One of the pillars of responsible dog ownership is knowing how to identify certain gestures and behaviors as part of the animal’s language. Habitual practices such as wagging its tail, chasing it, frolicking on the ground, or staring into our eyes are ways in which the animal transmits certain emotions.
Within this dog dictionary, you also have to know how to distinguish when two dogs are playing or fighting. These two activities can be confused if we do not learn to observe certain signals. The game is very positive for the animal, as it socializes with others of its kind, has fun, learns to interact and communicate.
But often humans are afraid to see how they perform in their interactions, mistakenly believing that they are fighting when it is an innocent game or vice versa. The clues to tell him apart lie in his body language.
One of the clearest gestures to identify the game in dogs is the “playbow” posture. It is an invitation to the game. It consists of a kind of reverence through which the animal rests its chest and front legs on the ground, while the hind legs are flexed with the rear raised upwards.
Once the game has started, the animals will approach from the side, never from the front. Their bodies are “soft” and relaxed, whereas when fighting they are much more rigid. The same happens with the tail: if they are playing, it will be up and moving actively, while if it is a fight they will have it hidden between their legs or raised but very rigid.
Don’t panic if dogs bite, growl, or drop to the ground. If the bites are soft, like small touches and they come off right away, they are playing. If the bite is sudden, persistent and leaves a wound, you should intervene. Growls and barks in game are sporadic and high-pitched, while in a fight they are lower-pitched and threatening.
When the interaction consists of a chase, it’s easy to see when it’s a game and when it’s not. In the game, the dogs chase each other, having a change of roles in which of them has the dominance. They wait to be reached and alternate the dynamics of who is chasing whom. Additionally, they can drop to the ground, exposing their guts to their playmate, something they would never do in a fight.
When one dog knocks another to the ground in play and the dog falls gently, it is because his partner has his guard down and his body relaxed. The other dog will immediately release the one on the ground so that he can get up and continue playing. On the contrary, the clash of bodies in fighting dogs is harder.
Finally, the mouth is another clue to look at. When they are playing, their jaws are relaxed, usually with their tongue sticking out and their bottom teeth sticking out slightly. In fights, the jaws are rigid and the lips retract to show all their teeth.