Keeping your puppy happy and safe in dog play should be a top priority.
During the puppy stage, what they learn and experience can affect them for life in either a positive or negative way. Happy Pets Palace is happy to share a few tips on what to look for and how to help your puppy succeed and learn how to self-regulate. This way, your puppy can play nicely with other dogs.
Your voice and tone is important
When giving praise and saying good boy or good girl, include saying the puppy’s name first. For example, “Ava, good girl, such a good girl.” Be sure your tone of voice is mild and happy.
When several puppies are playing together, limit or avoid using a high-pitched voice because high pitch excitement in your voice can escalate puppy play. What you want to do is reward with words and help maintain good play levels. You want to keep their excitement neutralized, so puppies can play longer without their play getting out of control.
Your tone of voice should be pleasant and calm. When dogs play, their arousal levels increase and can escalate quickly, which is normal. However, high arousal levels and over-excited play styles are closely linked to aggression. Therefore, you want to help your puppy learn how to self-regulate, so playtime stays fun and safe for everyone.
Visual cues: the play bow
A play bow is when a dog brings his front legs out in front of him and his chest low to the ground as if he is about to lie down, but his rear end remains up.
A play bow is the best visual cue or signal your dog can give to another dog to signal for a desire to play.
This is a welcome sign to the other dog, which says, “I want to play with you. Whatever happens, if it gets too rough, I don’t mean it in a bad way. Let’s have fun.”
Oftentimes, if the other dog accepts the play, he will reciprocate a play bow back, which acknowledges the invitation to engage in play.
Common play styles you will see include running and chasing, body slamming, wrestling, neck biting and rearing up like stallions (my favorite).
After a play bow, everything is good as long as the play between two dogs is balanced play and stays balanced.
Balanced play helps puppies self-regulate
When dogs play, there should be equal exchange and a balance between the two. Balanced play is the main thing you should be looking for when your dog plays with any other dog. Balance is key for everyone to enjoy the moment. The play should be reciprocated, always.
If one puppy seems to dominate the play, you need to help that puppy learn how to self-regulate, take turns and respect his play friends. Learning self-regulating is best done at an earlier age. Puppies are learning proper dog play etiquette. They learn proper play from being around other dogs. You want to ensure your puppy is nice and doesn’t acquire those behaviors other dogs consider rude.
At Happy Pets Palace, we continually monitor the play. We encourage and allow good play. We help puppies learn how to self-regulate. Also important, we discourage bad behaviors considered rude in the dog world. The best play is exchanged continually, going back and forth equally between two dogs, with occasional play bows, to ensure it all stays good.
Puppies do need repetitive kind corrections, which allow them to learn what they should do or should not do. For example, if your puppy plays nicely with another puppy, encourage that style of play by using your calm, positive voice. Reward him with your overall body posture being relaxed and agreeable, with happy facial expressions, and your approving mood tone.
Puppies love you, and they do keep tabs on you. They look to you for your approval, rewards, acceptance and being part of the pack. They want to please you. So, make sure your puppy is happy around other dogs by helping him learn proper dog etiquette, as well as how to self-regulate. As a result, your puppy can have an enriched life with lots of dog friends for a long time.
Happy Pets Palace is located at 1918 E. McKellips Road, on the northwest corner of McKellips and Gilbert roads. For more information about this award-winning dog boarding and doggy daycare facility, visit the website at www.HappyPetsPalace.com, or call (480) 207-1852.