All dogs love to play, but not all dogs play the same way.\u00a0\u201cSome dogs love to play chase games.\u00a0Others are ball dogs and are happiest fetching a ball.\u00a0Some dogs are great at playing by themselves, others need someone else to engage with them. Some dogs like roughhousing, others don\u2019t,\u201d explains Dr. Laurie Bergman<\/a>, VMD, Diplomate by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists who works at NorthStar Vets in New Jersey.<\/p>\n Making the most out of playtime with your dog and supporting your dog as they play with other dogs involves learning what type of play your dog enjoys.<\/p>\n When you play with your dog, pay attention to how your dog is engaging to make sure your dog is having fun.<\/p>\n \u201cPlay should always be mutual, whether it\u2019s with another dog or with a person. Note if the dog isn\u2019t responding to play signals. There\u2019s research that shows that dogs understand if people give play signals like bending at the waist and slapping your hands on your knees while facing or slightly sideways to the dog,\u201d says Dr. Bergman. She advises that if at any point while playing your dog seems uncomfortable or anxious you should stop play.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>4 Creative Play Ideas to Entertain and Educate Your Dog<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n What’s your dog’s play style? Photo: Ksenia Raykova\/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Playing with your dog is one of the most important things you can do to foster and maintain a good relationship. Experiment with different games to figure out which activities are fun for your dog, such as hide-and-seek where your dog finds hidden toys or treats or even finds you after being left in one area of the house and then called.<\/p>\n Many dogs enjoy swimming with their guardians as well as games like fetch and even tug. Although some dog trainers used to advise people not to play tug, that is no longer the case.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who say not to play tug with dogs are mainly using the outdated and debunked \u2018dominance theory\u2019 of training. They approach canine behavior as stemming from a constant struggle to be the \u2018dominant\u2019 or \u2018alpha\u2019 dog and view tug games as a battle for possession not as the play that it is,\u201d advises Dr. Bergman.<\/p>\n If you play tug with your dog, do so safely which means keeping the toy level with the dog\u2019s spine and allowing the dog to control how hard they tug instead of you tugging the dog (especially with young dogs). In general, Dr. Bergman notes that \u201cPositive reinforcement training can help people play with their dogs. A dog who has been trained in a way that he enjoys will be happy and playful during training\u201d and the goal should always be to incorporate both play and positive training into your dog\u2019s daily routine.<\/p>\n Some dogs have a tendency to be vocal and rough while they play and, to the untrained eye, a wrestle and growl in play can sound like the start of a fight. The key is to closely watch the dogs and how they are engaging with each other.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to make sure the play is appropriate at equal times of being chased, on the ground, biting, and\/or jumping,\u201d says Khara Schuetzner, MA, CPDT-KSA, CNWI,\u00a0 Chair of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers <\/a>(APDT). \u201cYou will see some dogs self-handicapping during play to make things equal. Both dogs should have loose body signals, such as open mouth, bouncy movement and play bows.\u201d<\/p>\n That balance in play is extremely important to watch for. Dogs should take turns being chased and chasing. If your dog is playing with another dog and you think the play might be getting too much, Schuetzner advises to gently \u201chold the dog that seems to be controlling the play back and see if the other dog approaches. If the other dog does not approach the play is too much. If the dog approaches, play is still play,\u201d and can resume.<\/p>\n Not all dogs enjoy playing with other dogs and that\u2019s ok,\u00a0but if you have a dog who does, trust your dog: \u201cdon\u2019t talk to them, let them meet and greet without our chatter. This often inhibits healthy play. They are the best at reading other dogs. After all, body language is their first language,\u201d advises dog trainer and developer of the DogDecoder App<\/a> Jill Breitner.<\/p>\n In all aspects of life, and especially in play, dogs are communicating via body language. Jill notes that as dogs play you should \u201clook for happy wiggly bodies with balance or reciprocal play gestures, play bows, chase, respecting signs the other dog wants a break,they wait it out for that dog to initiate play or they initiate but wait to be accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n Play is an essential part of life for all dogs. It\u2019s up to us to make sure that we foster and give opportunities for healthy play by watching our dog\u2019s body language to make sure play with people and\/or dogs remains fun and doesn\u2019t become stressful or unsafe.<\/p>\n Top photograph: Marina Vedernikova<\/a>\/ Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/b>5 Easy Backyard Games for Dogs<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The post What\u2019s Your Dog\u2019s Play Style?<\/a> by Sassafras Lowrey<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post What\u2019s Your Dog\u2019s Play Style?<\/a> by Sassafras Lowrey<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n All dogs love to play, but not all dogs play the same way.\u00a0\u201cSome dogs love to play chase games.\u00a0Others are ball dogs and are happiest fetching a ball.