Play Behavior or Something Else?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Fable and Lexus in the back yard - notice that Lexus is NOT touching the ground!"][/caption]

Recently I added several photographs of my dogs playing to my private Facebook page, and a (very dog-savvy) friend of mine pointed out that non-dog-savvy viewers of the photos may find the images disturbing if they don't understand them.  I subsequently began to add the caption "No dogs were harmed in the making of this album" to every new series of photos when I realized - she was right!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="163" caption="Fable and India playing bitey-face while Achilles tries to get in on the action."][/caption]

Some days I take for granted that even experienced dog owners have difficulties identifying and separating true aggression from aggressive displays.  Physical displays of mock aggression between pack members are common, and they allow for conflict resolution without the risk of injury.  Consider teenage boys who play football, hockey or wrestling - they are not trying to cause physical damage to one another, but study after study shows that being able to express that natural aggression in a controlled environment (meaning an environment that incorporates physical contact without encouraging or condoning true physical damage) reduces aggressive outbursts in other areas of their lives.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="236" caption="Fable playing bitey-face with her friend India. India has some self-control issues when it comes to other dogs, but as usual Fable is able to win her over"][/caption]

The same can be true with our canine companions.  Proper play behaviours, even mock aggression, serve as a physical and emotional outlet for natural behaviours that may become problematic (even dangerous) if expressed in an inappropriate fashion.  For example, dogs who attempt to direct this kind of aggressive play behaviour towards the humans in the home.

If you are having difficulty managing your dog's play behaviour either at home with their own pack or at the park with other dogs - or if you are concerned that your dog is consistently getting picked on or picking on others - please seek out the opinion of a professional.  All the photos you see here in this post are of dogs playing with one another - illustrating just how difficult it can be to discern play from aggression.