Puppy Playtime

Be Your Puppy’s Voice

It’s important for puppies to play with other puppies. However, it’s vital to make sure puppy play is safe while your puppy has fun in addition to your puppy learning proper doggie behavior. After learning appropriate puppy play tips, check out how to interrupt puppy play.

What Good Puppy Play Looks Like

Many pet parents ask, “What does bad puppy play behavior look like?” However, let’s first discuss what good behavior looks like. You can’t spot bad behavior until you understand and can spot good puppy play.

Puppies play in dyads, or pairs. When another puppy approaches, the third puppy is usually left out. If your puppy is the third puppy out, dog trainers who are supervising puppy play will usually rotate puppies out so everyone gets a turn.

VIDEO: Appropriate Puppy Play

Supervised Puppy Playtime

Please, if you follow just one thing from this article this would be it. Attend Puppy Playtime session with a professional dog trainer. Dog behavior is hard to interrupt and pro dog trainers are fluent in this language. Please refrain from bringing your puppy to dog parks, especially with unknown dogs, as this can be a recipe for disaster.

Taking Turns

When puppies play, they take turns chasing each other being the puppy on top of the pile and so forth. It’s like watching a dance, but each puppy takes a turn at leading the session.

If one puppy becomes too rough, the other puppy will stop playing and freeze. This is a signal saying, “Um, dude, this is not funny anymore and I’m uncomfortable.” The other puppy should stop playing, interrupt and understand freeze behavior and adjust his play style to keep the session going. Sometimes, you’ll notice the other puppy jumping, dancing, play bowing and even rolling over on his back to entice the unsure puppy back into the play session.

Growling Happens

Growling, during puppy play, can send pet parents into fits. Some puppies are more vocal than others. My sister is pretty quiet; I’m not! Growling won’t erupt until later during a play session. Some puppies learn that vocalizing is fun when playing with a different puppy. They begin growling and it concerns the new puppy so they stop growling.

RELATED: My Dog Growls at Me

Mouth Wrestling

This usually means his mouth is wide open, teeth are showing sprinkled in with a bit of growling. Mouth wrestling sessions are usually short, and both puppies are sitting or lying down next to each other.

You Should See Soft Curves

When puppies are playing, you should see soft curves and roundness, usually around their rumps and shoulder areas. Even when running and chasing, you’ll see curves. If you notice straight lines, stop puppy play. This means someone is not happy any longer.

Stop Bad Puppy Behavior Immediately

Unfortunately, I see a lot of bad puppy play at dog parks and it breaks my heart. Also, I’ve watched good puppy play turn badly quickly. What happens during puppyhood stays with a puppy forever.

RELATED: Puppy Training

Is Your Dog a Bully?

Bullying is a part of society. As much as we ban it, it still emerges. This behavior is learned. A puppy or person chooses this path to survive because it works. I add people as examples because I see this everyday. Someone posturing to get ahead or stop specific behaviors. Best thing to do with a bully is to walk away and ignore him. The same applies to puppies. Don’t allow a bully to practice his behavior. The more he practices, the better he gets.

Bullying behavior looks like:

• Pinning other puppies (or dogs) and holding them on the ground.
• Overwhelming, rough and persistent play. They’re harassing other dogs who are trying to ignore them.
• Constantly nagging other dogs to play with them usually includes nips, muzzle punches or body slams.
• Ignores body freezes from other dogs and continues to jump or bite. (Nip other puppies to continue playing.)

Pinning

Bully puppies will run at full blast right up to other puppies and pin them to the ground. They’ll hold them down and growl while their body language is stiff and straight. Even if the held down puppy screams, they continue to pin and growl in their face. If the frightened puppy gets away, the bully runs after him and pins again. This will go on until a person intervenes or the scared puppy displays defensive aggression. If you can’t get away, you fight.

RELATED: Defensive Dog Aggression

Scary Chasing

Bully puppies, and dogs, will seek one specific puppy and chase this poor thing until they can pin him down or attack. You can spot scary chasing, as the scared puppy looks like he is running for his life with his tail tucked, ears laid back and eyes wide. He is terrified. The bully’s body language is straight and stiff, and relentlessly picks on the scared puppy.

Be your puppy’s voice!

READ ALSO: Dog Time Out