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Hoe does he know the difference?

2K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  DSudd 
#1 ·
Last night when on a walk with Rocky I noticed something strange. Out where we live ALOT of people just let their dogs run. For Rocky safety I always walk him on a leash.

Rocky does not play with any of these dogs, (he has his own furkid friends of people we know) anyways about 1/4 mile up the road there is a family that owns GSD's. They used to have a male and female but I have not seen the male in a while. I saw the female yesterday.

The female was barking at Rocky. Not sure why, we were not in her "territory" but Rocky did not react. (My sister said she saw pups but couldn't tell if they were GSD pups or not. Not sure that would make a difference) He just looked at her and kept walking like she wasnt there. Previously, we had the male and female run at us, and Rocky basically ignored her and she would run right up in his face (while barking and growling) and back off. He was more interested in the male doing the same thing. I will admit that I think he was scared that time because he he had his hackles slightly up and he did bark once. (Really don't blame him, he did very well in the situation considering the male outweighs him by 40 lbs and he was walking, he just kept stopping to see where they were.)

However, I have noticed that if it is a male dog, he will stop and stare at the dogs. He doesn't bark, or growl at them. On ocassion he has tried to lunge towards the other dogs, but knowing his reaction I tell him to leave it before he even thinks about lunging, and he will continue walking.

What I can't figure out is how he knows the difference? He basically ignores the female dogs, and not the males. Does anyone else's pup do this?
 
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#2 ·
Morgan does it - she loves all the boys but only seems to get along with other female GSDs. They'd better not get snippy with her or she gives then the 'what is so very wrong with you?' look and walks away.

They can probably tell by the pitch of the bark. I have a somewhat musically inclined ear and I can tell an adult male GSD from a female.

Then there's the whole thing about dogs being able to tell age, breed, rank and serial number just by sniffing a telephone pole.
 
#4 ·
Originally Posted By: caligirl07
SunCzarina said:
Then there's the whole thing about dogs being able to tell age, breed, rank and serial number just by sniffing a telephone pole.
Well said!!

 
#6 ·
Some people are geniuses with music, they can play a song without sheet music after hearing it a few times. My x played guitar and drums, he used to call it a good ear. When you look at the size of a GSD ear, how could it be anything but really good!
 
#7 ·
Consider this, that sometimes whether it's male or female, it's the body language.....
the STARE. Maybe it's always the males that are staring at your boy or the females, but usually it's locking eyes on each other that make the difference.
Anybody else agree here or am I in left field?
(been there before.... heh, heh, heh....)
 
#9 ·
My take is that these dogs are locking eyes on each other and subsequently becoming reactive. Of course their sense of smell is very keen, however, if they see each other from a block away and male OR female is locked into Rocky with a solid hard stare, it ain't the olfactory senses that are rousing him at that point.
 
#10 ·
Eye contact makes a huge difference with my dog...she hates when strangers (dogs or people)make eye contact with her. Of course a real alpha dog can do alot with a little eye contact and some head movement.
 
#11 ·
Originally Posted By: DSudd
The female was barking at Rocky. Not sure why, we were not in her "territory" but Rocky did not react. (My sister said she saw pups but couldn't tell if they were GSD pups or not. Not sure that would make a difference)
i dont think its the breed that makes a difference, it sounds like her point was whether or not the pups belonged to the female and she was perhaps guarding them when she barked at you guys.
 
#12 ·
This isn't the first time that she has barked at him. I guess maybe it is the stare or even possibly the bark.

I just find it strange the way he reacts differently to males and females.
 
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