The dog’s tail tells his body language:
This dog is fearful and lacking in confidence. His butt and head lowered, his tail is down (though not tucked under his body). He’s looking at the thing that’s scaring him.
Maybe because Michelle is trying to kill him by choking him to death? These people have never owned pets. It obvious.
The Portuguese water dog was used to deliver messages to and from the fishing boats and land. This was, of course, before radios. If there weren’t any sharks around the messages got delivered. I can understand why they appear fearful. I imagine they learned how to swim real fast.