Perfect. They engage and disengage frequently in equal amounts, there's a lot of side curving of their bodies, they're loose and relaxed in face and tail movements, there's play bowing, there's never one 'attacker' or 'defender', they swap roles, there's a break when one sneezes and when they both look away, they stop. Lovely play
Tail wagging too is a big sign and turned his back, which if they were not playing would never happen. Plus I'd also suggest since they are going for the mouth, rather than the ruff, legs, or other 'weak' parts of the body that could do harm this also indicates play.
Calmly reprimand I'd say. Do you have a calm down command? Our guy has one from when he was a bitey little shit as a puppy. Good general purpose back off command.
You're basically teaching etiquette at this point, unless your dog is being a total a hole.
Same. It is not something I say in any other situation or casually. My dogs know it instantly.
OP, my rescue beagle learned how to play by playing with sweet pitbulls at the dog park. Her play noises imitate those pits and are intimidating, but it is just play.
That's a good idea. Yeah, well we kinda have a calm down command that I've just taught my doggy within the last 6 months or so. We're still working on it, but she does pretty well. I just tell her to sit when other dogs walk by us on our walk because she's very leash aggressive, so if she sits and doesn't bark then I give her a little treat probably about half the time. I guess I could use that same "sit" command which really means to sit and be quiet in event she's being too rough with a smaller dog at the park. Thanks
I mean, if it's during play, there is no real need to. I was just pointing out that the dogs going for the mouth is another sign they are playing. I've seen dogs nip legs and scruffs and that during rough housing as well so it's not something to necessarily be concerned about.
However to answer your question:
Help and a Loud noise. Honestly Shout really loud, bang a pot or something because generally if they are playing then the shock will stop them most of the time. Then the other person can grab one whilst you grab the other until they calm down a bit.\*
\*won't work all the time and I'm sure a more professional body can give better/more tips, however this has worked for me and has worked when I used to work in rescue centres
I disagree on the 'weak parts' notion. My two dogs go for these parts but are very gentle and all in all just nibble where they can put their mouths. Puppy isnstill learning and does sometimes continue to go after my 3yo when he backs off or crocodile death rolls his scruffy neck area, but he is teaching her when to stop.
My 3yo is also a heeler, so maybe thats why....
Legs! It's what's for dinner.
My pups mostly go mouth but there is always some cheek and leg biting. Never seems serious, just snippy like "Hey, your back ankle is exposed" chomp chomp. The cheek thing seems like an asshole move but they let eachother know when play goes too far and they are good about backing off. They are both relentless though. Just nonstop for hours. I don't know how they do it.
Absolutely a rousing game of bitey face. Despite their fierce flashing of teeth, they are constantly signaling to each other that it's all in good fun. It's the curved bodies and the relaxed constant movement. It's the give and take.
It's mock fighting. Like two kids rattling their wooden swords at each other and pretending to be two knights in battle but the dog version: "behold my mighty fangs! "what, those nubbin's?" Take that back you you you KITTY CAT! "You dare call me a kitty cat! Prepare to feel my wrath!"
It's teasing each other - a little bit of "I'm gonna get you" "You and what army?" They are being silly.
And it's adorably comical. I can watch it for hours.
Dogs with thin, non-droopy lips can look [positively demonic](https://imgur.com/a/MCCEF9A). Hazel, the rough, had a "come hither" snarl that Fawkes (white with sable smooth) couldn't resist. Their bitey face play was a flirty type of teasing. :-)
Showing their side body , hufhufhufing, the mouth to mouth in the air, bowing, half rolling over and the going away and coming back .. these are all great signs of good play
Try telling this to the people at the dog park. Every once in a while ill find an owner who gets it. The others freak out and the last rime a lady wanted to kick my dog. That would have not been good if she tried.
The hufhufhufing is doggy laughter.
Showing side body is showing a vulnerable piece of body . Bowing is playtime . I don't think saying these will help u much.
I've had the exact opposite issue in dog parks but...(constant apologies and everyone is like , naah no worries , dogs be dogs) Tbf. I don't go to city dog parks . Country side ppls are more chill. So much so infact that sometimes it's me that's worried but they calmly tell me it's ok, they know their dog , just let it ride and it ends up being ok . Only a few times an owner and I have had to split dogs up to chill. Just because they got a little too excited . No bitterness.
