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Picture this: You’re at the dog park, and two dogs are rolling around, growling, and snapping at each other.
So, are these dogs playing or fighting? It’s a question every dog owner has asked at least once.
Understanding the difference between play and aggression is crucial for keeping your pup safe and ensuring everyone has a good time.
🔎 Read the full article at Doggozila Magazine on the link below: 👇
🔗 https://doggozila.com/are-dogs-playing-or-fighting/
#dogplaying #dogfight #dogfights #doggielife #dogfightgame #dogfacts #dogfighter #dogplay
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0:00
All right, let's talk about something
0:01
every single dog owner has felt. That
0:03
moment of panic when you're not quite
0:05
sure, are they playing or are they
0:06
actually fighting? So, picture it.
0:09
You're at the dog park. Everything's
0:10
great. And then you see it. A blur of
0:13
fur. You hear growling, maybe some
0:15
snapping. Your heart just leaps into
0:17
your throat, right? What do you do? Do
0:19
you run in? Do you call your dog? It's
0:22
so tough to know what's really happening
0:23
in that moment. And that right there is
0:25
the million-dollar question, isn't it?
0:27
Because telling the difference when
0:28
things get well intense, it's incredibly
0:31
difficult. And look, getting it wrong,
0:34
that can have some pretty serious
0:36
consequences. Yeah, this is way more
0:38
than just being curious. I mean, really
0:40
understanding what these signals mean is
0:42
absolutely crucial for keeping your dog
0:44
safe, for keeping other dogs safe, and
0:46
just making sure the park stays a fun
0:48
place for everybody. But here's the good
0:50
news. In the next few minutes, we're
0:52
going to give you the tools to basically
0:54
become a K-9 body language expert.
0:57
Seriously, we'll break down exactly what
0:59
to look for so you'll know when it's
1:01
time to step in and just as importantly,
1:04
when you can just chill out and let them
1:06
have their fun. Okay, so first things
1:08
first, let's talk about what good,
1:11
healthy play actually looks like.
1:13
Because here's the thing, it's not
1:15
always quiet and gentle. Sometimes the
1:18
best doggy fun can look pretty rough and
1:20
tumble. And let's kick things off with
1:22
the number one most obvious can't miss
1:25
it signal. The playbow. You know what
1:27
I'm talking about, right? Front end
1:29
down, butt in the air. That is the
1:31
universal doggy sign for let's play.
1:33
It's like they're saying, "Hey, just so
1:34
you know, everything that happens next,
1:36
it's all in good fun. Promise." It's
1:38
really the golden rule of dog play.
1:41
Okay, but it's not just the playbo.
1:43
There are other big clues. Look for
1:45
their bodies to be all loose and wiggly,
1:47
almost kind of bouncy, not stiff and
1:49
rigid. And watch for them to take turns.
1:51
You know, one dog chases for a bit and
1:53
then they switch and the other one does
1:54
the chasing. Even the growls are
1:56
different. They're usually higher
1:57
pitched, more like a a playful grumble
1:59
than a deep threatening sound. And this
2:02
one is so important. They take breaks.
2:04
They'll stop, maybe shake it off, and
2:06
then jump back in. Oh, and you've got to
2:08
look for the play face. That happy,
2:10
relaxed, open mouth that kind of looks
2:12
like a big goofy grin. Think about a dog
2:15
like Max the Golden Retriever and Bella
2:17
the Border Collie. Yeah, they might be
2:19
running around nipping at each other,
2:21
but you'll notice that every few minutes
2:23
they'll just stop. They wag their tails.
2:26
They take a breather. They kind of check
2:28
in with each other. That little pause,
2:30
that's your green light. It tells you,
2:32
"Yep, this is all just a game." All
2:35
right, so that's the good stuff. Now,
2:37
let's flip the coin and look at the
2:38
warning signs. What happens when the fun
2:40
is over and things start to get serious?
2:42
Well, the signals are just as clear, but
2:45
they are the complete opposite of
2:46
everything we just talked about. This is
2:48
what you absolutely have to be on the
2:50
lookout for. A body that's gone
2:52
completely stiff, totally tense. The
2:55
growls are low and deep. You know that
2:57
guttural sound that comes from way down
2:59
in their chest. You might see them
3:01
snarling, curling their lips back to
3:03
show their teeth. And that stare, it's a
3:05
hard, focused, intense stare. And unlike
3:08
play, there are zero breaks. It just
3:11
keeps going.
