I'm not real familiar with the heat cycle effect it has on dogs so I cant comment about that. And as Mike said, without seeing the dog its only a guess as to whats going on. More than likely it's a stage of maturity the dog is going through. Dogs do some wacky stuff at this time until they reach their comfort zone with certain situations as they get older. It's a learning process although hackling isn't a learned behaviour. My best guess without seeing the dog is that she is possibly uncomfortable with what she is doing at the time she is doing it, or maybe is actually spooked by her own behavior, thus the hackling..if that makes any sense.

Well if she didn't like doing it she wouldn't come back with the ball for me to throw again or drop a ball on my head when I'm trying to sleep. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

i used to think that hackling up was an immediate sign of bad nerves or something negative, then realized after seeing more and more dogs that a lot of dogs do it when they are in extremely high drive. this isnt always the case i have also heard of them doing it for other reasons, but if you dog isnt showing any signs of rank issue, and her drives are higher when frustrated, i would have to say that the clapping of teeth and hackling up are a sign of more frustration, which in turn is more drive. i have seen a few dogs that were very confident in drive and environmentally sound around anything that would be so high in prey that they wouldnt bark in the hold and bark. they would hackle up and clap their teeth and eventually just stare down the helper like a silent guard! the dog was still in active prey (helmut raiser would call it pressing aggression). all im saying is that if the dog is still offering the same behaviours you want to see but with more seriousness, more energy, and the only difference is hackling and teeth clapping during barking, then i would have to say it sounds like your dog is a little more game for the work! one of my current dogs does it when he is in drive for his send away toy (ball) and sometimes does it during heeling, but he is not trying to dominate me, he is "capped" or overloaded in prey.....again this may not be the case with your dog, i dont know, but i am just saying that it is possible!

I'll have to concede to Travis' idea on this one. It makes perfect sense. I've also seen confident dogs fur up and soon realized it isn't always a fear or nerve issue.

I agree as well Travis. If you are speaking of Ace, it's a trait I've seen in Amanda's progeny even with this litter that has really solid nerves.

The female I have gets a little "hackle" when she gets in drive overload but it's goes down shortly after.

But a short video may give us more insight on what you are speaking of.

Hard of hard to say without really seeing it

Good to hear these positive views about hackling, since I've heard negative views about weak nerves causing it. In 2 of my previous GSD's, when they hackled, it seemed to me at those moments they were more intense, serious and bent on an encounter. (They were not protection trained, just protective by nature.) I always questioned the weak nerves explanation, since I witnessed the dogs stiff body language and other subleties, and since wolves raise their hackles when aroused, sometimes to the point of aggression. I have a hard time believing wolves have weak nerves.

i think that a lot of wolves have weak nerves. now stiff body language and defensive behaviours when hackles are up might signal that the dog is actually nervy or trying to display dominance. remember i only said that it is POSSIBLE for a dog to hackle up in prey drive. doesnt mean that everydog that hackles up doesnt have any major nerve problems, rank issues, or etc. i actually would say that most dogs that hackle do it as a display to make themselves appear larger than they actually are (signifying a nerve problem or something of that sort). all i was saying was that if your dog is hackling up and acting more drivey, then i wouldnt worry about it, especially while doing OB or playing...JMHO

While I hate to deal in generalities, I also hate to see such sweeping statements from us about your dog! Especially because the main opinions seem to be your dog is a)fearful (not good) or b) suddenly aggressive (not good).

And while hackling CAN show that, you have to look at YOUR dog and the totality of the situation. Cause, frankly, 3 out of 3 of my dogs hackle when they are PLAYING. With each other, and/or with other dogs. And NONE of these ended up in an aggressive display, and none of these dogs are afraid of each other. So, to me, it's just showing a high level of excitement.

NOT that it can't mean aggression, or something a fearful dog displays. It can.

I think sweeping statements can make people worry needlessly about their dogs. Even though I've never seen avoidance in my dog that hackled, because I read negative things about hackles, it still made me worry. My dog isn't scared of squirrels, possums, or raccoons. She eliminates them, but she'll hackle before she does it. With her, hackling means serious, very forward and bold behavior is about to follow... I'm convinced it's an adrenaline rush in her case. I have a nervy pointy eared mix that I don't think I've ever seen hackle...

Here's some alternative explanations to hackling that differ from the nervy diagnosis, just to balance this thread:



http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/103106/page/6/fpart/1/vc/1

http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/showf...rue#Post4140579




Fight behaviors are not fully developed until the dog is about two years of age, and
sometimes later, although tendencies toward these behaviors will be seen at an earlier
age. Behaviors associated with fight are:

hackles up from the shoulder forward
standing tall and staring at other dogs
standing ground or going to unfamiliar objects
guarding food, toys or territory against other people and dogs
dislike of being petted or groomed
lying in front of doorways or cupboards and refusing to move
growling at people or dogs
putting the head over the shoulder of another dog
biting people or other dogs

http://www.volhard.com/general/artbywv.htm





Defense driven dogs are those who are suspicious of anything abnormal around them.
They are often quick to stiffen, raise their tails, bark, stare, hackle up, show teeth,
and growl to make threats go away. These dogs trigger on people who move toward them,
stare at them, stand or reach over them, speak in a gruff voice to them, etc. Prior to
maturity, these dogs will try to bluff to get people to stay away. After maturity, they
will be more willing to approach and carry out a bite to make people go away. These are
not fear biters that engage in this behavior only when there is no other option. They get
a charge out of challenging and overcoming others.

http://www.dogpro.org/index.php?pageID=63




Fight vs. Play Fight -hackles may be raised-muscles will be flexed-will stand on
its toes-tail will be stiff and held slightly raised and be waving in short stiff
strokes-intense stare-forward stance

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:QOT...clnk&cd=136


Major Dominance Displays - Brave

Placing chin on the other dogs shoulders

Growling or snarling if the other dog whines or attempts to move

Placing the front paw on the other dogs back.

Circling and sniffing the other dog.

Holding ears erect.

Looking directly at the other dog.

Deliberately marking the area with urine.

Hackles raised.

http://www.richmonddogtraining.com/behavioral_patterns.htm


The initial stages of instruction were similar to those employed in training sentry dogs,
but the scout dog was taught not to bark or growl, and more emphasis was placed upon
accustoming the animal to heavy gunfire. Since the dog was expected to discover an alien
presence partly by his ability to detect wind-blown scent and partly by his extraordinarily
keen hearing, instruction was aimed at stimulating him to employ these natural endowments.
The dog was trained to detect human scent as a bird dog is trained to detect hidden birds.
When he "winded the enemy" he signified his discovery by "freezing" stiffening his body,
raising his hackles, pricking his ears and holding his tail rigid.

http://www.uswardogs.org/id24.html