How Play Might Turn into a Fight
Most dog owners know what a "play bow" looks like. If you don't – here's a picture of a play bow -
Have you ever given any thought to the purpose of play bows and how they might have evolved? The play bow is a ritualized display behavior, meaning it has communicative value and is fairly stereotypical, meaning there is little variation in the form of a play bow from one individual to another.
Dogs use play bows to initiate social play. In this context, the meaning behind the play bow is “don’t take what I do next seriously, I’m only playing”. Play bows occur not only at the beginning of play bouts, but also in the middle of them. If dogs are already playing, why would they do this?
In a study of play behavior, ethologist Dr. Marc Bekoff found that play bows occurring during play bouts did not happen randomly. Instead, play bows were repeated both before and after other behaviors that could easily be misinterpreted. For example, play bows were more frequent both before and after biting that was accompanied by rapid side-to-side head shaking. The communication seemed to be “I’m still playing despite what I’m about to do or just did”.
What’s interesting about play, and what hasn’t been studied in domestic dogs is what goes wrong when interactions that seemingly start out as play escalate into a fight. We've had cases in which clients tell us the dogs seemed to be playing and all of a sudden the play turned into a real fight.
Could it be that the dogs involved aren’t play bowing as often as they should be? If they fail to play-bow before biting in play, does this make it more likely their play partner will misunderstand, feel threatened, and respond with aggressive rather than play behavior?
Another explanation, and one we've witnessed, is that what owners think is play really isn't. Play is mutual – with each dog initiating and ending play bouts. When "play" consists mostly of one dog chasing the other one around – that's not play, that's intimidation.
A final possibility is that some dogs may not interpret the play bow correctly. This is much less likely, because the play bow has evolved to be such a distinctive signal. It’s hard to confuse it with other body postures.
Have a question about play between your dogs? Post a video on YouTube and let us take a look!
Sphere: Related Content
4 Responses to “How Play Might Turn into a Fight”
Suz and Dan
Hi Amy – a couple of possibilities occur to us as to why you've never seen your dog display a play bow. You don't say what breed your dog is, but certainly breed that have been bred primarily for fighting may be less likely to show complete play bows. Some of my colleagues for example who have worked extensively with "pit-bull-type" dogs at shelters say those dogs tend to play differently than other breeds and are often mis-understood in play. So breed or breed type may be one reason.
Second, if your dog did not grow up around other dogs prior to the age of 5 months, he missed out on some important social learning that occurs between 4-16 weeks of age. So, he may not have acquired a complete set so to speak of canine social signals. But he has enough to make himself understood with other dogs during play.
Third, there could be a physical reason that it is uncomfortable for him to get in a play bow position. And lastly, he may be showing what are sometimes called 'intention movements' – just the beginning of a bow – that you may miss, but other dogs see enough of to realize he is playing.
Just some possibilities. Thanks for your comment
Amy
I have a large so-called aggressive breed (about the least aggressive dog I know) who for the last 12 years - is constantly playing but I've seriously don't think I've ever ever seen him do a 'play bow' with humans or other dogs. He is still hyper at 12 but always plays gently. He also loves to be chased around by dog or human whether he has a toy or not.
I adopted him from the pound when he was 5 mths old. It is my understanding that he was severely neglected (owners moved away and left him to die). He was quickly socialized (came home to 2 roommates – both had large dogs).
Was it too late for him to learn this 'play bow'? How come he never picked it up from the other dogs? Why has this never been an issue with other dogs? At the dog park or anywhere else?
Suz and Dan
Good point Maura – possibly. Certainly dogs learn much of their normal social behavior patterns while interacting with mom and littermates. But that's not all a puppy needs to learn good social behaviors. If he was removed from the litter at 8 weeks and then socially isolated through much of his puppyhood his adult social skills may not be as good as they should be. So, it's not only puppy socialization but ongoing, especially through those first formative months, and even up through behavioral maturity which for many dogs we think is around 2 years of age.
Dr. Hetts
Maura Furie
Could not using, or not understanding, a play bow be related to puppies being removed from the litter too early?