BarksBudsDog play can look wild. Growls, open mouths and wrestling are often totally normal. The trick is learning to see the difference between two dogs having a blast and one dog who wants out.
Signs of healthy play
- Loose, bouncy bodies. Wiggly, curvy movement, not stiff and straight.
- Play bows. Front end down, back end up: "this is all a game."
- Taking turns. The chaser becomes the chased; the dog on the bottom gets to be on top.
- Self-handicapping. A big dog lying down or going gentle so a smaller friend can keep up. Lily, a long-legged poodle mix who runs like a horse, slows right down for smaller dogs like Maggie.
- Little breaks. Good play has pauses: a sniff, a shake-off, a drink of water, then back to it.
Signs a dog is uncomfortable
- Tail tucked, ears pinned back, body low
- Lip-licking, yawning or turning the head away when another dog approaches
- "Whale eye": the whites of the eyes showing
- Hiding under a bench or behind their person
- Trying to leave, again and again
Signs to step in now
- A stiff, frozen body or a hard, fixed stare
- One dog repeatedly pinning another who's trying to escape
- Several dogs ganging up on one
- Play that keeps escalating without any pauses
The "consent test"
Not sure if both dogs are enjoying it? Gently hold or call away the dog who seems to be "winning." If the other dog bounces right back for more, it's play. If they use the break to leave, they were done, and you just helped them out.
How to interrupt calmly
Call your dog in a cheerful voice, walk the other way, or clap and move. Avoid reaching between dogs who are tangled up; if you need to separate two dogs, work with the other owner and guide them apart from behind. Then give everyone a minute to cool off.
Raised hackles on their own don't always mean trouble. They can just mean a dog is excited. Read the whole dog, not one signal.