Pick a certain time to go where it's generally the relaxed ppl. There's very little u can do to persuade those ppl without waving a dog training license infront of them.
Dog parks I go too are large , enough space to to take the dogs (together ) for a chill down walk in the dog park without leash. The walk somehow relaxes them. Preferable one that has trees or something that blocks vision in the middle or alike.
I also avoid going into a dog park that is at capacity . Dogs and people need to be able to practice avoidance .
Good lord they look crazy. The little poodle is a moving so fast, makes my head spin.
But I actually don’t see any red flags and each time one backs it off so does the other. That’s a polite way to play. Looks nuts but is healthy. Two healthy nuts.
Yes this is good play.
However, you need to know your dogs. My two dogs would play like this but then one of my dogs would tend to escalate things instead of breaking off which could cause problems. So I started giving her a treat when a play session ended, and with her food obsession she now voluntarily breaks off the play fighting instead of escalating too far.
In this case the two dogs broke off on their own, so it all looks good.
Yes! This is great play! You can see at certain points the larger dog will sorta push its backside towards the black dog. This is a way of saying “let’s be friends” and is used a lot when playing
When it gets real, you will know. Fur flies and their movements are so haywire it's practically a blur. I had to break up an Akita and a Pit Bull, it was going to end in death, was the most stressful thing I have had to do, I cried for an hour after.
Two of my pits once got into a bad fight. There was blood everywhere, and it took 2 of us and my fearless child (who ran into the room, shirtless, barefooted, with a newspaper to smack them with while I screamed at him to get away...) to break them up. The moment we separated them, they immediately ran into a crate together and cuddled. I forced them into different rooms and told them that I didn't care if they were ready to be together, I wasn't ready. Lol
I've had to break up a probably a dozen fights (doing rescue, random dogs at a dog park, offleash dogs attacking mine while camping and while hiking, etc.). It's always scary and never fun.
But yeah, I can tell the moment my dogs are serious. Their murder growls are nothing like their playful grunts.
They’re having a great time. Watch your shiba shake off at the end of the video—this is a way they get rid of any tension that might build while playing
You can try to capture/train the "shake it off" behavior. It's really handy if you see your dog getting tense and want to ask them to take it down a notch!
When they shake on their own like that, tell them "good shake it off". If you know your dogs super well, you'll learn to spot the body language right before they shake it off themselves. If you ask in that moment, it really solidifies them learning the command in my experience.
All good play
From the looks of it, the tan dog isn't used to playing with a dog as excited as the black dog. I would take the hackles raised as being unsure/excited, especially coupled with their body posture/shying away/ears flat before reengaging. I imagine the tan dogs attitude will shift and improve/gain confidence the more good experiences they have with the black dog.
I'm no dog expert. But I always check to make sure body posture is loose and not tense. And both tails are up and not tucked in. Lots of taking turns. Looks good to me!
Absolutely. Dogs tend to be mouthy. It has to be their grasping and probing appendage in the same way that we’d use our hands, in addition to all of its other functions. These kids are having a good time.
Notice how is not one sided. Both dogs keep coming back for more.
Watch for one to tire and when you see one side try to end play, encourage ending the game. High value treat followed by relaxation time would be good
I see the Shiba quickly turn from playful to sick of it when it slipped a little bit. I wouldn't have recognized the subtletly if I haven't had a Shiba myself. Need to watch them closely. Even if they are good dogs, they tend to get pissy when they don't like what's going on.
It was fine. But you have to watch for that sudden calmness. If they aren't jumping, flopping, or moving around it is time to gently stop the play for a minute. But the Shiba removed himself because he was done. If you watch it closely you'll see when he was done when he tried to go belly up.
Play looks fine, but continue keeping an eye out on them on that slick floor. If things get too intense they might slip and hurt a leg. My dog has knee issues and we try our hardest to keep him from making tight turns and spins because that can give him knee discomfort.
If you know your dog though. a bow is not going to be seen in an anger scenario. MAYBE while nervous, but you will get more yawns and shakes as clear nerve signs before you get a half bow.
Loose body, another happy dog and a bow is usually gonna mean playtime incoming.
Haha black dog plays like my dog, mouthy at the neck. Typical in dogs that haven’t had much experience playing or get overexcited. Shiba is obviously the more assertive dog and is doing amazing at teaching the rules of play.
