Are the Dogs Playing or Not?

Play is one of the most misunderstood interactions between dogs. Too often, owners, and even trainers, assume dogs are “just playing,” when in reality one may be under unsustainable pressure, or the interaction may actually be a confrontation in disguise.

 

How many times have you heard: “They were just playing, and then suddenly one attacked”? You’ve likely seen situations where one dog seems to enjoy the game while the other struggles, unable to disengage. Or maybe it looked like “rough play”… but was it play at all? One thing is certain: overarousal is never a good sign.

 

In this webinar, you’ll learn to identify what fair play really looks like, and how to tell play apart from tension. We’ll also break the myth of the play bow as a universal play signal, once and for all.

 

We’ll analyse videos with a focus on emotion regulation, moving patterns, facial expressions, so you’ll know exactly what to look at when assessing whether the dogs are playing or not.