Chihua afraid of dobermans

Question
Hi Nancy,
I recently took my chihuahua to the park where we encountered two well behaved dobermans.  My boy was very nervous and wouldn't approach them. A few minutes later we encountered a dalmation who was bigger than either doberman that he didn't have a problem with.  Do dogs have an inate sense of when one breed of dog might be more of a danger to them than others?  It was quite interesting to witness.
Thank you for your help,
Pati

Answer
Pati,
 
Yes, dogs read body language.  Two things here:

The Dobermans may have come from the same household, which would make them an intact pack.  This would be how your dog would view them.  Or they may have had a dominant personality which your dog was reacting to when he met them.  Dogs don't usually react to size of other animals, but they do react to numbers of animals

The Dalmatian may have been more submissive or Omega in personality, so your dog wasn't afraid.

If we couldn't communicate through voice, we would be more aware of body language and what it means.  That is how dogs do it.

nancy