When dogs are playing, they inhibit the force of their bites and sometimes voluntarily give their partner a competitive advantage (self-handicap) by, for example, rolling on their backs or letting themselves be caught during a chase - behaviors that would never happen during real fighting. However, despite the overlap in behaviors, some clear differences exist between dog play fighting and real fighting. Dogs will also hip check or slam, mount, rear up, bite, stand over, sit on, bark, snarl, growl, bare their teeth, and do chin-overs (i.e., place the underside of their chin over the neck of their partner). For example, during play, one dog might chase and tackle another, or use a neck bite to force a partner to the ground. In the field of animal behavior, researchers often refer to social play as “dog play fighting” because it includes many of the behaviors seen during real fights and might look rougher than it really is. One thing we’ve found: Dog play that some might consider “inappropriate” or “not safe” is actually just play fighting. We present our results at animal behavior conferences and publish in scientific journals.
Together with our colleagues, we have analyzed hundreds of hours of data to test hypotheses about play. See our privacy statement to find out how we collect and use your data, to contact us with privacy questions or to exercise your personal data rights.Īs animal behavior researchers, we have been studying dog play for more than 10 years.
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