How can I tell if my dogs are playing or fighting?

Signs of Normal Play. It can sometimes be difficult to tell if dogs are playing or fighting, as normal play can be loud and look out of control. However, there are several key indicators of healthy play:

• Willing Participants: Both dogs should want to engage. If you gently separate them, they should both choose to go back for more.

• Taking Turns: When wrestling, the dogs will often switch places, taking turns being on top or on the bottom.

• Body Language: You will typically see chasing, running in circles, rolling on the ground, and “play bows”.

• Vocalizations: Both dogs are usually very vocal during play. They may show their teeth, joust, and use “fake” growls.

• Inhibited Biting: Dogs will often play with their mouths open, using “inhibited play bites” directed at their playmate’s legs and paws. They might also play “bitey-face”. These bites do not involve clamping down for more than a few seconds, and any pawing or batting lacks the force to cause pain.

• Mutual Corrections: Play involves normal corrections, such as an older dog grumbling to tell a puppy that they bit too hard.

Warning Signs of Fighting or Inappropriate Play. Play can sometimes escalate into a fight, or one dog may act like a bully. Watch for these warning signs that the interaction is no longer fun and games:

• One-Sided Interactions: The play is inappropriate if one dog is always on top while the other tries to get out from under, or if one dog repeatedly tries to escape, slink away, or hide under furniture.

• The Aggressor is Quiet: Unlike healthy play, where both dogs are vocal, an actual aggressor in a real fight tends to be quiet.

• Escalating Growls: While intense play growls are normal, you should intervene if the growls begin to escalate by getting progressively louder and lower-pitched.

• Yelping: If a dog isn’t inhibiting their bites and the other dog yelps, it means they are scared or in pain, and the play has gotten too rough.

• Stiff Posturing: Watch for a stiff-legged face-off with a highly raised tail, which dogs use to make themselves look intimidating. Even if the tail is wagging, it may be a threat if it isn’t accompanied by a relaxed “butt wag”.

• Intimidation Tactics: Relentless mounting, thrusting, or a dog constantly laying their head, paws, or entire body over the other dog’s back or shoulders are signs of a dog trying to intimidate the other. Relentlessly pouncing on another dog in a cat-like manner is also a warning sign.

• Prolonged Standing: If the dogs are consistently playing up on their hind legs for more than a few seconds, accompanied by escalating growls, they may be trying to work out a conflict rather than just playing.

If you notice these warning signs, it is a good idea to intervene, separate the dogs, and redirect them to another activity so they can calm down.