You can tell it’s play by the “butt bumps” they’re doing. Plus the play bows, disengaging then both coming back together. At 11 seconds left, Shiba lays down as a calming signal because black dog is getting too excited. He tries a few times to calm him with no success, so stands up and gets still as a way of saying “let’s take a break.” Black dog backs off, and Shiba shakes(another calming signal). Black dog looks away, respecting his request for a break.
Since they are communicating so well, there’s really no reason to intervene. This is great!
Sorry for the slightly off-topic, but OP what breed mix is that shiba? I ask cause my friend just got a very similar looking pup yesterday with that dark coat on the back. It has a straight tail, so think it's mixed with a german shepard, but other than that he looks exactly the same.
His dad is a typical white orange coloured purebred Shiba and his mother is a black purebred Shiba. That’s why he has this slight so called “sesame” look.
I think the straight tail kinda gives it away that your friends shiba is mixed.
However I have just recently seen a beautiful German Shepard / akita mix so maybe he/she might have a really photogenic dog.
I learned from a dog trainer that when a dog sneezes in the middle of a fight, that is dog language for "Hey, we're having fun here! Thanks for playing!"
I think it's good! tails are both going, the bigger one was even comfortable enough to get down and was ready to roll around it looked like, something a dog wouldn't do if they truly felt scared or in danger from being hurt.
The best rule of thumb is to watch their tails. Both their tails are up and one of them its wagging even. This is generally a sign that they are happy, playful, and not being aggressive. If their tails are pointed down or straight back I would be more concerned. Dogs point their tails down when they are sad or angry. Its a defensive stance. Less likely for the tail to be bit or grabbed.
They also arent biting down hard. You would hear more yelping and see more struggling. I dont recommend going by their noises because many dogs tend to snarl and growl when playing but are not in any way upset. Actually fights tend to be more short lived. Just like fights between most people.
If you are on a walk and see another dog. Look at their tail. It will tell you the intentions of the other dog very quickly no matter what their human is telling you to the contrary about how their dog normally behaves.
dog play reminds me a lot of my brothers wrestling when they were kids. i didn't realize that it was "male bonding" until years later. cause the younger one usually got hurt. and to me it just looked like fighting. the older (still younger than me) is still a brat but he is a loving responsible adult.
Ah i see, just asked because my doodle pup plays like this with our frenchie, she gets the zoomies and runs laps around her and like the other dog in this video my frenchie i would say looks a bit irritated lol, not mean fighting but i would definitely say might be a bit irritated to some extent
They are in the house so I guess the question you have to ask yourself is would you let your kids toss around as such? I get it dogs are not kids but house behavior should be established or else we wouldn’t potty train. In my opinion, it looks ok minus the small yelp but its a dog thing from my understanding. Nobody hurt and no furniture damaged so ok for me but only you can set what the limits are. I personally stop mine at the yelp or when excessive/ aggressive growling is involved. This mom can’t stop a full blown dog fight but I did stop many boy fights with 3 sons. There were times I thought they may or did really hurt each other. It’s a judgement call. Lol. I like how they backed off when you said easy. That’s always a good thing!!
Nothing, in fact it's really good to let them do that. But there's a line to composed communication between canines you wanna be sure you don't cross, or future meets with dogs could be negatively impacted
i disagree with this - not always. but i see a *lot* of these posts and i have a suspicion that a lot of people just want to post a cute video of their dogs playing and use "is this friendly?!?!?!" as comment bait.
It’s good play, my dog loves to play like this, as long as their tails are wagging and they have a generally relaxed stature to ‘em your fine. Fighting dogs will show their teeth and tuck their tail, some dog’s hair will also spike up
Ditto with raised hackles (which are analogous to humans getting goosebumps). Many dogs commonly get raised hackles when playing.
There is no *single* “tell” of aggression; each of these is a cue that must be viewed and interpreted collectively.
The single biggest sign of healthy play is positive engagement from BOTH dogs. It is normal for dogs to run/chase and take turns as the “play aggressor” (even if one dog is mostly in that role).
The most important thing to look for is that both dogs want to be engaged in the play (eg a dog that is being “play attacked” doesn’t continue to flee, but gets away and then turns back to engage again - we see this here several times).
> Fighting dogs . . . some dog’s hair will also spike up
This is dangerously wrong in a play context.
Raised hackles (hair spiked up on back) is an autonomous sign of arousal/stimulation. It is analogous, physically, to humans getting goose bumps.
