Are they playing or are they fighting?

This past Friday John and I along with our dogs Laika and Deuce went to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter to meet a potential doggy guest. I do pro bono work for the local shelters and bring dogs home that are either deteriorating at the shelter (who can blame them - shelters even the “nice” ones are really stressful for animals) or have behavioral problems that will make their adoption difficult.

I do not have many requirements when it comes to who is welcome into our household. However, I will not bring a dog that will not get along with mine. I really take to heart making sure that my dog’s lives are enriched by another guest dog in their space. For this reason, any potential foster must pass the Deuce & Laika test.

Typically, we meet the dog and give him/her a little time with John (if he came along) and me. Then I introduce the shelter dog to Deuce. I see how this interaction goes. So far, no flunkies. If the interaction with Deuce is positive, then the dog gets to meet Laika. Both Laika and Deuce are really social with most dogs. Dogs are very social animals almost to the point of compulsion. Now, just like people, they do not necessarily like all dogs or want to befriend all dogs. Even though they are both super friendly, Laika because of her age and being a female, is less interested in actual dog play but enjoys the company of dogs and loves to herd them- to the demise of the other dog and myself. Deuce, that boy Deuce …I have not yet met one dog that Deuce will not try to “charm” with his amazing social skills and play interest. So, what do I mean by dog play? How can one define it?

The reality is that we truly don’t have a scientific definition of play. Marc Bekoff PhD, one of the leading authorities in play, and author of the book The Emotional Lives of Animals dedicates a whole section to this activity and he says the following about play: "Social play is an excellent example of a behavior that both feels good and is important to survival. The shared joy experienced during play connects individuals and regulates interactions,” pg. 55-56. I think we can all agree that while not a strict definition of “play” it is something we can relate to. Now the question that for many years has intrigued behaviorists and ethologists alike is how does a dog (in our case a dog) know that the other dog is “just” playing since much of the body movements, postures and vocalizations that go on during play are also present in stacking behaviors (which are part of the food acquisition behaviors) and fighting?

We now know that there is very clear communication between dogs. They signal with their body language, actions and vocalization. During play these signals are called atmospheric cues or meta-signals. The best example of a meta-signal is a play bow. Almost everyone that has seen a playful interaction between dogs has witnessed it.

There are, of course, many meta-signals. Amongst them are:

1. Self-handicapping: here I come slamming into you ever so softly, or I am going to “bite” you but with no force at all, just the “looks” of a bite.

2. Happy face: you know it when you see it … My dog is smiling: a very relaxed, open mouth with a grin.

3. Role reversals: dogs taken turns changing activities such as: you chase me first I chase you next, so no one dog will feel like they are being the prey all of the time.

4. Bouncy exaggerated inefficient movements: now really, if you meant business and you were going to hurt another dog, would you leap in the air in joy a couple of inches or even feet? No! You would keep your body movement small – to conserve precious energy that you might need during the fight and targeted towards making the “kill”.

In our household it is Deuce that engages in play every opportunity he gets; with us, with all my client’s dogs that stay for board & train, and shelter dogs.

Now, here is something really fascinating about play; it will ONLY be present if the animal is relaxed. I.e.: a dog that is stressed or anxious will not play. Period. As the shelter-dog in turn begins to relax I begin to see more and more play. With more play, there is more relaxation. Renowned neurobiologist Jaak Panksepp discovered a close link between play in rats and an increase in opioids in their system. This increase of opioids may enhance the pleasure/reward system in the animal. By the way, even though his study was done on rats, the same has been found true for humans. I think (based on research and the opinion of scientists studying play) that is reasonable to assume that the same goes for dogs, cats or any other mammal when it comes to the neurochemistry in the body and play or another pleasurable activity.

Below is a video ( not the best quality as I was filming through a window because if I came out, Louie would immediately stop playing to come engage with me) of Deuce and Louie. See if you can identify some meta-signals. The play exhibited here is one of many styles of play between dogs: mouth-wrestling.