It can be quite entertaining to watch dogs truly enjoy themselves when playing with other dogs. They tend to engage each other with wild abandon and childlike glee. I never tire of watching dogs play.

Hopefully your dog has been introduced to other dogs and enjoys ample opportunities for dog play. Each dog has their own play style. Some dogs enjoy more rough and tumble interactions, some dogs just love to chase or be chased, other dogs love to engage other dogs in a fun game of tug with the closest stick or tug toy, and some dogs play like Boxers pawing at other dogs to instigate play. Some dogs are quite physical or even combative when engaged in play and have their own version of canine WWF. Some dogs are vocal when playing with other dogs by barking and some even vocalize with an intimidating play growl.

If you enjoy taking your dog to an off leash dog park in your area or set up canine play dates with your friend's dogs in a safe, fenced area, it can be educational and certainly amusing to observe the many play styles.

As long as canine play styles match up and owners are diligent about monitoring play so it doesn't escalate to an unsafe level, or allow a dog to bully another dog most canine play works out just fine. Observe your dog to make sure he or she is having a great time at play dates.

My training programs include socialization and give me the opportunity to try to teach owners how to interpret appropriate canine play while observing their body language and interactions. Learning how dogs communicate while engaged in play can help owners make good decisions as to what constitutes proper play behavior or what behavior needs to be interrupted. You can try to learn canine communication by going to your local off leash dog park and spend some time observing dogs in action.

What is your dog's playstyle?

Diane Rich
Diane Rich Dog Training, LLC
www.spokesdog.com