Dog Play - Part 1

 Dog play is a big topic so I am going to discuss it in two parts, like I did with 'Petting Dogs'.

In addition, I will suggest some further reading in case you are really interested in this topic.

Let's start by looking at what isn't play

Play between dogs has to be fun for each dog involved. It has to be voluntarily entered into and a dog has to be able to leave any time they want to.

A dog won't play unless they feel safe, both mentally and physically. They won't play if, for instance, they are afraid or if they are ill or in pain. This is really important and helps us to identify situations that might look like play, but may be something else entirely. 

So when we think of a dog's need to feel safe as being an essential prerequisite for play, we can see that those 'play' episodes we sometimes see are not actually play. For example, one dog is bouncing happily round another dog and, although the other dog is responding, they are doing so with tense, abrupt movements and an upright body position – that's not play because that dog doesn't feel safe.
Such body language would suggest that dog is acting defensively, even though people might think the dog is participating in play.

What is great fun for one dog but frightening to another is NOT play

The black and white dog at the front in this photo is overwhelmed and frightened. He or she desperately wants space and is requesting this with the crouched, curved (possibly frozen in position) body posture, lip lick, low tail, indirect gaze etc.

The dog on the right (the beagle) looks to be having a great time. We can't see all of the black dog but can see that he or she is taking part in the pursuit too.

If you see this kind of situation and your dog is one of the dogs involved, act to stop things. Rescue your dog if they are the scared dog and retrieve your dog if they are the one causing stress to another dog.

Here's an important thing to know about 'friendly' dogs who just want to play when others don't -

They aren't socially competent!

A dog harassing another dog in a 'playful' way and ignoring that dog's communication that they are frightened, annoyed, or just not interested in playing is not a socially-skilled dog.

It isn't their fault that they have never learned to respect (or even understand) the communication of their own species, but people often think the scared dog is somehow at fault for not being able to accept these 'friendly' approaches. And if a dog should tell-off the boisterous dog, that dog can be the one frowned upon. However, any dog is entitled to go about their business in peace!

I think the misinformed views to the contrary are because people don't realise that it's not friendly when a dog continues to pester another dog who wants to be left alone. They maybe think it's no big deal anyway, because they know their dog means no harm. It is often a big deal though, to the dog on the receiving end.

If your dog is the one who wants to engage with every dog they see, there is some good practical advice available from the National Animal Welfare Trust - please see the link to it in the notes at the end of this blog.

Sometimes it's something other than misplaced friendliness

Bullying and intimidation of other dogs can happen. This is something else that might be misinterpreted as dogs playing.
Also, things can go wrong during play, even if it started out well. More about this in the following section:

Dangers and Risks

Play is exciting for dogs and there is the potential for it to tip over into tension, which can escalate into antagonism. 

Chase games can become a real pursuit and play fighting can become real fighting.

I don't want to take all the fun out of the subject of play, but we need to know what can go wrong and what to look out for.

Predatory drift

If dogs are running and chasing each other in play, they will not be running at full speed. This is because it is a game and the point of a chase game isn't to catch the other dog, but to keep the game going. The dog being chased should get the chance to reverse roles and do the chasing. The dogs should have relaxed body language.

But in some situations this fun chasing game can change. The trigger mechanism for predation may be activated in the dog doing the chasing and suddenly they think they are chasing prey. The chances of this happening are greater if there is a big size difference between the dogs – if it is a large dog chasing a small dog. This is known as predatory drift* and is obviously very dangerous for the dog being chased.

Aggression

Play fighting can look like real fighting. There might be a lot of pretend biting and wrestling, barking, growling etc. (we will look at the signs that show it's just play when we get to Part 2).

But if, for example, a dog gets too rough and doesn't heed the play partner's signals that things have got too rough, the play atmosphere can change into one of fear, anger and frustration and aggression can occur.

Signs to look out for that indicate you are not looking at play

Tension/lack of fluidity in the dogs' movements. Play is characterised by loose, bouncy action. So lack of that shows it's not play/is no longer play.

A dog showing signs of stress such as; avoidance of the other dog/s, acting defensively and/or trying to get away, their tongue coming out to lick their own nose, crouched body posture, repeated shake-offs, looking overwhelmed. The dog that we discussed in the photo above is a good example of a dog looking overwhelmed in a situation. 

A chase speeding-up. The dog doing the chasing having an intense, concentrated focus. The dog being chased having the appearance of really trying to get away.

Lack of role-reversal. Some dogs' play preference might be to do most of the chasing, pinning down etc. and as long as the other dog is happy with this, play can work. However, play is usually characterised by the dogs taking turns.

No pausing during play. Dogs will pause during play, not just to rest, but to keep emotional arousal levels down. If they aren't taking time to pause, things might be getting too intense.
A pause can be stopping play entirely for a moment. A play bow during play can act as a quick pause too.
Remember to pause when playing with your dog too. If dogs do it when playing together to keep arousal down, help your dog to do this when the two of you play together.
Don't let the excitement of children and dogs playing together get too much - call time-out!

Lack of self-inhibition/self-handicapping. Dogs inhibit their bites and their strength during play. This enables dogs of unequal size, age etc. to play together. For example, if the self-handicapping breaks down, the bites will start to become too hard or the wrestling become too rough for the other dog. 

Great self-handicapping by the bigger puppy means these two puppies can play together happily!

Changes in vocalisation. Play growling and play barking is normal. Numerous studies have shown clear differentiation between the sounds dogs use in play and non-play situations*. We can try to notice if vocalisation changes during play e.g. to deeper growling or to more excited, angry sounding barking.

Longer periods of high wrestling. Dogs standing on their hind legs 'wrestling' with each other can be part of their play repertoire but extended periods of high wrestling can be a sign that things have got heated.

The approaches becoming more face-on, rather than from the side. This is also a sign that things may have changed from play into tension and antagonism.

Dogs normally prefer to play with one play partner. For this reason, groups of dogs playing need especially close supervision.

The list above does not cover everything but hopefully it will give you some idea of what to look out for. Intervene to call time-out if you see any of this happening with your own dog or dogs in your care.

Please watch this great video about dog play and dog interactions:

Dog Play and Dog Interactions from Jill Breitner on Vimeo.

The next blog looks at good play: Dog Play - Part 2

Ursula Linton

Notes and further reading

Training tips for Enthusiastic and Inappropriate Greeters from the National Animal Welfare Trust 

* This information on predatory drift is a short synopsis of the details in the book 'Canine Play Behaviour. The Science of Dogs at Play' by Mechtild Käufer (Dogwise publications).
This excellent book goes into the detail of all aspects of dog play. 

The information on dog vocalisations is also from this book.

Here is an interesting article in 'Dogster' by Jill Breitner, about predatory behaviour occuring among a group of dogs out on a hike: How I kept a game of chase from becoming a dog attack

If you use dog parks please read this article by Jennifer Berg in 'Whole Dog Journal': 
5 Tips for Avoiding Fights at the Dog Park

Photo of puppies Leela and Liesl from the Dog Decoder Facebook Page, with kind permission of Jill Breitner.