How To Know If Dogs Are Playing or Fighting

Dog play – it can be sweet, with all participants taking turns play bowing and frolicking around in the grass. It can be slow, respectful and interrupted by frequent sniffing breaks. It can also be intense and wild, containing bouts of chasing, wrestling, vocalizing and even biting. The variety of play styles in dogs is as colorful as the appearance variations between breeds, and sometimes it can be really difficult to decipher what is being communicated during dog interactions.

Dog body language can feel very foreign to humans. After all, we are verbal communicators with a completely different set of visual body language signals from those which our canine companions exhibit. This discrepancy in communication styles often results in confusion and missed signals. It can also make it difficult to tell what the intention behind a behavior is, which can lead us to question if our dog is being playful or confrontational.

If you live in a multi-dog household, or if you frequently take your dog on playdates with other dogs, you may be wondering how to tell if dogs are acting playfully or aggressively towards one another. Luckily, there are a few surefire ways that you can tell if dogs are playing or fighting.

What does play look like in dogs?

Before we can discuss how to tell if dogs are playing or fighting, it is important to first understand what play looks like during dog interactions. Oftentimes, dogs will exhibit obvious play signals such as play bows, gentle provocation followed by short bouts of running away in an effort to promote chasing, or grabbing a toy and offering it to another dog in an attempt to get them to engage. Sometimes, however, playing progresses to something more resembling war – with open mouths and chomping jaws, rolling so intense that it could compete with a tumbleweed in a wind storm, and sound effects so ferocious that you feel you’ve walked onto the set of Jurassic Park.

Play can take on many forms – all of which are appropriate and normal under certain conditions. Regardless of which behaviors you’re actually seeing, there are a couple of signs which will help you determine if dog interactions are actually play or not.

Play is mutual

During play, there are back and forth interactions occurring in similar intensity between two dogs. For instance, one dog may chase the other and then switch roles. If dogs tend to roll around during play, you should see one on the top and the other on the ground, and then eventually they will switch places. If there is a significant size difference between two dogs, the larger dog will occasionally lie down or play bow in such a way where both dogs are level in height.

Regardless of which behaviors you are seeing, both dogs should be taking turns demonstrating them and there will not be one dog demonstrating significantly more intense behaviors than the other. Occasionally, two dogs will have completely different play styles, but even in these cases you will see them taking turns.

Play is respectful

Even if a play session does not appear respectful, dogs will respect each other’s signals during play. If two dogs are playing and the energy level escalates to the point where one dog is no longer comfortable and attempts to cease the interaction, the other dog should back off. Dogs can generally read each other’s body language cues and also exude olfactory signals which communicate information to other dogs. If one dog becomes stressed during an interaction, real play will temporarily stop or significantly lessen in intensity.

Play includes breaks

Real play does not continue for hours on end. During play sessions, dogs typically take very regular breaks to sniff, lie down, go to the bathroom, or otherwise engage with the environment around them while appearing to ignore the other dog. Eventually these breaks end and dogs will re-initiate play. This cycle will often repeat itself multiple times, and should not include one dog constantly provoking the other to re-engage during a break.

Play is fun

Although this probably sounds obvious, recognizing fun is not always obvious. Just because a dog appears to be interacting with another dog does not mean they are having fun. As soon as a dog begins to demonstrate stress signals, distance increasing signals, displacement behaviors or is constantly moving away from the other dog, it is safe to assume that they are no longer enjoying the interaction.

Play does not include severe injury

Yes, dogs roughhouse. Yes, intense play mouthing can result in small scabs and scratches. This being said, any physical contact between dogs should be mutual, but it should also be controlled. If one dog punctures another, begins attempting to shake them during a bite, repeatedly bites a dog attempting to go away or cease the interaction, or grabs and holds past the other dog’s comfort, the interaction is no longer safe and needs to be ceased immediately.

What does aggression look like in dogs?

We have probably all witnessed videos of dogs charging the end of their leash snarling with snapping jaws, or perhaps even an actual dog attack, but aggression during play can be more difficult to recognize. Sometimes aggression can begin as one dog bullying another, or a play session can begin as appropriate play and escalate into something dangerous. A dog does not necessarily need to attack another dog for the interaction to become aggressive, although an aggressive interaction will often lead to this outcome. Inappropriately confrontational behavior happens often during dog interactions, but the signs can be difficult to spot. So, how can you tell if an interaction is aggressive or about to take that turn?

Play is no longer reciprocal

If one dog is clearly provoking another dog who is either ignoring that dog, attempting to get away from them, demonstrating appeasement behaviors, displacement behaviors, or distance increasing signals, the play is escalating into bullying.

Arousal levels have become irreversible

If two dogs are interacting – even if the interaction begins with typical play – and the interaction escalates to the point of arousal where breaks cease, the dogs are engaging in inappropriately intense physical contact and it seems impossible to stop them, the interaction has likely become aggressive.

The interaction results in injuries

Dogs can cause minor injuries during rough play; however, more serious injuries involving bites with head shaking, uninhibited or confrontational biting, or deep bites resulting in punctures, bleeding or bruising are not normal in play and are often aggressively executed.

Resources are being guarded

Dogs will tug, chase balls and chase each other carrying toys. This being said, if one dog begins standing over a toy while also demonstrating stiff muscles, stress signals (such as lip licking), growling, lip rolling (showing teeth), or lunging at another dog they are likely resource guarding the toy. Dogs may also initiate a fight over a toy if one dog is carrying it and the other dog wants possession of it.

One dog is clearly uncomfortable

If one dog is seeking to flee, freeze, hide, cower or defend itself against another dog, it is likely that the other dog is ignoring their social signals and the play could escalate into aggression if it hasn’t already.

The dogs are fighting

Playing and fighting can look similar in some situations. This being said, play is respectful, consensual and reciprocal. In play, dogs are taking breaks and both dogs are attempting to reinitiate play after it stops for a length of time. Arousal levels remain controllable and injuries are likely not occurring. Fighting, however, either continues to escalate until serious injury occurs to one of both dogs, or it results in one dog repeatedly pursuing the other and attempting to injure them or assert control even after that dog has attempted to get away.

In conclusion

By regularly observing body language signals during dog interactions, you can look for stress signals or non-reciprocal “play.” Bullying, although not considered aggression in the traditional sense, very often leads to aggression or fights. It is consequently helpful to watch for the signs of bullying before escalation occurs, enabling you to intervene before overt aggression occurs.

Watch for the signs of a playful interaction when you are evaluating if play or aggression is occurring. If you notice any signs that the interaction has become aggressive or is likely to do so, stop the interaction as soon as possible and make distance between the dogs. Tools such as leashes can be used to maintain distance, or the dogs can be separated entirely.

If you live in a multi-dog household and still aren’t sure if the interactions between your dogs are playful or aggressive, it is useful to have a professional dog trainer evaluate the situation. If aggression is occurring, working with an expert to help resolve any conflict is the best way to avoid situational escalation or serious injury.