What are your dogs tells, that he or she is serious and do you take them serious?

Just wondering if every ones pup had a tell, when you knew he or she means it?
How much do you trust it, to dictate matters?

Mouse is pretty easy since he was around 9 months. His head rolls forward with all the wrinkles and the hair in the center of his back kind of makes a line like a ridgeback has, and he locks up.

Back story is neighbor beside me has a grandson that just got out of prison and is staying with him for now, me neighbor and Mouse get along great. Grandson, I have never seen Mouse go into full blown "I don't like you mode" with a person across the street, more than 20ft away across the street, Mouse just locks up and stares at him, with all the tell he hates him.
I know the guy has never been close to him or even on the same side of the street as him.

Guess the problem is neighbor knows I work a lot and mow the property next time mine which I bought and will fence in this summer when I take down the old fence, and I mow a friend next street over, and has asked if I would want his grandson to mow it for me (using my mower) for 30 dollars a week. (Actually very cheap for the amount of mowing).

My problem with it is guess, I just trust Mouse to much, with all he has done for the wife.

Am I just being nuts?

Not at all! I trust my dogs judgement, even to the point where I have a sign up on my driveway which reads "If my dogs don't like you - then it's very likely I won't either".
Mouse is just telling you that he thinks this chap is a bad 'un. I'd be very strongly inclined to take his advice.

No way Larry, please go with Mouse, in my opinion you'll be better off doing that rather than offering a job to someone who (a) has been in prison (b) seems to be desperate for money offering that sort of rate (c) Mouse has sensed the guy is a 'bad 'un'

This all sounds hard and if you are a social worker (maybe you are) you'd probably say it's discrimimatory or some such politically correct mantra, but I am a firm believer in 'better safe than sorry'

Further more I would even say be discrete and a tad vague when it comes to telling your neighbour you don't want his grandsons services. You don't want to upset your neighbour so (If it was me) I would say "Oh my work load is comming down soon so I can cut it myself" or some such 'excuse'

Again not all together true (maybe) but better than having someone that you can't be sure about anywhere near your wife when you are out of the house.

Just going to go with Mouse on this one and trust him.
Ty both for the input.
Most likely will just go with my norm, "Naw I got it response."

Dahlia is pretty much never nervous around anyway. When it comes to people, she's very confident.

Ben gets nervous around people -- he backs up and barks at them. But so far it's mostly men who are tall or bend over him. He doesn't like people bending over him. So it really has nothing to do with whether they're decent folks or not. He's reacted that way to both trusted friends and strangers.

My dog is generally very friendly and we understand and trust each other. If she took a clear dislike to someone, I would be suspicious of that person and would more than likely avoid them.

With one of my dogs its the opposite, she is quite aloof with most people so if she makes friends with someone new I always tell them they must be " very special" Ha

Same with my Shar-Pei Georgina! She stands and watches and will move away from most people when they approach her. It's only a favoured few she'll actually go up to and allow them to touch her.

My Schnauzer is the total opposite, he'd make friends with the devil himself!

This is sort of how Ben is. He's not aloof, but he's nervous around most people at first (warms up quickly, but he backs off and barks at first). But some people he meets and immediately is offering his butt to for a scritch and those people I know are the really good ones!

You are not nutsI'd be going with Mouse on this one.