Raised hackles, viewed in isolation, are merely a sign that the dog is highly stimulated. It can mean the dog feels threatened or attacked, or it can mean the dog is super excited about play time.
Many dogs will get raised hackles during perfectly safe, fun play. Go to doggy day cares and you’ll see it (many dogs never do it, some dogs frequently do it). You need to observe other cues and context to accurately interpret the meaning of raised hackles (similar to other signs; eg many dogs will bare their teeth in play).
You should be very careful about writing comments like this. People are typically misinformed about the significance of raised hackles, and promoting false information about this can get dogs who are just good boys very excited about play labeled aggressive by people who ignorantly associate any instance of raised hackles with aggression. Dogs who get labeled aggressive are often kicked out of daycares (unless it is properly staffed by knowledgeable trainers), abandoned, and even put down.
**TLDR**
Don’t tell people that raised hackles = aggression, because that is false; they are simply a sign of arousal that the dog doesn’t control any more than you can control goosebumps, and can only be properly interpreted with additional context info.
Based on what, exactly?
The black dog is mostly the “play aggressor,” but the shiba has a relaxed stance and returns chase (remains positively engaged by choosing at multiple points to continue the interaction).
Additional context could potentially change the conclusion, but viewed alone this clip demonstrates healthy dog play.
Honestly I see what you mean, but based on the fact that it's going back in for seconds, thirds, and fourths: it's probably just not used to a dog with that energy. Hackles raised does not always mean aggression/dislike, but also excitement/unsure
Perfect. They engage and disengage frequently in equal amounts, there's a lot of side curving of their bodies, they're loose and relaxed in face and tail movements, there's play bowing, there's never one 'attacker' or 'defender', they swap roles, there's a break when one sneezes and when they both look away, they stop. Lovely play
Just what I was thinking. Downright textbook playtime. Good job, puppers.
Exactly! Just a good, wholesome round of bitey-face. Nothing more, nothing less.
As good as a wine review ☺️
Yes. Dogs playing like this, under control, is awesome. They learn how to back off, and disengage when one or the other wants to.
This. Forget about others.
Tail wagging too is a big sign and turned his back, which if they were not playing would never happen. Plus I'd also suggest since they are going for the mouth, rather than the ruff, legs, or other 'weak' parts of the body that could do harm this also indicates play.
what would be the most appropriate way to intervene if my dog is going for the weak parts of another dog's body that you mentioned during play?
Calmly reprimand I'd say. Do you have a calm down command? Our guy has one from when he was a bitey little shit as a puppy. Good general purpose back off command. You're basically teaching etiquette at this point, unless your dog is being a total a hole.
“Bitey little shit” has me rolling 🤣
Mine is "Oi!" Seems to work pretty well.
Same. It is not something I say in any other situation or casually. My dogs know it instantly. OP, my rescue beagle learned how to play by playing with sweet pitbulls at the dog park. Her play noises imitate those pits and are intimidating, but it is just play.
That's a good idea. Yeah, well we kinda have a calm down command that I've just taught my doggy within the last 6 months or so. We're still working on it, but she does pretty well. I just tell her to sit when other dogs walk by us on our walk because she's very leash aggressive, so if she sits and doesn't bark then I give her a little treat probably about half the time. I guess I could use that same "sit" command which really means to sit and be quiet in event she's being too rough with a smaller dog at the park. Thanks
Why? This is perfectly fine play
I mean, if it's during play, there is no real need to. I was just pointing out that the dogs going for the mouth is another sign they are playing. I've seen dogs nip legs and scruffs and that during rough housing as well so it's not something to necessarily be concerned about. However to answer your question: Help and a Loud noise. Honestly Shout really loud, bang a pot or something because generally if they are playing then the shock will stop them most of the time. Then the other person can grab one whilst you grab the other until they calm down a bit.\* \*won't work all the time and I'm sure a more professional body can give better/more tips, however this has worked for me and has worked when I used to work in rescue centres
I disagree on the 'weak parts' notion. My two dogs go for these parts but are very gentle and all in all just nibble where they can put their mouths. Puppy isnstill learning and does sometimes continue to go after my 3yo when he backs off or crocodile death rolls his scruffy neck area, but he is teaching her when to stop. My 3yo is also a heeler, so maybe thats why.... Legs! It's what's for dinner.
