HOW "RUFF" is TOO ROUGH?...decoding loud dog play.
A question many new [and seasoned even] dog owners often ask me is, "Is that play TOO ROUGH?", in regard to their dog's play style or the style of a play partner for their dog. Sometimes what they mean is "Is that play too LOUD?". It's true that rough play can often accompany loud and growly play. However, more often than not, loud play is simply that-LOUD PLAY. A great way to try and look at dog play without being negatively biased by the sound is to turn the volume down in your head and focus on how it looks rather than how it sounds.
Banjo [ shown here in Australian Terrier Red] and Truman [ a pretty picture in Mixed Brussels Brown] engage in some growly but mutually satisfying consensual play. There is 'turnabout', meaning that they each swap 'dominant' or rather PUSHY roles if you will, and each is in turn the 'chaser' and the 'chasee'. If everything "looks" good, you can often chalk up the sound to preference or personality, but not "intention" to do harm or it being TOO rough.
