Max breaks down dog hackles into three patterns: helmet (shoulder), mohawk (full back), and pants (rump). Each signals different arousal levels and emotions. Hackles are involuntary and their meaning depends on context, body language, and whether the dog looks confident or uncertain.
Chapters
Have you ever wondered why hackles pop up in play and when a dog is uncomfortable? Howbjorn! My name is Max. Welcome to day number 9 of reading your dog's body language until we run out of dog to look at. Today's video is the hackles. Here is what you need to know about hackles, otherwise known as piloerection. We're going to be looking at 2 things: hackles over the shoulders, hackles down the whole back, and hackles on the rump of the dog, which is their bum. The way I like to remember it is helmet, mohawk, and pants. Interesting fact: hackles is an involuntary response, meaning that the dog isn't consciously deciding to do it. What actually happens is an emotion increases arousal, which increases blood flow, and that's why the hackles can erect. So hackles just mean increased arousal. Number 1: hackles across the shoulders. Dogs put on their helmet as they are in a ready and alert state. This is a mild increase of arousal, and it can show the dog is confident and ready. This here is two situations where Enzo put his helmet on. He wasn't uncomfortable, but he was definitely alert and ready to stand on business when this dog froze in the kitchen and when this strange dog popped up out of nowhere. But confident and ready to take action isn't always a negative thing because this can happen when dogs are also ready to play chase. So context matters. Number 2: Down the whole back. This just indicates that arousal has now started to increase even more. So dogs will spike the whole entire mohawk when they've started to now feel even more uncertain. But it means more arousal, which is why this puppy here, Merlin the boxer, has his hackles up when playing. Never worried me at all because as you can see, he's nice and loose and comfortable. This is just showing that he is having a lot of fun. But then we move on to the hump. Dogs will put their pants on because they are uncomfortable, but this time lacking that confidence in the situation. A bit like with this video here where this dog lost their absolute shit at my dogs. Enzo had his helmet on because he was aroused but confident, but Purdy had her pants on because she was uncomfortable. And you might see this paired with a tucked tail and quite a tense body. So the helmet goes on when they're ready and confident, a mohawk when they're even more aroused, and they put their pants on when they are aroused but not confident. See you tomorrow morning when we're moving on to your dog's head.
