My Dog’s Hackles Are Raised Along Its Back

You've surely seen your dog's fur stand up along its back more than once, from the neck down to the tail, forming a ridge that covers practically the entire upper part of its body.

There are several reasons a dog's hackles rise like this, from feelings of fear or excitement to moments right before danger, when a dog becomes aggressive or dominant. Let's look in detail at how to identify them.

Raised Hackles Before an Attack

The most common situation where we'll see our dog, or any dog, with raised hackles along its back is when it becomes aggressive and intends to attack. This is actually a form of expression, a piece of canine body language, but also a defense mechanism at the same time.

When a dog raises the fur along the top of its neck and spine, even reaching down to the hip and tail area, it does so for two reasons — the first is to appear bigger, an ancestral defense mechanism in many dogs.

The second reason is to signal that it's feeling aggressive and about to attack. But how can we tell when a dog is aggressive versus simply scared or excited? Through the rest of the signals in its body language.

When a dog is about to attack, it usually also raises its tail fully, making it look even taller and bigger. And of course, it'll bare its teeth, signaling it's about to bite.

These signs together are unmistakable symptoms that the dog is about to attack, that it's aggressive. An aggressive dog can not only attack other dogs and/or people, but also its own owner by mistake in moments of extreme excitement.

Raised Hackles From Fear

Fear is another key factor that can cause our dog's hackles to rise — it's also part of its body language, and we should recognize it as a warning sign.

A scared dog can easily enter a state of panic, and a panicked dog can be just as aggressive as the fiercest dog — fear itself can push it into illogical, dangerous actions.

The way to tell when a dog's hackles rise from fear versus other circumstances is simple. Besides raising its fur, the dog will also lower its tail, sometimes tucking it between its legs, and pull its ears back, in submissive mode.

Raised Hackles From Excitement or Dominance

Not every case of raised hackles is a negative or worrying sign — a dog that's very happy and excited can also unconsciously raise its fur, without that meaning any danger, as long as the excitement is from something positive, like seeing its owner after a long time or playing.

A dog that hears an unusual sound will also raise the fur on its back a bit, without that being any cause for concern, since it's completely normal.

When a dog becomes dominant, it also tends to raise its hackles and bark a bit, letting the other dog know it holds a dominant position. This can be good or bad, depending on the situation. If the other dog is also dominant, there could be a problem — but if they're friends and simply playing, with the other dog being more submissive, nothing should happen.

What to Do If a Dog Raises Its Hackles and Barks

The first thing you should do is keep your dog under control, meaning on a leash. Once it's leashed, you should assess the situation and figure out what caused it to raise its hackles, analyzing the situation and surroundings.

Depending on the situation, you'll know whether it's a warning sign, a real danger, or simply a case of fear toward something unfamiliar. Let's not forget that many dogs get scared by unusual noises or even by people they don't know.

If it's a case of danger or fear, it's best to leave the area and distract the dog. We can pull a treat from our pocket and try to focus its attention on the food, or grab a stick to play with it a bit.

Remember you should never pet your dog or praise it while its hackles are raised, since it'll interpret this as raising its hackles and becoming aggressive being something positive.

It's a very common mistake to pet a dog when it's nervous or aggressive, trying to calm it down. Dogs don't think "oh great, I feel more relaxed now" — instead they think "I'm excited or aggressive, and my owner is petting me, so that must mean they're okay with me acting this way."