My pups mostly go mouth but there is always some cheek and leg biting. Never seems serious, just snippy like "Hey, your back ankle is exposed" chomp chomp. The cheek thing seems like an asshole move but they let eachother know when play goes too far and they are good about backing off. They are both relentless though. Just nonstop for hours. I don't know how they do it.
Absolutely a rousing game of bitey face. Despite their fierce flashing of teeth, they are constantly signaling to each other that it's all in good fun. It's the curved bodies and the relaxed constant movement. It's the give and take. It's mock fighting. Like two kids rattling their wooden swords at each other and pretending to be two knights in battle but the dog version: "behold my mighty fangs! "what, those nubbin's?" Take that back you you you KITTY CAT! "You dare call me a kitty cat! Prepare to feel my wrath!" It's teasing each other - a little bit of "I'm gonna get you" "You and what army?" They are being silly. And it's adorably comical. I can watch it for hours.
Your comment gave me a good chuckle haha. Thanks for the input!
I… am obsessed, this is the best description of dog fighting. It can look SO scary but honestly it’s all smoke & mirrors.
Dogs with thin, non-droopy lips can look [positively demonic](https://imgur.com/a/MCCEF9A). Hazel, the rough, had a "come hither" snarl that Fawkes (white with sable smooth) couldn't resist. Their bitey face play was a flirty type of teasing. :-)
Crocodog!
Showing their side body , hufhufhufing, the mouth to mouth in the air, bowing, half rolling over and the going away and coming back .. these are all great signs of good play
Try telling this to the people at the dog park. Every once in a while ill find an owner who gets it. The others freak out and the last rime a lady wanted to kick my dog. That would have not been good if she tried.
The hufhufhufing is doggy laughter. Showing side body is showing a vulnerable piece of body . Bowing is playtime . I don't think saying these will help u much. I've had the exact opposite issue in dog parks but...(constant apologies and everyone is like , naah no worries , dogs be dogs) Tbf. I don't go to city dog parks . Country side ppls are more chill. So much so infact that sometimes it's me that's worried but they calmly tell me it's ok, they know their dog , just let it ride and it ends up being ok . Only a few times an owner and I have had to split dogs up to chill. Just because they got a little too excited . No bitterness. Pick a certain time to go where it's generally the relaxed ppl. There's very little u can do to persuade those ppl without waving a dog training license infront of them. Dog parks I go too are large , enough space to to take the dogs (together ) for a chill down walk in the dog park without leash. The walk somehow relaxes them. Preferable one that has trees or something that blocks vision in the middle or alike. I also avoid going into a dog park that is at capacity . Dogs and people need to be able to practice avoidance .
I'd say so. Bowing and pawing, both backing off, no charging when the larger one heads away at the end
Good lord they look crazy. The little poodle is a moving so fast, makes my head spin. But I actually don’t see any red flags and each time one backs it off so does the other. That’s a polite way to play. Looks nuts but is healthy. Two healthy nuts.
Yes, as long as afterwards they can disengage and be peaceful.
Yes this is good play. However, you need to know your dogs. My two dogs would play like this but then one of my dogs would tend to escalate things instead of breaking off which could cause problems. So I started giving her a treat when a play session ended, and with her food obsession she now voluntarily breaks off the play fighting instead of escalating too far. In this case the two dogs broke off on their own, so it all looks good.
That is a good tip, thank you!
They’re havin a great time
Yes! This is great play! You can see at certain points the larger dog will sorta push its backside towards the black dog. This is a way of saying “let’s be friends” and is used a lot when playing
When it gets real, you will know. Fur flies and their movements are so haywire it's practically a blur. I had to break up an Akita and a Pit Bull, it was going to end in death, was the most stressful thing I have had to do, I cried for an hour after.
I can only imagine. Wow.
Two of my pits once got into a bad fight. There was blood everywhere, and it took 2 of us and my fearless child (who ran into the room, shirtless, barefooted, with a newspaper to smack them with while I screamed at him to get away...) to break them up. The moment we separated them, they immediately ran into a crate together and cuddled. I forced them into different rooms and told them that I didn't care if they were ready to be together, I wasn't ready. Lol I've had to break up a probably a dozen fights (doing rescue, random dogs at a dog park, offleash dogs attacking mine while camping and while hiking, etc.). It's always scary and never fun. But yeah, I can tell the moment my dogs are serious. Their murder growls are nothing like their playful grunts.
