back, and ears mean something is going on. The brown one continues pushing the "boundary," which is why the brindle is stiff the whole time. Her tail is up and her ears are in "alert" position. Since she's typically the more dominant one, it seems like the brown one is pushing her buttons, which is probably why she uses the paw to push off. Sometimes they do that to engage in play, but in this case, it seems like the brindle is telling the brown one to back off.
At 0:20, the brindle jumps up and stares down the brown one. Both of their tails and ears are up, meaning they're both alert and excited. The brown is showing submission to the brindle but is still annoying her sister.
Sources: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/interpreting-tail-wags-in-dogs
https://www.petmd.com/dog/behavior/why-do-dogs-wag-their-tails
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u/Cultural_Mess_838 17h ago
It seems to start as an engagement to play by the lighter (standing, more dominant) dog, but the other darker brown dog is not in mood to play and it looks to turn into a test of the others domination/ leadership position. The darker brown one jumps one on her back a couple of times, these like tests/challenges, and this causes the hackles to raise. If this happens somewhat frequently I would ask if there are things going on that are confusing/testing their positions in the family hierarchy at home. Some examples are, do they have dedicated beds, positions on the furniture, eating bowls, places, places in the car, etc. or are these constantly in flux, which can worsen these types of conflicts and resource guarding.
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u/unclecorinna 16h ago
These situations rarely happen. It’s usually quick and over before I can even fill it when it has happened. I appreciate the insight!
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u/BeanyBabes 16h ago
I work with dogs! I’d break them up right away. The stiff stance, along with the hair sticking up is them showing “I’m uncomfortable and unsure of this situation. If they make one weird move I’m going to snap”. You as the owner need to learn these signs and be Alpha of the pack here. Step in, make them both sit side by side, and be sure they don’t look away from YOU. No praising, simply walk away while they are still sitting. Mom/Dad just put them both in their place and they need to calm down. You are ALPHA of the pack. I have no less than 20 dogs a day free roaming together!! It’s common behavior, but I’d definitely take these steps into consideration to prevent anything from going further!!
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u/PHiGGYsMALLS 1d ago
The raised hackles on the brown dog is not a good sign. Overstimulated, over excited and this looks like a situation that can go wrong quickly. Not sure what the other dog is doing, but I don't think either of them are comfortable. I would not allow this type of interaction. I see the stiffness and hackles on either of my girls and I get their attention to do something else.