Aggressive Play
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By Debra F. Horowitz, Diplomate ACVB, Veterinary Behavior Consultations,
St. Louis, Missouri
Most pet dogs enjoy playing with their owners, but play behavior can get
out of control. Common owner complaints include excessive mouthing of
hands, forceful jumping at and on owners, biting and lunging behaviors,
and barking. In some cases, the owner describes the dog as aggressive
(due to the barking and lunging), and the interaction can be injurious,
although questioning often reveals that the body postures and context are
consistent with play.
Play & Posture: The mixing of neonatal behaviors and adult behaviors in a
random way results in the behaviors we call “play;” although these
behaviors are common in adolescents, dogs of any age or size can exhibit
play-related behaviors that can become aggressive. What distinguishes
play from other types of aggression is the emotional affect and body
posture of the pet. In dogs and wild canids, a distinct body posture, called
a “play bow,” often occurs during play and seems to signal that
“everything that occurs after this does not have antagonistic intent.” The
play bow is usually characterized by the front end down and back end up,
and is often accompanied by vigorous tail wagging, excited barking,
animated open-mouth displays, and erect ears.
Elements of Play: Canine play behavior combines elements of jumping,
mouthing, pushing, barking, and even some growling, all of which occur in
an unpredictable sequence. Most dogs also show bite inhibition when they
play, in which they reduce the force of their bites to avoid injuring the other
party. Play behavior in young and older dogs is directed toward other
dogs when they are available; if there are none, then play behavior may
be directed toward people. Large-breed dogs often play in a vigorous and
physical manner, tackling and slamming into each other. The same
behavior directed toward a person is usually frightening and potentially
dangerous, especially if the bites are uninhibited or the recipient is frail or
smaller than the dog.
Distinguishing Playfulness from True Aggression: The first step is to
distinguish playful aggressive behaviors from more serious types of
aggression, such as possessive aggression, conflict/dominance-related
aggression, protective aggression, and predatory behavior. Careful
questioning about the emotional affect should allow the clinician to
determine what is happening. Dogs usually signal aggressive intent by
staring, stiffening, growling deeply, retracting the lips to show the teeth,
and perhaps piloerection. If the information presented by the owner is
ambiguous, a videotape may aid in diagnosis. If the dog is showing true
aggressive arousal to specific stimuli, this should be addressed immediately
by first avoiding all aggressive triggers and then setting up a behavior
modification program. Once a clear diagnosis of play-related aggression is
made, treatment can commence.
Meeting Play Needs: Treatment is focused on meeting the play and
exercise needs of the pet in appropriate ways and discouraging vigorous,
unwanted play directed toward the owner. A combination of controlled
exercise, increased owner control, pet obedience commands, and behavior
modification usually resolves the problem. Playtime must be scheduled on
a regular, daily basis. Initially, all interactive play should be started and
ended by the owner. Physical play, such as wrestling, should be avoided.
The dog may not be able to distinguish whom they can and cannot play-
wrestle. Daily exercise should be encouraged and can include walks and
fetching. The owner should focus on fetch using two objects so that when
the dog returns with one item, he or she can show the dog the other item.
This usually results in the dog dropping the first item and becoming ready
to chase the second one, allowing the game to continue under the owner’s
control. Free play is allowed with toys when the dog is not interacting with
people.
Dogs benefit greatly from daily walks, during which they can sniff and
investigate their neighborhood. If the dog cannot be walked because of
pulling or unruly behavior, then a head collar (such as Gentle Leader ®) or
no-pull harness (Easy Walk Harness) should be used. In addition, time
needs to be spent on instilling good responses to obedience commands,
including “sit,” “down,” “come,” and “stay.” Having the dog perform a task
before it is given something it wants is useful for creating a command-
response relationship between the owner and the pet. The owner should
ask the dog to “sit” before letting it in or out, before giving it food, before
petting, or before any other thing the dog wants. The command is given
one time – if the dog does not respond, the owner walks away and does
not give the item.
No Punishment: Owners should be counseled to avoid direct, interactive,
or physical punishment. Such techniques may actually escalate aggression
and create fear or anxiety related to interaction with the owner. If the dog
begins to engage in inappropriate play responses, the owner should calmly
and quietly exit the area, leaving the dog alone. Once the dog is calm, the
owner can ask it to sit, and reward compliance with resumption of play.
Prevention is always the best strategy, so owners should be counseled
early how to play appropriately with their dogs. Structured playtimes,
including such formal dog sports as agility and herding, should be
encouraged, especially for working breeds with high energy levels. For
many young, energetic dogs, use of humane control devices, such as head
collars, allows owners to get control early and teach the dog how to
interact properly.