\u00a0Some dogs are great at playing by themselves, others need someone else to engage with them. Some dogs like roughhousing, others don\u2019t,\u201d explains Dr. Laurie Bergman<\/a>, VMD, Diplomate by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists who works at NorthStar Vets in New Jersey.<\/p>\n Making the most out of playtime with your dog and supporting your dog as they play with other dogs involves learning what type of play your dog enjoys.<\/p>\n When you play with your dog, pay attention to how your dog is engaging to make sure your dog is having fun.<\/p>\n \u201cPlay should always be mutual, whether it\u2019s with another dog or with a person. Note if the dog isn\u2019t responding to play signals. There\u2019s research that shows that dogs understand if people give play signals like bending at the waist and slapping your hands on your knees while facing or slightly sideways to the dog,\u201d says Dr. Bergman. She advises that if at any point while playing your dog seems uncomfortable or anxious you should stop play.<\/p>\n Related: <\/b>4 Creative Play Ideas to Entertain and Educate Your Dog<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n What’s your dog’s play style? Photo: Ksenia Raykova\/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Playing with your dog is one of the most important things you can do to foster and maintain a good relationship. Experiment with different games to figure out which activities are fun for your dog, such as hide-and-seek where your dog finds hidden toys or treats or even finds you after being left in one area of the house and then called.<\/p>\n Many dogs enjoy swimming with their guardians as well as games like fetch and even tug. Although some dog trainers used to advise people not to play tug, that is no longer the case.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who say not to play tug with dogs are mainly using the outdated and debunked \u2018dominance theory\u2019 of training. They approach canine behavior as stemming from a constant struggle to be the \u2018dominant\u2019 or \u2018alpha\u2019 dog and view tug games as a battle for possession not as the play that it is,\u201d advises Dr. Bergman.<\/p>\n If you play tug with your dog, do so safely which means keeping the toy level with the dog\u2019s spine and allowing the dog to control how hard they tug instead of you tugging the dog (especially with young dogs). In general, Dr. Bergman notes that \u201cPositive reinforcement training can help people play with their dogs. A dog who has been trained in a way that he enjoys will be happy and playful during training\u201d and the goal should always be to incorporate both play and positive training into your dog\u2019s daily routine.<\/p>\n Some dogs have a tendency to be vocal and rough while they play and, to the untrained eye, a wrestle and growl in play can sound like the start of a fight. The key is to closely watch the dogs and how they are engaging with each other.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to make sure the play is appropriate at equal times of being chased, on the ground, biting, and\/or jumping,\u201d says Khara Schuetzner, MA, CPDT-KSA, CNWI,\u00a0 Chair of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers <\/a>(APDT). \u201cYou will see some dogs self-handicapping during play to make things equal. Both dogs should have loose body signals, such as open mouth, bouncy movement and play bows.\u201d<\/p>\n That balance in play is extremely important to watch for. Dogs should take turns being chased and chasing. If your dog is playing with another dog and you think the play might be getting too much, Schuetzner advises to gently \u201chold the dog that seems to be controlling the play back and see if the other dog approaches. If the other dog does not approach the play is too much. If the dog approaches, play is still play,\u201d and can resume.<\/p>\n Not all dogs enjoy playing with other dogs and that\u2019s ok,\u00a0but if you have a dog who does, trust your dog: \u201cdon\u2019t talk to them, let them meet and greet without our chatter. This often inhibits healthy play. They are the best at reading other dogs. After all, body language is their first language,\u201d advises dog trainer and developer of the DogDecoder App<\/a> Jill Breitner.<\/p>\n In all aspects of life, and especially in play, dogs are communicating via body language. Jill notes that as dogs play you should \u201clook for happy wiggly bodies with balance or reciprocal play gestures, play bows, chase, respecting signs the other dog wants a break,they wait it out for that dog to initiate play or they initiate but wait to be accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n Play is an essential part of life for all dogs. It\u2019s up to us to make sure that we foster and give opportunities for healthy play by watching our dog\u2019s body language to make sure play with people and\/or dogs remains fun and doesn\u2019t become stressful or unsafe.<\/p>\n Top photograph: Marina Vedernikova<\/a>\/ Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n Read Next: <\/b>5 Easy Backyard Games for Dogs<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The post What\u2019s Your Dog\u2019s Play Style?<\/a> by Sassafras Lowrey<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nPlaytime<\/b><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/GettyImages-1172407219.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEncouraging play\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Fighting vs playing\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Play with other dogs<\/b><\/h3>\n
Playtime<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nEncouraging play\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Fighting vs playing\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Play with other dogs<\/b><\/h3>\n