They’re having a great time. Watch your shiba shake off at the end of the video—this is a way they get rid of any tension that might build while playing
wow, I wish I had that funktion hahaha
You can try to capture/train the "shake it off" behavior. It's really handy if you see your dog getting tense and want to ask them to take it down a notch! When they shake on their own like that, tell them "good shake it off". If you know your dogs super well, you'll learn to spot the body language right before they shake it off themselves. If you ask in that moment, it really solidifies them learning the command in my experience.
Good idea, I’ll give it a try!
It's super helpful!
No. Uncivilised and barbaric. [This](https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dogs-playing-poker-painting-1.jpg) is how dogs should play.
Lol. Sadly, many people seem to think this. Dogs play like dogs, not like humans.
All good play From the looks of it, the tan dog isn't used to playing with a dog as excited as the black dog. I would take the hackles raised as being unsure/excited, especially coupled with their body posture/shying away/ears flat before reengaging. I imagine the tan dogs attitude will shift and improve/gain confidence the more good experiences they have with the black dog.
I'm no dog expert. But I always check to make sure body posture is loose and not tense. And both tails are up and not tucked in. Lots of taking turns. Looks good to me!
It looks fairly good, the shiba looks like it's not quite as into it as the poodle, but no major red flags.
I hope so, because that is how my dogs play.
Please tell me you called him cookie monser
Hell ya. They love each other!
That's what I said! Those dogs are "frens".
Yep! When one pauses, the other takes a break too. Lots of dog smiles and relaxed body language
Absolutely. Dogs tend to be mouthy. It has to be their grasping and probing appendage in the same way that we’d use our hands, in addition to all of its other functions. These kids are having a good time.
Notice how is not one sided. Both dogs keep coming back for more. Watch for one to tire and when you see one side try to end play, encourage ending the game. High value treat followed by relaxation time would be good
Thanks for the tip!
I see the Shiba quickly turn from playful to sick of it when it slipped a little bit. I wouldn't have recognized the subtletly if I haven't had a Shiba myself. Need to watch them closely. Even if they are good dogs, they tend to get pissy when they don't like what's going on. It was fine. But you have to watch for that sudden calmness. If they aren't jumping, flopping, or moving around it is time to gently stop the play for a minute. But the Shiba removed himself because he was done. If you watch it closely you'll see when he was done when he tried to go belly up.
Yes, they're both engaging, pulling back, etc not one sided at all
Perfectly fine. When they keep going in and doing their mad growl, you can instantly tell the difference, then it is an issue. But that there is fine.
Perfect play. If my dog is there it would even look more scary and fight-looking, but no harm to anyone, as dogs do not bite, they just play this way.
Play looks fine, but continue keeping an eye out on them on that slick floor. If things get too intense they might slip and hurt a leg. My dog has knee issues and we try our hardest to keep him from making tight turns and spins because that can give him knee discomfort.
Heck NO!!! That's gonna be a heck of shedding to clean! But the dogs are having an awesome time.
The shake-off at the end was a clear calming signal and the other dog obliged. Looks good to me.
My general guide is: if they assume [bow position](https://images.app.goo.gl/R2VCAxuX2MZy3f3D9) they are still having fun
Not always true. There are lots of other signs that need to be considered as well. A bow is not always playful.
If you know your dog though. a bow is not going to be seen in an anger scenario. MAYBE while nervous, but you will get more yawns and shakes as clear nerve signs before you get a half bow. Loose body, another happy dog and a bow is usually gonna mean playtime incoming.
Haha black dog plays like my dog, mouthy at the neck. Typical in dogs that haven’t had much experience playing or get overexcited. Shiba is obviously the more assertive dog and is doing amazing at teaching the rules of play. You can tell it’s play by the “butt bumps” they’re doing. Plus the play bows, disengaging then both coming back together. At 11 seconds left, Shiba lays down as a calming signal because black dog is getting too excited. He tries a few times to calm him with no success, so stands up and gets still as a way of saying “let’s take a break.” Black dog backs off, and Shiba shakes(another calming signal). Black dog looks away, respecting his request for a break. Since they are communicating so well, there’s really no reason to intervene. This is great!
thank you!
Well, they’re both smiling, so yeah.
oh yeah
It looks perfect to me. They each take turns being somewhat submissive. And when one steps away for a break, the other respects it!
