Is this dog friendly?

[tropicalfish]

My neighbours dog barks very aggressively when I am in the garden standing close to the fence. The trellis being about 5 ft high so the dog can clearly see me. And before you ask, my plants are near the fence so when I garden I am next to the fence.
The neighbour is out in her garden witnessing her barking dog throwing itself against the fence and says to me It thinks you are a cat.
She then picks it up and it starts growling and is still barking aggressively and she says 'It is being friendly'
I say, Its growling.
She says ' Its being friendly'
She turns it round, to show me its tail and says, look its tail's wagging.
Admittedly its tail was moving but it didn't look like it was wagging.

Do you think a dog that is barking aggressively and growling is 'friendly'?

My interpretation is not.

Doesn't sound great but then picking the dog up while it growls and then spinning it around to show u its tail doesn't sound like a good owner either! It may be protecting its garden and sees u as invading - not acceptable and owner should be able to call the dog off such behaviour. Is there any chance the dog could break through ur fence? Have u ever met the dog in its own garden or outside on a neutral place? If so is it like this then? Not a great thing to have as we approach summer tho!

Doesn't sound very friendly to me either. And why would it think you're a cat, are you small and furry Tropical?

Your neighbour sounds a bit daft tbh. I'm not a dog behaviourist, but a dog growling and barking aggressively and throwing itself against the fence doesn't sound friendly to me regardless of what it's tail's doing.

Your neighbour is wrong to think that a wagging tail means friendly. There are different kinds of wags.

A nice wide wag is friendly. But a narrow, stiff, rapid wag with an upright tail is a warning sign. You can read about different tail wags here.

Dogs can also play growl but you would get that if engaged in tug of war, for example. The growl you are describing does not sound friendly, especially combined with lunging at the fence!

Even if he is being friendly ( which I don't believe for a second) he is being impolite and rude.... This is not socially acceptable...... And unless he is unbelievably thick, he does not think you are a cat, he is being aggressive and rude.

Show your neighbor this thread.

as you might imagine after 3 years of the dog throwing itself against the fence I have had enough.
Thank you for your replies. I was questioning my sanity.