Quote Originally Posted by wrknapbt View Post
I don't really care for it BUT from what I have had to deal with it is a sign of a unsure animal who needs to make it self feel bigger than what it is facing. So in young bulldogs who have not been started they can display this but once the action starts and they are settling in you will see the hair relax. In dogs doing Schutzhund or French Ring type sports we see it in new dogs on the field for the first time doing bite work. But the same applies to them with them relaxing and enjoying the fight versus the need to feel larger than they are.
Does this make any sense. I will try to find photos or maybe even video to show the difference

I don't agree that it's a sign of uncertainty; quite the opposite in fact.

I think it's a sign the dog feels competitive, before the actual conflict happens.

I do agree that it goes away after a bit ... that it is almost always something that occurs in the beginning ... and, once things settle, smooths out.

Interesting.