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DPU, those are great photos, and he is in great shape. Had that Mastiff approached some dogs like that, there would have
been quite the mess. Your hound has
terrific canine language skills, and has effectively told the other dog that he does not wish to
continue the initial interaction (head turn, body curved, turning his back to
the other dog). He is tense (his tail
is up – tail down I would have interpreted as stress), but not signaling any
aggression (commissure not very far forward, mouth wide open, ears back) toward the Mastiff.
The Mastiff is making pretty obvious threat behaviors (standing
tall, body forward and stiff, ears up, mouth closed – but I see no "play face" or any
signals that the intent is ritualistic, unless they were not captured in the
still photos). The Hound has nicely deflected the threat by not engaging with direct eye contact, and by using appropriate calming and distance increasing signals. The tongue flick on the part of the Mastiff
seems like a signal that he intends not to follow through on the threat since
the Hound made all the right moves. Even though he's the loser in the interaction, he gets to avoid a fight with the canine equivalent of Rocky Balboa;-))
Note the other two dogs sniffing the ground in the photo where
the Mastiff is interacting with the hound in the same manner. The sniffing is out of normal context, so I
interpret that as a displacement behavior signaling uncertainty about the
situation unfolding on the other side of the yard.
This is not an interaction I would intervene in, unless I saw something from the hound that did not say "no thanks, not interested". And, I would certainly intervene if the Mastiff did not observe the clear signal from the hound that he was giving in.
Regional Director for Massachusetts, International Positive Dog Training Association
Director, SeniorCare Pawsitive Connections Program
AKC CGC Evaluator #3669
Therapy Dogs, Inc. Tester/Observer
Sioux, CGC, TDInc.
Maska, CGC, TDInc.
Sequoyah, CGC
Fergie, Retired Lap Dog, Age 19
Dancer, CGC, TDInc. (1989-2006) #1 Heart Dog
"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys." - Chief Dan George
"The fidelity of a dog is a precious gift demanding no less binding moral responsibilities than the friendship of a human being. The bond with a true dog is as lasting as the ties of this earth can ever be." ~ Konrad Lorenz