# Do some dogs give off a bad vibe?



## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Benny is for the most part very good with other dogs. When out walking he happily greets his friends and will approach strange neutral dogs very calmly, sometimes with head lowered as if to say “I come in peace"
Yesterday we met a 1 year old GSD female who was began barking and hackling, showing signs of fear and Benny reacted by calmly keeping his distance. After while she approached and he let her sniff him. She let him sniff her for a second and then began barking again, so he backed off . He seemed confused like “Why is this girl flippin out?”
There is GSD, male that Benny met when both were about 5 months and they took an instant dislike to each other. Now almost 3 years later they both still want to fight, but are trained to pass by eachother politely ( the owner and I both create distance when we see eachother ) And yet even though Benny and this dog no longer growl or lunge at the sight of the other, after passing , they both look back, give each other the stink eye.:crazy:
A few people told me that their dogs also have a problem with this particular GSD and that he gives off a bad vibe? Is this something anyone else has experienced?
There is also a mini dachshund that Benny has the same behavior with. I am wondering if some dogs just give off a bad vibe. He is usually very tolerant of small dogs who bark and lunge at him; even those on flexi leads who are running amok, snarling at him, and will just pass them by without a look. 

What do you think could be different about this GSD and mini dachs that would cause Benny to have an issue?
He can happily pass by so many other dogs, but something about these two set him off.

I am wondering if some dogs just give off a bad vibe?


----------



## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

I definitely think so.


----------



## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

It's possible those dogs are challenging your dog through staring or other body language. There was this malamute in our obedience class that my german shepherd didn't like. It was because this malamute would stare at Chrono and challenge him from across the room. It would appear as though they were both just looking at each other with focused, alert expressions and then suddenly both would launch into a fit of lunging, barking, and hackling simultaneously.


----------



## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

Yes I definitely think animals can give off good/bad vibes to one another. At least you are aware of the eye contact and seem to know what it means. A lot of people think that a look is just a look and that's not true. My Cattle Dog is the same way sometimes with other dogs,and you have to be paying attention to know if it's just a regular look or a signal that something else is about to take place.


----------



## jade_14 (Sep 21, 2011)

I definitely think so. Probably by eye contact or body language. Casey passes dogs no problem usually, but there's a husky who we pass once in awhile and make Casey really agitated. The owner always tries to come over to me with her, even though I always walk the other way . I don't know what it is about the dog but Casey will back up and start to growl a bit, which is unlike him. I'd say it's just an eye contact or improper approach type thing.


----------



## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I think so. 

I also think that my dog must give off this vibe as well. Every little white dog has a problem when we walk by. LOL. I really think that there is some language between dogs that they are giving/receiving that they get but we miss.


----------



## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

You bet. Sometimes the problem is the owner. I think the little dogs are the worst. I've had more problems with little dogs being off leash and charging my 2 GSDs, of course the owners think it's funny. If I would let my old male "fix" the problem with their dogs it would be the fault of the big dog. Dogs do have a pecking order, sometimes deciding who is top dog can become a little ugly. At times its best to let the dogs work it out on their own terms and stand by to break it up if it gets out of control.
If it's dogs I don't know and my dogs say "I'm not sure about this one" I go the other direction. It is not nessary for my dogs to meet every dog we run into on the street. I just make sure MY dogs are not the ones causing problems. If one of my dogs gives hard eye contact to another dog I correct it.


----------



## Wetdog (May 23, 2001)

-------" LOL. I really think that there is some language between dogs that they are giving/receiving that they get but we miss."--------

Yes there is, pheromones. Why do you think they do so much sniffing?


----------



## Wetdog (May 23, 2001)

BTW---this is also why they are so interested in where the other dogs have peed.

It is the doggie equivalent of a message board with message cards pinned all over it----or facebook.


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think dogs can give a signal (vibe) that only
other dogs or animals understand whether it's good
or bad. there's probably a lot of communication
between dogs and other animals that as humans
we can't understand (read).


----------

