((( FUZZING UP AT THE BASE OF THE TAIL: BAD SIGN OR GOOD? )))

[wrknapbt]

I don't agree that it's a sign of uncertainty; quite the opposite in fact.

I think it's a sign the dog feels competitive, before the actual conflict happens.

I do agree that it goes away after a bit ... that it is almost always something that occurs in the beginning ... and, once things settle, smooths out.

Interesting.

See that is the thing. With this it could be anything with variances. Like in nature most combat animals do this same thing in different forms. Snakes do it when they stand high to run off something bigger than themselves and chickens do it to look bigger than their adversary.

But on the same token with bulldogs they are not typical animals. Most times when you see a wagging tail on a dog and there is another dog coming it mean they want to play but not with our dogs. They want to play but with their dead body.

Aye this is a lot of information but great topic of conversation as too many have no idea what they are looking at when it comes to dogs or bulldogs.

[Officially Retired]

I don't think it's black or white. Dogs can do this when scared to. Like that moment when a dog decides he had enough. Seen it several times, fuzz comes up dog starts barking and just don't want no more. I do think it's usually a sign of dominance or a fighting mode. But as with most things it can mean other things to. Guess it's a matter of when and why. Jmo based on what I noticed seeing dogs quit.

Interesting. I can't discount your experience, because they're yours.

Typically, when I see dogs quit, they're very tired, beaten down, and not much is "standing up" on them at all, and especially not their tails.

My own experience has been "tail-up/fuzz-up," when they're still full of energy ...

I would think a dog would have to be quitting awfully early (and awfully rank) to have its tail and fuzz still standing up ...

See that is the thing. With this it could be anything with variances. Like in nature most combat animals do this same thing in different forms. Snakes do it when they stand high to run off something bigger than themselves and chickens do it to look bigger than their adversary.
But on the same token with bulldogs they are not typical animals. Most times when you see a wagging tail on a dog and there is another dog coming it mean they want to play but not with our dogs. They want to play but with their dead body.
Aye this is a lot of information but great topic of conversation as too many have no idea what they are looking at when it comes to dogs or bulldogs.

Good analogy. I am not sure the animals are consciously trying to "look bigger" ... so much as their adrenal system kicks in. Maybe it's simply a function of the adrenal system, which causes the body to react.

I agree, it is good to analyze the signs these animals give. Even among human beings, one of the key challenges is "misperception of facial expressions"; studies show we humans can misperceive each other's signals, let alone the signals of animals.

Those with "gifts" (in dealing with either people or animals) are the ones who can read them right ...

Jack

[wrknapbt]

I agree, it is good to analyze the signs these animals give. Even among human beings, one of the key challenges is "misperception of facial expressions"; studies show we humans can misperceive each other's signals, let alone the signals of animals.

Those with "gifts" (in dealing with either people or animals) are the ones who can read them right ...

Jack

Come one Jack I'm married and I get in trouble for facial expression all the time. LOL

On a serious note I get most of my ability from doing decoy work. We as decoys have to be actors who can truly make ourselves feel fearful or fearless based on the needs or the dog we are working that day.

[Officially Retired]

[MEAUXTIVATION]

Just did an experiment with my young male. He gets real crunk when I grab the shovel for some odd reason. As soon as I grabbed the shovel and stood it in front of him he just went APE and that base of his tail got bushy. As soon as I went save the shovel and he calmed down, his tail went back to normal. It gotta be when they get excited or "so live" as I call it. Lol. Just my $.02.

[gotap_d]

I voted that it dosent mean anything either way simply for the fact that with everydog it means something different. I have seen it when the dogs just get things going and need a little time to settle down but the majority of the time i have seen it in dog that are starting to quit. I believe i see it more when one dog is about to check out is because of the reason that wrknapbt mentioned. They are trying to scare off or intimidate the other dog.

@cajack the reason the oldtimer said it was a bad sign is because seeing the fuzz was usually followed by a quit.

[Officially Retired]

I voted that it dosent mean anything either way simply for the fact that with everydog it means something different.

Possibly.

I have seen it when the dogs just get things going and need a little time to settle down but the majority of the time i have seen it in dog that are starting to quit.

The majority of the time I see it is the opposite, when a dog is first getting started and is totally geeked-up.

I believe i see it more when one dog is about to check out is because of the reason that wrknapbt mentioned. They are trying to scare off or intimidate the other dog.

Totally disagree.

I don't think the dog has any conscious control of it at all, it is something they "just do" ...

@cajack the reason the oldtimer said it was a bad sign is because seeing the fuzz was usually followed by a quit.

I am an old timer now, and I have seen (and bred) more absolutely, truly game dogs than that old timer (and you) put together at this point ... and NONE of the dogs in question ever quit ... it was just something they did in the beginning, when they were amped and pumped.

And, again, my house dog does it when I feed her ... or when I grab a toy ... ANYtime she is excited.

For anyone to conclude that she is "about to quit" because of this sign is basically a moron IMO.

Like I said, she is basically saying, "It's on!"

MEAUXTIVATION's experiences echo my own.

You may have different experiences, and seen different things in different dogs, and so I can understand having a different view ... but I know what I am looking at in my own dogs, and don't for one second to presume otherwise.

As a matter of fact, that old timer is the one who wound up counting 10 over his own dog ... after he finished telling me "all he knew" about the signs in my dog

Jack

[EWO]

I doubt it can be nailed down to any thing that is exact. I agree it varies from dog to dog, and could mean just about anything. The one thing that seems to be consistent is intensity. The dogs that knot and fuzz seem to get jacked (geeked) faster, deeper and maintain the intensity for a longer duration. Does the intensity mean gameness? Not in the least. From my experiences it just seems it is a sign they get real focused and really, really what is out in front of them. Now how long they want what is in front of them after they get it, well, that is a completely different ball game. EWO

[n.d.k]

When the tail fuzziness it's a bad sign because your hound is under stress whether in keep or show running jot or under pressure

[n.d.k]

I could be wrong