St. Louis, Missouri
Most pet dogs enjoy playing with their owners, but play behavior can get
out of control. Common owner complaints include excessive mouthing of
hands, forceful jumping at and on owners, biting and lunging behaviors,
and barking. In some cases, the owner describes the dog as aggressive
(due to the barking and lunging), and the interaction can be injurious,
although questioning often reveals that the body postures and context are
consistent with play.
Play & Posture: The mixing of neonatal behaviors and adult behaviors in a
random way results in the behaviors we call “play;” although these
behaviors are common in adolescents, dogs of any age or size can exhibit
play-related behaviors that can become aggressive. What distinguishes
play from other types of aggression is the emotional affect and body
posture of the pet. In dogs and wild canids, a distinct body posture, called
a “play bow,” often occurs during play and seems to signal that
“everything that occurs after this does not have antagonistic intent.” The
play bow is usually characterized by the front end down and back end up,
and is often accompanied by vigorous tail wagging, excited barking,
animated open-mouth displays, and erect ears.
Elements of Play: Canine play behavior combines elements of jumping,
mouthing, pushing, barking, and even some growling, all of which occur in
an unpredictable sequence. Most dogs also show bite inhibition when they
play, in which they reduce the force of their bites to avoid injuring the other
party. Play behavior in young and older dogs is directed toward other
dogs when they are available; if there are none, then play behavior may
be directed toward people. Large-breed dogs often play in a vigorous and
physical manner, tackling and slamming into each other. The same
behavior directed toward a person is usually frightening and potentially
dangerous, especially if the bites are uninhibited or the recipient is frail or
smaller than the dog.
Distinguishing Playfulness from True Aggression: The first step is to
distinguish playful aggressive behaviors from more serious types of
aggression, such as possessive aggression, conflict/dominance-related
aggression, protective aggression, and predatory behavior. Careful
questioning about the emotional affect should allow the clinician to
determine what is happening. Dogs usually signal aggressive intent by
staring, stiffening, growling deeply, retracting the lips to show the teeth,
and perhaps piloerection. If the information presented by the owner is
ambiguous, a videotape may aid in diagnosis. If the dog is showing true
aggressive arousal to specific stimuli, this should be addressed immediately
by first avoiding all aggressive triggers and then setting up a behavior
modification program. Once a clear diagnosis of play-related aggression is
made, treatment can commence.
Meeting Play Needs: Treatment is focused on meeting the play and
exercise needs of the pet in appropriate ways and discouraging vigorous,
unwanted play directed toward the owner. A combination of controlled
exercise, increased owner control, pet obedience commands, and behavior
modification usually resolves the problem. Playtime must be scheduled on
a regular, daily basis. Initially, all interactive play should be started and
ended by the owner. Physical play, such as wrestling, should be avoided.
The dog may not be able to distinguish whom they can and cannot play-
wrestle. Daily exercise should be encouraged and can include walks and
fetching. The owner should focus on fetch using two objects so that when
the dog returns with one item, he or she can show the dog the other item.
This usually results in the dog dropping the first item and becoming ready
to chase the second one, allowing the game to continue under the owner’s
control. Free play is allowed with toys when the dog is not interacting with
people.
Dogs benefit greatly from daily walks, during which they can sniff and
investigate their neighborhood. If the dog cannot be walked because of
pulling or unruly behavior, then a head collar (such as Gentle Leader ®) or
no-pull harness (Easy Walk Harness) should be used. In addition, time
needs to be spent on instilling good responses to obedience commands,
including “sit,” “down,” “come,” and “stay.” Having the dog perform a task
before it is given something it wants is useful for creating a command-
response relationship between the owner and the pet. The owner should
ask the dog to “sit” before letting it in or out, before giving it food, before
petting, or before any other thing the dog wants. The command is given
one time – if the dog does not respond, the owner walks away and does
not give the item.
No Punishment: Owners should be counseled to avoid direct, interactive,
or physical punishment. Such techniques may actually escalate aggression
and create fear or anxiety related to interaction with the owner. If the dog
begins to engage in inappropriate play responses, the owner should calmly
and quietly exit the area, leaving the dog alone. Once the dog is calm, the
owner can ask it to sit, and reward compliance with resumption of play.
Prevention is always the best strategy, so owners should be counseled
early how to play appropriately with their dogs. Structured playtimes,
including such formal dog sports as agility and herding, should be
encouraged, especially for working breeds with high energy levels. For
many young, energetic dogs, use of humane control devices, such as head
collars, allows owners to get control early and teach the dog how to
interact properly.
