Question about new behavior

[Tazz]

Rella, my 1 yo Saint, has started some new behaviors that have me baffled. She has started crawling when she approaches another dog to play and come up under their chin. Her whole body just quivers and her tail goes a mile a minute, but she crawls! This is both on and off leash.

Also, yesterday was so nice I decided to walk the dogs in the woods instead of the park and I stepped on a small twig, which snapped, and she dropped right to the ground like somebody shot her!

Anybody have any ideas on why she is suddenly acting like she is scared of everything and anything?

[Tazz]

Yep! The smaller the dog, the lower she crawls! You should have seen her when my daughter brought 6 week old kittens down last week, trying to get smaller than them...lol.

I'm glad it is just a phase, goodness I could not imagine her doing this forever she is usually so outgoing and just loves going and meeting new puppies.

[Gemz]

is it like a stalking behaviour, as she gets closer she gets lower, then looks away? its completely normal polite dog greeting.

She's making herself as less threatening as she can to other dogs.

Be proud of her!

[Tazz]

is it like a stalking behaviour, as she gets closer she gets lower, then looks away? its completely normal polite dog greeting.

She's making herself as less threatening as she can to other dogs.

Be proud of her!

She doesn't look away when she gets close, she gets under the chin of the other pup and somehow moves herself into a strange position to come up under their chin/neck and lick them, lol. Hard to explain, I'll see if I can get pictures of her doing it. She kinda twists her body so the back half is on the floor and her belly/head is facing up by the time she is under the other dog..lol. If they acknowledge her, she completes the rollover to her back and starts playing normally, usually complete with zoomies:)

[Apreston]

Titan does the exact same thing... I am VERY gratefull for it. Everytime we approch human kind or of the fur variety he lays down I have actually taught him that. I get right down there with him on one knee and say "lay down to say hello" I can see what he sees and he gets to play and lick and paw everyone! Its great I love it! 
 

[Tazz]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just relax and let it play itself out then. I was just concerned she was becoming fearful of things for some off the wall reason.

Apreston, Rella sits when we greet humans and used to when greeting pups. She has just taken it upon herself all of the sudden to get smaller I guess,lol. She is funny to watch especially when it involves kittens, lol!

[Apreston]

I know it is really FUNNY to watch Titan too...he gets as low as possible...lik e he is part of the ground!! I have noticed with Titan that he is going through a fear stage. He barks at everything...s o i just go up to the item; like yesturday a buckett; and I pet it LOL and tell it it's a good boy and he comes bouncing over and gives it a good smell; and he is fine! Just be patient she will come around. 

[Tazz]

LOL, yep. As low as she can make herself @ 125lbs...

She was really weird with the twig snapping yesterday, almost the same behavior, straight to the ground as small as possible, then onto her back which was why I thought the two might be connected to a fear stage.

She is so funny with the kittens. They do the whole spit and hiss thing and here she is on her back looking at them like WTH? Whole body doing the quivering thing....lol.