Quote Originally Posted by EWO View Post
Somewhat agree here. It is a display. How meaningful I really do not know. I had an older fellow tell me once it was a sign the dog was turning on, really wanting it for himself. Sort of like naturally starting vs. having 'starting' thrust upon the dog.
I have seen it in both game dogs and in cur dogs but one thing both have in common is intensity. The dogs that have the knot/raised hair on the tale are usually more intense. EWO

Okay, here is my take on it.

I am pretty much in agreement with EWO ... it is a sign of intensity ... or a sign that it's on.

To those who posted "it doesn't mean anything," this can't possibly be the right response, because (as Steely Dan said) it surely does mean something.

I bring this subject up, because I have seen some of my dogs do this in the past, and heard "experts" tell me it's "a bad sign" ... even though the dog himself (or herself) seemed geeked-up and totally into the fight to me. I considered what they said, but (because my dogs were kicking ass, and/or had ALL OTHER outward indications of being amped-up) I never put much stock into the "it's a bad sign" idea. To me, it was just a sign the dog was amped, and nothing more.

This opinion has been confirmed in my mind with my bitch Amazon.

As I am reduced to being "just a pet owner" now, I am able to observe my ONE dog more closely ... just really watch all of her habits, mannerisms, and take stock of her as she grows up.

Amazon is coming close to being 3 years old now, and it is clear to me she is "turning on" now, totally naturally, without any artificial "start" (or forced roll), etc. She is plainly and simply GROWING UP ... and as she's growing up, she is starting to "get hot" all on her own ... and I am noticing that the hair at the base of her tail seems to perk-up A LOT now ... when she sees strange animals (especially if they growl, hiss, etc.). She is always PULLING HARD to get at them ... never showing fear, but EAGERNESS.

Because it also fuzzes-up WHEN I FEED HER ... when I GRAB A TOY ... when we PLAY ROUGH ... she gets GEEKED UP ... and there is ZERO FEAR involved in this, ALWAYS HAPPINESS / ALWAYS EXCITEMENT.

I have never seen her hair stand up when I punish her or scold her.
When I am truly mad, her tail drops, her ears drop, and she's scared of me when I am pissed off.
FEAR = NO FUZZ.

ONLY when she is HAPPY, ALERT, and EXCITED does that fuzz stand up on her tail ... to eat, to play, and when she sees a strange animal.

Does it mean she's game? No.

But I am 100% convinced that a dog being fuzzed-up at the base of the tail is NOT a "bad sign," but rather it is a sign that the dog is saying, "IT'S ON!!"

Jack