Sarah Whitehead - Hes Only Playing!: Meeting, Greeting and Play Between Dogs. Whats OK, Whats Not.

Hes Only Playing

Meeting, Greeting and Play Between Dogs Whats, OK Whats Not

Sarah Whitehead

Dogwise Publishing

A Division of Direct Book Service, Inc.

403 South Mission Street, Wenatchee Washington 98801

1-509-663-9115, 1-800-776-2665

2018 Sarah Whitehead

ISBN: 978-1-61781-238-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, digital or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty: The author and publisher shall not be liable in the event of incidental or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of the instructions and suggestions contained in this book.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Sarah is a full member of the APBC, (Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors) and the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers, UK), as well as being a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviorist (CCAB), specializing in aggression problems in dogs, canine body language and positive training methods.

Sarah is the author of more than 25 books, booklets and DVDs, and is a frequent media contributor, appearing on TV, radio and the net. She has helped thousands of dogs (and cats!) to overcome behavior and training problems and is Managing Director of Think Dog! Ltdan organization offering accredited and practical education courses in training and behavior.

Sarah lives in Windsor, Berkshire, UK and has three wonderful dogs of her ownall mix breeds from rescue, including Mouse the Chihuahua. She also has two huge Maine Coon cats!

Hes Only Playing!

Meeting, Greeting and Play Between Dogs Whats OK, Whats Not

Hes only playing.

As a canine behaviorist, this is possibly my least favorite expression in the world

Of course, many dogs love to play with other dogs, but with an estimated 64,000 dogs being killed or injured by other dogs in the UK in one year, its clearly not without risk.

Good canine play is balanced. Both dogs get to have fun and enjoy themselves without feeling threatened or bullied at any point. Play can change quickly from happy and relaxed to frightening or even damaging, so it is essential that we monitor our dogs play, and intervene where necessary.

Its simply not true that dogs should be allowed to sort it out themselves. Even if neither of the dogs are physically harmed, the emotional effects of a bad experience can last forever and can create serious behavioral problems that could have been avoided.

Good play, on the other hand, can be fun, stimulating and enjoyable for both parties it can also create and maintain bonds between dogs that remain friends for life.

Figures from Direct Line, based on survey of owners and vets who had treated dogs injured by other unknown dogs in the UK in 2017.

Learn to talk dog!

Reading and responding to canine play signals is not always straightforward, even for professionals!

This is because:

1 Its fast! Often faster than the human eye or brain can follow. This means that behavioral (and even physical) damage can be done before we have realized and stepped in to interrupt it. So, the message here is, interrupt sooner rather than later. (Even if that makes you look like an over-protective parent!)

2 Its tricky to interpret. Is it play, or is it tipping over into aggression? The difficulties of translation are not just because we are a different species, but because many play gestures are actually modified fighting behavios. This means we always have to focus on the context. No wonder its hard for us to tell the difference.

3 Its different every time. Even once you understand the main signals that dogs use in play, every single interaction with every new dog will be a little bit different, and that means you always need to be watchful and prepared to take action if necessary. We want our dogs to enjoy the company of other dogs, but under our care.

Whats good?

Relaxed, soft body language

In this picture, you can see that this lovely dog approaches with her face and body at a slight angle. Her lips are pulled back almost like a smile, and her eyes are soft. Her ears are back but you can see the insides of them (nearly always a sign of friendliness).

Her body looks soft and wiggly rather than stiff and tense.

Non-direct approaches

(Dog stops to sniff, or moves in gently, slightly to the side, or waits to approach)

Dogs stand or move parallel to each other

Rather than head-on

No unwelcome body contact

(Or no body contact at all)

Mirroring

The dogs copy each other

Matching the dogs match each other (eg, one stops to sniff and the other does the same)

Self-handicapping

(eg, one dog might hold a toy in its mouth, or might lie down if it is much bigger than the other)

Using toys to play

Natural pauses

Taking a breather from play (often one dog will stop and shake and the other waits for them to resume or do something different, such as sniff.)

Tail wagging

Tail wagging means happiness and friendliness, right? Well, possibly not!

It turns out that this is only part of the story, some of the time.

As a behaviorist who specializes in aggression in dogs, I can tell you that not all wagging means the dog is feeling content or friendly. Many people who are bitten by their own dogs tell me (with bewilderment) that their dog was wagging its tail while it was being aggressive but on further questioning, I find out that the position and movement of the dogs tail couldnt be more different from the relaxed and happy stance of the dog when its friendly.