Hello everyone. I am new to this site. My boyfriend and I recently adopted a one year old lab mix named Paisley. She is a very good dog and super smart. We know nothing about her and are trying to learn. Well yesterday we took her to the dog park for the 1st time. She did pretty well but what has me worried is when she was "playing" ( I hope that is what was going on.) The fur on her back would stand up and her tail would go down. I know when dogs tails go down they are either scared or being aggressive. She would keep doing it and even sometimes initiate the play. Is this a normal thing or should I be worried that she will attack another dog?
Hi there @Patience&Paisley and welcome. The fur on her back being raised just means that she is aroused. Arousal can be due to a number of emotions not just fear and aggression. It is a common sight with dogs happily playing particularly if there is any barking involved.The meaning of tail position has to be taken together with other body language like position of ears, tenseness of mouth, set of eyes, tenseness of body etc etc. The tail between the legs could indicate that she was uncertain/worried by the other dog or situation. A dog's emotional state can't be fully assessed through just one or even two indicators we have to look at the whole body and also the context as that impacts as well.
Hi there @Patience&Paisley and welcome to the forum! Taking on a year old dog (particularly with some lab in the mix) can bring challenges. Do you know anything about previous issues and behaviour? To be honest, her behaviour doesn't sound excessively out of order. My girl Lilly who is 7.5 makes some awful growling noises when playing with other dogs, and clearly they are both enjoying their selves. I am certainly not a behaviour expert, but you aren't describing anything too concerning to me.
Ok That makes me feel a lot better. I just didn't want her to hurt another dog or her to get hurt. I guess I was just being a little over protective of her. This is my first dog as an adult and she is so new to us that we havnt figured out all of her personality yet.
No we know nothing about her. We were told she was a escape artist but that has been proven wrong. She has some of a lab personality. Like chewing!! Loves to chew on everything. She loves to hunt as well. We have an ant issue right now and she will go after the ants. She goes after frogs, lizards, she will chase the cats if they run but not hurt them and if I would let her she would run across the street and go after our neighbors ducks. She loves for you to throw a ball then chase her around until she gets tired and absolutely loves water but not bathtime. She is ok with kids. She gets a little to excited with kids and wants to lick babys but she is gentle with them. She is super smart. When we got ger we had to carry her up and down the stairs the first night but on the third day she went up and down them on her own. We will just have to pay attention to her body next time we take her to the park. Thank you both of the advice!
It sounds like Paisley needs to use her brain to tire her out. Not sure where about you live, but would gun-dog training (for fun) or agility or obedience classes be on the agenda for you both? Sounds like she is pretty bright and needs kept occupied or might get up to mischief! Watch the chase her around bit, make sure she knows when you are finished playing, for eventualities such as running off with your TV remove/mobile phone/precious item
