Canine body language - pictures discussion

More and more these days I am being asked, how to identify appropriate and innapropriate interaction between dogs.

Well just like any language, dog communication is complex, regional, and not easy to describe.

Photographs help but are often challenging to understand when out of context.

But I thought I would kick off with a photo that I often use in public talks, and hoped others too might have some interesting body language photos to submit that we could perhaps guess at and then have explained.

So what is going on here?

What a great idea! This'll be very helpful to me coz I have to admit, I'm not too well clued up on body language, except for the tail action (ish!)

Anyways, my guess here is, the collie is telling the other dog to back off, don't get in my face, have some manners, and the other dog is submitting saying ok, ok, OK! I wouldn't have thought it would end in a fight coz I think the little dog more than understands what is expected of it, and the Collie will back off and leave it alone?

The one lying down has a ball/toy between his paws and the collie is goading him/barking trying to get him to play.

(seems too obvious to say that the collie is showing sign of aggression)

Whose dog is who? And what is the red boxer saying?

The two collies belong to the picture taker, I'm dead certain about that.
The black dog lying down in front of the boxer, belongs to the lady with the red top.
The boxer belongs to the woman pointing her finger at the bone (stick?)
I actually thinkthe finger pointing lady owns the other St. Benard too, maybe? Lol!
The white dog lying down next to the black one belongs to the man in the blue shirt, and the kelpie type dog belongs to somebody out of sight, or to him as well? Then again, that white dog could also belong to the lady iin the red top, but it's not focused on her, it's very relaxed?

The red boxer is saying "she said it's mine, did you hear me, so don't even try it?" Then again he could actually be saying "I don't want it, if you want to come over here and get it?" See how c*ap I am at reading body language lol! I only say the 2nd there because the boxer has lowered his head, so if it was more of an attitude wouldn't his head be higher perhaps?

The red boxer is being asked to lay down by the lady with the pointy finger. A highly trained and normally very responsive dog is clearly saying, not likely, and pretending she isn't there, to his owner. Possibly because he is so hot and cant be bothered with taking commands?

Having owned Boxers I knew he was saying "I can't hear you"

Interesting thread...and it is a little unfair having the owner off camera

Lovely dogs btw

my reading of the boxer was exactly that.

i also felt he was turning his head as an appeasing calming signal to his owner, whom is displaying frustrated body langauge herself.
im guessing the boxer may also feel uncomfortable laying down amongst all those other dogs?

Would agree, the boxer seems a little uncomfortable, perhaps he is not lying down for that reason?
Lady who owns him seems a bit too strong - if my dog was well trained and refused to lie down, I'd wonder why and look at context, environment, etc (ie trust my dog a bit ... )

Wys
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