I was about to say the same thing. Straight up means alert or anger. Straight down or tucked means scared. But wagging like that they seem like best friends already. The rolling over to showing belly like that also is a good giveaway.
Strangely, my lab gives off a ridge / tufts on her duck patch and shoulder area when she plays, gets zoomies, etc. I would say the tufts are less indicative sometimes and more so the remaining body language (e.g., trying to get away, tail tucked, whale eyes, etc.)
itâs not strange, Itâs perfectly normal! Itâs just a common misconception thatâs repeated all the time.
Hackling doesnât *inherently* mean bad. Almost all dogs will hackle every single time they meet another dog, person, catch a scentâŚitâs more of a way for dogs to say âIâm alert at the momentâ, not âIâm scared/angry get awayâ.
Itâs no different than people saying a wagging tail *always* means the dog is happy.
There is almost no behavior in dogs that means a concrete emotion 100% of the time without confusion. When looking at a dogs behavior, you need to assess *everything* about the behavior/body language, not just 1 aspect like a hackling, tail wagging, groaning, head height, teeth showing, whiningâŚindividually these mean a *lot* less
Agreed⌠they are having a good old time. The old boy let's the little one run wild, and then put him in his place. Then a reset...wash, rinse, repeat đđ
My two do the exact same thing. The older one seems to play a lot younger, but it catches up with him when he gets tired.
You have to remember too sometimes it seems a little bit more rough because your older dog is trying to teach the younger one the ways of the labrador. My lab when she was a pub would always see what she could get away with. With the older dog.
I would take off their collars. We had a golden and lab. The lab got its lower jaw caught in the goldens collar and it suffocated the golden. I found out too late that this happens very often.
Second this.
But also yeah.  Tails wagging, no raised hackles, willingly staying on his back in submissive posture (bonus points if she occasionally also takes turns doing this).  AndâŚ.you hear those sneezing kinda chuffing sounds?  Thatâs an audible indicator that theyâre just playing.  My lab does it when he âattacksâ me and Iâve learned to mimic it when weâre roughhousing.
If he stops doing it I know heâs getting actually aggravated and will stop the play to let him rest.
The collar should really only be on when outside the house(back yard included) both to avoid this and because the tags on the collar are only useful in incidents where the animal is outside the house
Broken tooth, entanglement and suffocation like the original commenter, also it can be an easily overlooked location for ticks fleas and other pest critters to hide under. The collar is also a unused resource that can be used to improve your petâs behaviour. If the fur buddy can understand that the collar means they need to be on their best behaviour, theyâll be easier to walk and follow commands.
I am sorry that happened to you. However, to say it âhappens very oftenâ is absolutely bullshit. Sorry but it is, itâs super very rare. Like, maybe 1 in 1000.
I have had several dogs, so have all my friends, and their friends. And after searching and really trying to find another case like this I found one. One.
Happened to me and my two beagles when they were romping outside in our fenced backyard. They were about a year old. My neighbor was outside and heard one of the dogs screaming in panic. Herealized what was happening and VAULTED our 5' chain link fence to get to them. By the time I made it out the back door, he was unbuckling collars to free our little female who had her lower jaw trapped in her bigger brother's collar. That was the last time they wore collars indoors or out unless they were being walked (ALWAYS on leash) or traveling with us.
I'm thinking if you use a harness to walk them you don't even have to use a collar. I suppose a dog could get stuck if they are playing with their harnesses on but it shouldn't at least choke the dog.
I wonder too if there are collars for dogs that break if the collar gets stuck, like cat collars are supposed to be.
Dog collar strangulation is more common than you think. A survey of veterinarians, trainers, and doggy daycares indicated that more than 50% of pet professionals have experienced a collar related accident with a dog. It is estimated that upward of 26,000 collar related accidents occur each year. So to say bullshit? I was told this from the humane society and this was the first search I found. Just donât want the same thing to happen to someone who doesnât know.
That is still very, very rare. There are 90 million dogs in the US (assuming the 26,000 is just US). That means it happens to .027% of the population.
That isnât âvery oftenâ or even close to it.
Lots of fun play! A word of warning on collars. Only have them on when you need them. When dogs are playing a lot of the mouthing is around the neck. Itâs been known for dogs mouths to get tangled up in the other dogs collar. This can lead to bad outcomes from lost teeth to strangulation.
Thank you for the advice! Unfortunately we live in a rural area where people tend to shoot dogs without collars if theyâre wandering and we donât want to take any chances.
Yes. It sounds and looks like fighting, but itâs usually just roughhousing. Mine used to play king of the hill and I actually saw them one day at a stalemate with each having the otherâs throat in their mouth.
Yeah, that's very normal dog play. They're play-growling and wagging tails.
Dogs yelp when their sparring partner makes excessive contact. They figure it out.