3:12
And the story of Rocky and Duke is a
3:14
perfect and honestly a kind of chilling
3:17
example of this. The owners noticed it.
3:20
Their bodies went stiff and they heard
3:22
those deep guttural growls. All the
3:24
signs were there and boom, it escalated
3:27
into a real fight. So look at this. A
3:29
side by side really lays it all out. On
3:32
one side you have play, wiggly bodies
3:34
taking turns, playbows. On the other
3:36
side you have fight, a stiff body, no
3:39
roll reversal, and those raised hackles.
3:41
You know, when the fur on their back
3:42
stands straight up, plus those deep,
3:44
scary growls. Seriously, think of this
3:46
as your quick reference cheat sheet.
3:48
Okay, now for what might be the
3:50
trickiest part of all this. Sometimes a
3:52
game starts out totally fine, but then
3:54
it crosses a line. And learning to spot
3:56
that exact moment of transition, that's
3:58
a real pro-level skill for a dog owner.
4:01
So, how do you know the fun is over?
4:03
Well, first, look for it to become
4:04
one-sided. Is one dog always on the
4:07
defensive? Are they trying to hide, or
4:09
are they yelping? that dog is not having
4:11
fun anymore. Another huge red flag is
4:14
when the intensity just keeps ramping up
4:16
and up with no breaks to cool down. And
4:18
you have to pay attention to the biting.
4:20
If those playful nips suddenly become
4:22
hard bites, especially if they're aimed
4:24
at the face or neck, yeah, the game is
4:26
definitely over. The story about Luna
4:28
the Lab and Charlie the Beagle is a
4:30
perfect example. Luna being a big lab
4:33
was just playing way too rough for
4:34
little Charlie. And when Charlie started
4:36
yelping and trying to hide, that was him
4:38
screaming, "I'm done. I don't want to
4:40
play anymore. But Luna wasn't picking up
4:42
on the cues, so the owners had to step
4:43
in and handle it. Okay, so you've seen
4:46
the red flags. You've decided you need
4:48
to get involved. The question is, how do
4:51
you do that without making everything
4:52
worse or, you know, getting hurt
4:54
yourself? Let's go through the safest
4:56
way to break things up. All right, the
4:59
absolute most important first step, do
5:02
not panic. Seriously, take a deep
5:05
breath. If you're freaking out, your
5:07
panicked energy is just going to add
5:09
fuel to the fire. Dogs are super
5:11
sensitive to how we're feeling. A calm,
5:14
confident vibe is your best weapon here.
5:17
So, here's what you do. Step one, try to
5:19
make a loud, surprising noise. Clap your
5:21
hands loudly. Yell a firm command like,
5:24
"Hey," or "Leave it." A lot of times,
5:26
that's enough to snap them out of it. If
5:28
that doesn't work, step two, create a
5:31
barrier. Grab your jacket, a leash, a
5:33
nearby chair cushion, whatever you can,
5:35
and use it to physically get between
5:37
them. And here is the biggest rule of
5:39
all. Never, ever, ever use your hands to
5:42
separate fighting dogs. That is how
5:44
people get bit. Plain and simple. And
5:46
once they are separated, you're not done
5:49
yet. You can't just let them go right
5:50
back at it. Their adrenaline is pumping.
5:53
You've got to give them both a serious
5:55
cooling off period, completely separated
5:57
from each other. So, let all that stress
5:59
and excitement come back down to zero.
6:02
So, if we boil this all down to one
6:04
single takeaway, it's this. Play is
6:07
loose. It's wiggly. It's joyful. A fight
6:10
is tense, stiff, and focused. If you can
6:13
just remember that one simple
6:14
difference, you'll be able to figure out
6:15
what's going on almost every single
6:17
time. You know, learning to read all
6:19
these little signals. It's about more
6:21
than just stopping a fight. It's really
6:23
about understanding your dog on a deeper
6:25
level. So the next time you're watching
6:26
them play, don't just see a blur of fur.
6:29
Really watch. Ask yourself, "What are
6:31
they actually trying to tell me? What
6:33
are they telling each other?" Because
6:34
when you learn to listen with your eyes,
6:36
you'll be amazed at what you hear.
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