One would think in this photo that Terra, our golden was going to eat Treasure up but this is not true. For those that know the dogs or know body language - you would realize that nothing but faces and Treasure getting the better of Terra goes on here.
Treasure is a puppy and is relentless with her play. She is seen many times hanging off Terra's hair and Terra gives her that grr but its not a grr that says leave me alone but a grrr in play.
Shoshi does something similar but hers almost sounds like a mixture of a purr and a growl together.
Next to Abigail, Terra seems to be Treasure's best pal. Perhaps that is due to the reality that she was born in a house (Rockhurst) that has a golden as well.
Can a dog distinguish between breeds? Yes! Due to our Golden's, our dogs gravitate to other Golden's. It's interesting to see their comfort level with a strange dog if its a golden. With others, they take the time, read the body language and meet and greet. All of this happens in a minute or two but it is a process they go through. They tend to skip this process with a golden.
Take the time to open up your dog's world to larger but safe and friendly dogs. It will help them to become more balanced.