One question I get asked fairly often when my dog plays with others is “Why are they
fighting?”. I can confirm that my dog has never started or participated in a dog fight.
What people witness and ask me about is a form of play between dogs. Although it
may look as if they are fighting, they are not. It is a 100% normal and healthy thing
for dogs to tackle, mouth, and bite each other. If you are concerned about your dog’s
behavior when playing in a group and are unsure how to tell the difference between
fighting and play, continue reading.
fighting?”. I can confirm that my dog has never started or participated in a dog fight.
What people witness and ask me about is a form of play between dogs. Although it
may look as if they are fighting, they are not. It is a 100% normal and healthy thing
for dogs to tackle, mouth, and bite each other. If you are concerned about your dog’s
behavior when playing in a group and are unsure how to tell the difference between
fighting and play, continue reading.
Let me give you an example: dog one is running in circles, chasing after dog two.
Dog two slows down and dog one tumbles over top of him. You hear some noise.
They are “biting” each other. Your heart begins to race as you run inside for the
spray bottle or a break stick and you yell at them for fighting. But fear not, my friend:
both dogs are consenting to the behavior. This is play.
Dog two slows down and dog one tumbles over top of him. You hear some noise.
They are “biting” each other. Your heart begins to race as you run inside for the
spray bottle or a break stick and you yell at them for fighting. But fear not, my friend:
both dogs are consenting to the behavior. This is play.
“Oh, but his hackles are raised! He’s not wagging his tail!”. A dog’s hackles may
raise from overexcitement (my own personal dog shows this trait even when he is
running laps in our own backyard alone.), and a wagging tail is not always a sure
sign of a happy dog. Depending on the motion in which the tail is going, it may actually
represent aggressive behaviors. Nevertheless, there are quite a few signs that the forward
motion between dogs is, in fact, play. Common things to look for include sneezing, play bows,
rolling over (submissive behavior), pawing at each other, loud “growling” (play growling and
barking are usually very exaggerated between dogs), bouncing movements and dogs seeming
to be generally excitable. A good thing to note is that if a dog does not want to play, it will not
play. Whether it’s a snap correction or just a quick snarl, a dog will be sure to communicate and
leave the area if it does not want to be bothered.
raise from overexcitement (my own personal dog shows this trait even when he is
running laps in our own backyard alone.), and a wagging tail is not always a sure
sign of a happy dog. Depending on the motion in which the tail is going, it may actually
represent aggressive behaviors. Nevertheless, there are quite a few signs that the forward
motion between dogs is, in fact, play. Common things to look for include sneezing, play bows,
rolling over (submissive behavior), pawing at each other, loud “growling” (play growling and
barking are usually very exaggerated between dogs), bouncing movements and dogs seeming
to be generally excitable. A good thing to note is that if a dog does not want to play, it will not
play. Whether it’s a snap correction or just a quick snarl, a dog will be sure to communicate and
leave the area if it does not want to be bothered.
Now that you know how to recognize play between dogs, how do you recognize a fight?
Often times, dogs bodies will become very very stiff. Tails will become still or tucked, and they may begin staring each other down. Although they may stare at each other during play, it will end very quickly by either dog bowing and initiating to continue the play. However, in “fight mode”, there is no bow and the dogs may both begin going at each other. If this happens, it is important to act quickly, but REMAIN CALM! Do not ever stick your hands between the dogs who are fighting. This is a guaranteed way to get bit. Instead, spray vinegar in between them. This works 9 out of 10 times unless a dog has the mentality to kill, in which it will more than likely be deemed “Dog Aggressive”, and should never have been let off-leash around other canines, to begin with.
Although each fight will obviously have its own reason for starting, common ones include
pushing past boundaries, dogs who resource guard toys or other items and having multiple
intact male dogs around a female in heat. These are situations I have witnessed, and all were
able to be safely broken up, with no injuries (human or dog).
pushing past boundaries, dogs who resource guard toys or other items and having multiple
intact male dogs around a female in heat. These are situations I have witnessed, and all were
able to be safely broken up, with no injuries (human or dog).
The second thing I would like to discuss with you today is appeasement.
Well, wait- what is it?
Appeasement is a way for dogs to communicate with each other and with us as humans. They
let us know that they are feeling stressed in certain ways, like licking their lips, yawning, pinning
their ears back, giving whale eyes, etc. It is important for us as humans to recognize these
signals so that we can help reduce our dog’s stress levels and keep their “emotional bucket”
full of joy. (I will attach some explanations on what I mean when I talk about an emotional bucket
at the end of this post.) However, dogs also show appeasement towards each other by sending
calming signals- whether it be yawning, tail movements, ear position, etc. In cases where one
dog is a young puppy and the other is older, I have seen the older dog show signs of not wanting
to continue to play anymore, and the puppy relaying the understood message by licking the bottom
of the adult dog’s chin.
let us know that they are feeling stressed in certain ways, like licking their lips, yawning, pinning
their ears back, giving whale eyes, etc. It is important for us as humans to recognize these
signals so that we can help reduce our dog’s stress levels and keep their “emotional bucket”
full of joy. (I will attach some explanations on what I mean when I talk about an emotional bucket
at the end of this post.) However, dogs also show appeasement towards each other by sending
calming signals- whether it be yawning, tail movements, ear position, etc. In cases where one
dog is a young puppy and the other is older, I have seen the older dog show signs of not wanting
to continue to play anymore, and the puppy relaying the understood message by licking the bottom
of the adult dog’s chin.
Another interesting thing to note is that dogs actually have a pheromone specifically for
appeasement. It is released in lactating mothers to help strengthen their bond with their pups. It
comes from the Vomeronasal organ and is just a mix of certain parts of fatty acids. If you’ve ever
heard of or used products like the “calming collar” by Sentry, or a plug and release wall diffuser by
Adaptil, you are using a synthetic version of a Dog Appeasement Pheremone to help calm your dog.
appeasement. It is released in lactating mothers to help strengthen their bond with their pups. It
comes from the Vomeronasal organ and is just a mix of certain parts of fatty acids. If you’ve ever
heard of or used products like the “calming collar” by Sentry, or a plug and release wall diffuser by
Adaptil, you are using a synthetic version of a Dog Appeasement Pheremone to help calm your dog.
For more information on dog play, aggression, or appeasement, contact a local behaviorist who can
answer your specific questions and determine how to best help you and your dog.
answer your specific questions and determine how to best help you and your dog.
Canine Emotional Bucket:
Helpful Links:
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