Why Do Dogs Play?
Playing with dogs is quite beneficial for them as well as their owners. They promote an active lifestyle and companionship. Just like us, dogs also need a happy and healthy life routine for their overall development. It’s so wholesome to watch your pets play. Well, it might seem a little competitive when they play with other dogs, but when they are playing with you, they are having the best time of their lives, just like you! Were you aware that simply petting a dog can relieve so much stress? Research shows that when you pet your dog, it reduces the stress hormone- Cortisol, and at the same time, your body releases the feel-good hormone, aka the love hormone- Oxytocin! It’s a win-win situation for both the dog and its owner. As much as they get happy when you pet them, you also feel very calm and relaxed.
Adopting a pet is just like having children. As much as it makes your life complete and beautiful, it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Bonding with your pet is just like developing relationships with your children, and we may understand the workings of a child because we obviously belong to the same species. Still, we can’t say too much about why dogs do certain things when they do. So, let’s see why do dogs play?
Schooling for puppies
Humans have created so many institutions for our learning and advancement. We have developed courses and programs to cope with our needs and requirements. But a dog’s life is pretty simple. They learn their skills through simple and jolly games. They play with fellow puppies, which helps them learn their motor skills. The cute play fights, tugging and rolling, picking up objects from their mouths, train them to perform their body functions effectively.
This is how the dogs learn to get better at their daily functions like acquiring their food, basic motor skills like moving their bodies, and saving or defending themselves if a fight occurs. So, when playful activities are involved in a dog’s life, they acquire many skills to prepare them for unexpected situations and keep them happy and healthy.
Regular Play Means Happy Dogs
Playing is a part of their life training, just like any other kids, whether they belong to the human race or any other animal who learn to cope and socialize with their friends during a play. It helps the dog to develop relationships and for their emotional maturity.
Just like us, small puppies also need to play with their fellow mates to understand the do’s and don’t’s in a dog’s life so that they can grow into friendly and healthy dogs.
When Puppies play
Puppies start playing with each other when they are about 3-4 weeks old. This is their learning period when they acquire body movements developing coping mechanisms, and fair play skills. Basically, that’s the beginning of their school life.
Puppies need to learn to be dogs. While there’s a lot we still don’t understand about play, it seems that play is essential for learning both social skills (how to behave with other dogs) and motor skills (how to move their bodies) (Sommerville et al, 2017).
Source: Puppy Play via Companion Animal Psychology
Playing also helps them prepare for unexpected situations they might face in the future. If they land in an awkward situation, this will help them cope with it without any stress. Another important thing that puppies need to learn is suppressing their biting. If you adopt a pet, the dog mustn’t hurt anybody. As much as it is healthy for the children to play with dogs, it might get dangerous. So at an early age, when puppies play, they learn if their bite is hurtful or playful during their games. Once they understand this, they refrain from biting too hard.
When playing with their littermates, if a puppy bites too hard, the other pup will yelp and stop playing for a little while. The puppies will learn to be gentle with the jaws and teeth to stop the play (Bekoff, 2001; Dietz et al 2016).
Source: Puppy Play via Companion Animal Psychology
Games are Best for Developing Social Bonding
It is not hard to guess that play for dogs is essential for building social relations, just like for our kids. It is essential to give them an environment to play with other puppies when they are in a new owner’s home. In case they are singletons, for a healthy upbringing, they need to socialize with other puppies so that they can acquire social skills they might have missed during an early age.
Apart from the play sessions during their class, you must also play with them. When puppies play with each other, they have a relatively competitive attitude. It basically helps them to acquire their survival skills. But when you play with them, it is a friendly game where pure joy is experienced on both sides. Playing with humans helps them to know their human parents and build a strong bond with them.
How Do you Know if they Want to Play with You?
Well, these signs are easy to understand. When puppies are in the mood for a game, they look no different than a delighted child seeking your attention to play with them. Their mouth is open, and their teeth are showing. It might look like a grin, showing that they are happy. You might also hear them growling, but it is not an aggressive growl; instead, they are playful and demanding fun! They drop a “play bow” when they get into a play. When the dogs are in the mood for the game, they put their front legs on the ground, and the back legs might rise above the ground. This play bow indicates their mate how excited they are.
Taking turns and chasing each other are common things puppies do while playing games. Sometimes, biting is also involved. Although it seems dangerous, it is not aggressive at all. It is also an essential part of their game so that puppies can learn to inhibit their bite.
How do You Understand if they are Being Aggressive?
Sometimes when puppies play with their litter mates, you might get confused if they are aggressive or just playing. So, how to realize the game is getting dangerous? You can notice that the dogs are angry or alarmed if their hackles are raised. They might get stiff or start snapping or lunging. If you get aggressive in front of other dogs, get them away from each other to avoid any fight. Territorial behavior in dogs is not uncommon. They might feel possessive towards toys, places, or people. Dogs also tend to get aggressive when their personal things like toys might be taken away by a new dog. Proper training is essential to induce a sharing behavior to avoid any fights.
If your dog gets a healthy lifestyle, that is, when it plays with other canines, the feelings of fear and aggression will keep away. Your dog might get a chance of interacting with other dogs on a sidewalk, dog parks, and other such places. These interactions will induce healthy behavior and avoid aggression.
Playing and positivity
Playing is beneficial for a dog’s positive welfare. Unlike us humans, dogs love to play even when they get old. It is not very common to watch adults chasing and running after each other for fun. However, dogs are always in for fun. If they are given a positive and healthy environment from an early age, they will be happy and active even when they are old. Dogs love fun toys, whether they are their favorite chew toys like Kong Classic or their fetch toys. They keep them engaged and suitable for their well-being. But these toys are a good substitute when you are busy and not around to give them enough attention.
Toys are a luxury for them, but dogs would any time prefer your company over their favorite toys. Playing with other dogs and humans is preferred for their positive well fare. It helps them to grow bonds and socialize. This prevents them from becoming lethargic and aggressive.
Respect their Boundaries
Before sending your puppy or dog to socialize, you need to understand if they are happy with it. If your puppy is shy and doesn’t want to play, it is better not to force it. Being comfortable near other dogs is also important to observe. If it doesn’t want to be near other canines and is feeling shy or nervous, it will not have a good time during the game, avoid socializing. You might want to take it to a trainer to understand the situation more clearly, and with training, your dog might lose its shyness gradually over time.
Summing it up!
Playing is an essential part of every dog’s life. It is not just about having fun, but when puppies play with their litter mates, they learn their motor skills, gain emotional maturity and other important things that help them become good dogs. When you adopt a dog, you must make sure that it has enough opportunities for socializing. If not, then it is your responsibility to give your dog ample opportunities to play and socialize with other canines for its happy and healthy life.
Suggested Reads:
You May Also Like
14 Budget-Friendly Home Decor Ideas
How Dangerous are Anxiety Attacks? What to Do About it?