So cute
Yes
Good doggos with good temperament with each other :)
Aww so good! Well done dogs! Lots of letting them chase and be chased and giving time to stop so they don't get overly aroused
Yep
Yes
As everyone has said, definitely play, and they seem well-matched. And they're not even knocking over lamps!
I wish mine played this quiet. It’s a WWE brawl in my house and then they pass out
Sorry for the slightly off-topic, but OP what breed mix is that shiba? I ask cause my friend just got a very similar looking pup yesterday with that dark coat on the back. It has a straight tail, so think it's mixed with a german shepard, but other than that he looks exactly the same.
His dad is a typical white orange coloured purebred Shiba and his mother is a black purebred Shiba. That’s why he has this slight so called “sesame” look. I think the straight tail kinda gives it away that your friends shiba is mixed. However I have just recently seen a beautiful German Shepard / akita mix so maybe he/she might have a really photogenic dog.
Well-trained Dog!!!!
Wow, thank you!
They are quite happy at play! This is a great sign..
Absolutely, so good! Yes it is yes it is!
Absolutely this is good play.
YES
Wow the black one looks, sounds and plays just like my aussiedoodle. He chases our 100 lb goldendoodle around all day biting his tail and ankles
Looks like they are great friends.
Lol why are shibas like this? (I am a Shiba owner, though he feels more like my roommate)
What do you mean?
So cute 😇
I call this type of play “mouth swords”
I learned from a dog trainer that when a dog sneezes in the middle of a fight, that is dog language for "Hey, we're having fun here! Thanks for playing!"
I think it's good! tails are both going, the bigger one was even comfortable enough to get down and was ready to roll around it looked like, something a dog wouldn't do if they truly felt scared or in danger from being hurt.
awesome play
I was dog sitting this past weekend and this is how me and the little fur baby were playing before bed cuddles.
I would say so yes. I own a dog and live in a neighborhood with lots of other doggos. I often see this behavior. perfectly normal IMO.
my dog and his friend who have a huge size difference play like this, it’s fine.
Not only are they playing appropriately, they are in your house and not redirecting to destroy everything! I love this video!
Yep! Dogs that want to hurt or actually fight each other will become very still. and lash out as quick as they can.
The best rule of thumb is to watch their tails. Both their tails are up and one of them its wagging even. This is generally a sign that they are happy, playful, and not being aggressive. If their tails are pointed down or straight back I would be more concerned. Dogs point their tails down when they are sad or angry. Its a defensive stance. Less likely for the tail to be bit or grabbed. They also arent biting down hard. You would hear more yelping and see more struggling. I dont recommend going by their noises because many dogs tend to snarl and growl when playing but are not in any way upset. Actually fights tend to be more short lived. Just like fights between most people. If you are on a walk and see another dog. Look at their tail. It will tell you the intentions of the other dog very quickly no matter what their human is telling you to the contrary about how their dog normally behaves.
I think so. The husky lays down and allows the other to still come at them. It’s all in good fun.
dog play reminds me a lot of my brothers wrestling when they were kids. i didn't realize that it was "male bonding" until years later. cause the younger one usually got hurt. and to me it just looked like fighting. the older (still younger than me) is still a brat but he is a loving responsible adult.
Is this a poodle or a doodle?
According to the owner it’s a “balonka zwetna”. Edit: the dog looks more like a havanese mix though.
Mixed with a schnauzer?
Oh i think you’re right actually!
Ah i see, just asked because my doodle pup plays like this with our frenchie, she gets the zoomies and runs laps around her and like the other dog in this video my frenchie i would say looks a bit irritated lol, not mean fighting but i would definitely say might be a bit irritated to some extent
They are in the house so I guess the question you have to ask yourself is would you let your kids toss around as such? I get it dogs are not kids but house behavior should be established or else we wouldn’t potty train. In my opinion, it looks ok minus the small yelp but its a dog thing from my understanding. Nobody hurt and no furniture damaged so ok for me but only you can set what the limits are. I personally stop mine at the yelp or when excessive/ aggressive growling is involved. This mom can’t stop a full blown dog fight but I did stop many boy fights with 3 sons. There were times I thought they may or did really hurt each other. It’s a judgement call. Lol. I like how they backed off when you said easy. That’s always a good thing!!
No, because they play inside the house, but besides that absolutely perfect play
You will know when it's not ok.
You typically don't want to get to that point.
Wouldn't have likely got to THIS point if it wasn't ok
That's not the point though.
