Q. Sometimes my dog interacts with another dog in a way that seems kind of frightening. They growl and will even bite each other, then pause for a second and go back for more. Neither dog comes away angry or scared, but I wonder if I should let these episodes happen. I can’t quite tell if the dogs are just having fun or something more serious is going on.
Jesse Fierbrand
St. Louis, Missouri
Dear Mr. Fierbrand,
A. The answer to whether you should be concerned is in your question. Dog play has pauses in it. They might be very short pauses, as you describe. But those quick moments are a dog’s way of assessing the situation and understanding that everything is okay. Then he’s right back at it. In a real fight, on the other hand, there’s no taking a breath, no assessing. The aim is to keep the enemy from causing harm.
You also want to look for mutuality. If the two dogs are not of the same mind and don’t both see the fake wrestling as play, one of the dogs will be acting at least somewhat differently from the other. Perhaps he will be trying to move away, for instance. But as long as both dogs appear happy and there are those periodic pauses, jumping on each other and even nipping and making growling sounds are all part of the fun. “Come and try to get me, Hulk. You can’t beat Iron Man!”
One last point: If the two dogs are much different in size, look for modulation in behavior from the larger one. In play, the bigger dog will get down low to be on the same level as the smaller one, and he will also allow the smaller one to attack him harder than he attacks back.
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Thank you so much for addressing this topic. I’m posting it on my dog park bulletin board.
When we arrived at the dog park yesterday, people were in tears due to not understanding this. And my gentle Newf age 7, didn’t arrive in time to tone things down. He’s a great example of modulation. tiny dogs jump on him and attack him fiercely and he just ignores them or bats them with his paw to keep them going.. If some teenage dog play is getting out of hand, he quietly walks between the dogs and they wander away or he splits the group and plays with the wildest one.
Great, concise explanation. Very much appreciated!!!