Obstacle

In order to find out the reason behind their intriguing behavior, Denis needed to get nearer to them. So, he tried to inch closer but was stopped by the standing dog. The dog had assumed him as a threat and began to growl at him. He lowered his neck and bared all his teeth in the cold daylight to scare Denis out. It was evident by his behavior that the dog did not want Denis to come closer to him or the sitting dog. Surprisingly, whereas the standing dog was trying his best to keep Denis away the sitting one did not growl even for once. It intrigued Denis further. He wanted to know why the dog was so protective of the other one. Both the dogs looked similar. What were they?Littermates or something else?