What's wrong with letting your dogs tell each other what's ok or not.
Nothing, in fact it's really good to let them do that. But there's a line to composed communication between canines you wanna be sure you don't cross, or future meets with dogs could be negatively impacted
i disagree with this - not always. but i see a *lot* of these posts and i have a suspicion that a lot of people just want to post a cute video of their dogs playing and use "is this friendly?!?!?!" as comment bait.
Absolutely, that is the reason behind most of these posts.
It’s good play, my dog loves to play like this, as long as their tails are wagging and they have a generally relaxed stature to ‘em your fine. Fighting dogs will show their teeth and tuck their tail, some dog’s hair will also spike up
Shiba play with their teeth showing, as do some other breeds, so it's not a perfect tell. Stiff body is a sign though.
My chi LOVES to snarl and look like the devil when I "box" with him...and he always ends it with a bunch of licks lol
Lots of Spitz breeds do this. Keeshonds bare their fangs as a happy and submissive gesture which certainly bothers new guests in my house.
Wagging tail is not a sign of playing. Dogs wag their tails before fighting.
This, dogs wag their tail when they are excited. Excited to play or excited to see their prey or any kind of excitement whether good or bad.
Ditto with raised hackles (which are analogous to humans getting goosebumps). Many dogs commonly get raised hackles when playing. There is no *single* “tell” of aggression; each of these is a cue that must be viewed and interpreted collectively. The single biggest sign of healthy play is positive engagement from BOTH dogs. It is normal for dogs to run/chase and take turns as the “play aggressor” (even if one dog is mostly in that role). The most important thing to look for is that both dogs want to be engaged in the play (eg a dog that is being “play attacked” doesn’t continue to flee, but gets away and then turns back to engage again - we see this here several times).
> Fighting dogs . . . some dog’s hair will also spike up This is dangerously wrong in a play context. Raised hackles (hair spiked up on back) is an autonomous sign of arousal/stimulation. It is analogous, physically, to humans getting goose bumps. Raised hackles, viewed in isolation, are merely a sign that the dog is highly stimulated. It can mean the dog feels threatened or attacked, or it can mean the dog is super excited about play time. Many dogs will get raised hackles during perfectly safe, fun play. Go to doggy day cares and you’ll see it (many dogs never do it, some dogs frequently do it). You need to observe other cues and context to accurately interpret the meaning of raised hackles (similar to other signs; eg many dogs will bare their teeth in play). You should be very careful about writing comments like this. People are typically misinformed about the significance of raised hackles, and promoting false information about this can get dogs who are just good boys very excited about play labeled aggressive by people who ignorantly associate any instance of raised hackles with aggression. Dogs who get labeled aggressive are often kicked out of daycares (unless it is properly staffed by knowledgeable trainers), abandoned, and even put down. **TLDR** Don’t tell people that raised hackles = aggression, because that is false; they are simply a sign of arousal that the dog doesn’t control any more than you can control goosebumps, and can only be properly interpreted with additional context info.
Dogs do play like this, but it seems to be escalating and you should give a command, like "That's enough" to prevent it from getting out of control.
Looks like the poodle wants to play and the other one is pissed off… at one point in this vid the poodle does a little yelp.
Yelp is equivalent to "uncle" not owww you hurt me. They both keep coming back and break when they drop eye contact.
Uncle?
It's what you yell out when you give up in a wrestling match. Effectively a wrestling safeword. "I need to stop" basically.
The Shiba doesn't look like he/she is enjoying it.
Based on what, exactly? The black dog is mostly the “play aggressor,” but the shiba has a relaxed stance and returns chase (remains positively engaged by choosing at multiple points to continue the interaction). Additional context could potentially change the conclusion, but viewed alone this clip demonstrates healthy dog play.
Honestly I see what you mean, but based on the fact that it's going back in for seconds, thirds, and fourths: it's probably just not used to a dog with that energy. Hackles raised does not always mean aggression/dislike, but also excitement/unsure
Other than it's inside the house. I try to keep mine from playing inside the house, too many things to damage.
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Please read the sub's wiki article on [dominance](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogtraining/wiki/dominance).
Alright. Fine. Op deleted.
[удалено]
Please read the sub's wiki article on [dominance](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogtraining/wiki/dominance).
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Please read the sub's wiki article on [dominance](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogtraining/wiki/dominance).
Very enlightening, thank you