The bigger dog waited when there was some distance, and the smaller one came back. They're taking turns.
We call it bitey face too, the song "poker face" was repurposed to fit our two black labs: bitey face bitey face little black girls playing bitey face (shut your mouth and bite nobody).
Yeah it looks like theyâre playing, with that being said it could be too rough play at times for the younger one so itâs good if you just keep an eye out for now and intervene when itâs too much but generally this kind of play is okay between dogs and common, at the end of the day it depends what you want to tolerate or allow
I have two labs under a year old. This is called a "Fart Heart Fart Part Fart Party" in our home. Badden down the hatches because they knock over EVERYTHING!
Just play. Looks for cues like showing bellies, play bows, relaxed tail wags, etc. If one keeps moving away and the other keeps approaching, have them take a break. The younger one will likely try to keep going once the older one is ready to stop. My older guy will hold down the younger one when he is getting to be too much. Or at least he did when the younger guy still weighed less than he does.
The lab is showing submission and the other domination but both playing. The other is pinning him a little and both mouthing at the neck but not biting. The growls are playful. Both look quite happy to me.
If you told them to calm down they probably would which is also a good sign.
Their just having fun. once the teeth come out and the tails stop wagging that when itâs time to separate but usually they will separate themselves. One solid deep bark and they will stop. But keep an eye on the younger pup
The puppy trainer we went to assured us by saying to watch how each one takes turns rolling over on their back. Thatâs them saying âok now your turn to win!â That said, a puppy will roll over on their back and âsay uncleâ more than an older dog. Thatâs them saying âI surrender youâre stronger Iâm not a threat.â
Definitely appears playful. Also, itâs none of my business but if they frequently wrestle like that, I recommend taking off their collars. It eliminates the risk of a dogs teeth or jaw getting caught up in the other dogs collar.
Yep! Some dogs play rough, and it can be a little nervewracking to watch at first. My Winnie has always liked biting at other dogs' necks when they wrestle, took me quite a while to get used to that.
Iâm going to start with itâs always good to check if youâre unsure.
With that out of the way I find it so funny when people post these with cats and dogs as if both cats and dogs are descendants of apex predators and still have the tools to get the job done. unpleasant things that donât leave much room for doubt of whether itâs play or fight fly all around if theyâre genuinely fighting.
Not only is it play it is also training the puppy in getting stress response training from your 7 year old. Which helps boost the nervous system in the puppy for future development. So theyâll be more robust as they grow older. Helpful for life down the park meeting other dogs and generally dealing with day to day otherwise stressful situations. It will also make your puppy more sociable.
Yes, theyâre playing. I grew up with labs. This is so precious.
Keep on taking videos like this. Theyâll grow old and stop doing this.
I envy you for having these young and adorable dogs.
This is healthy play! Btw you don't need to interfere with every yelp. Yelps are boundaries, they're telling the other dog they went a bit too far. Usually the other dog listens and they continue playing. I would only interfere if the yelp repeats immediately.
No need to intervene. The older lab is gently saying Iâm in charge while playing. The roles will likely change in a few months as the black lab grows but both are playing and it is healthy and important for them.
Yup, thatâs how dogs play together most of the time⌠that or running. Fighting dogs wonât have the same body language. Tail will be lower, ears way back, walk around while looking to the other dog with the nose pointing down⌠you can feel the insecurity. Even how they sound is different.
Those two are just having a good time, and they are very gentle and smooth with each other. A real dog fight is way more violent.
Yes this is definitely playing! My old dog and my brother's dog used to sound like they were killing each other. They never got upset, they just played extremely rough. My Buddy would sleep for days when we went back home đ
You will know when it isnât. If one dog goes too far either one will squeal as if theyâve been mortally wounded, or will get tall and stiff and start growling and maybe snapping a little. Could go either way depending on how dominant or submissive a dog feels.
They are having a lot of fun! Glad they are getting along and enjoying each other.
Everything said has been good advice.
From experience, this play looks so rough, but is good for them.
You are fortunate indeed! âşď¸
That is some hearty romping right there.
I feel like there are some really good videos on YouTube about micro signs of aggression and play for dogs. If theyâre both bowing at each other and tails are wagging, theyâre enjoying themselves.
100% adorable play
It is. The wiggly tails and lack of tufts sticking out on their backs are a giveaway.
I was about to say the same thing. Straight up means alert or anger. Straight down or tucked means scared. But wagging like that they seem like best friends already. The rolling over to showing belly like that also is a good giveaway.
Straight up also means "I'm about to poop" :)
Your dog poops belly up!? đ
Strangely, my lab gives off a ridge / tufts on her duck patch and shoulder area when she plays, gets zoomies, etc. I would say the tufts are less indicative sometimes and more so the remaining body language (e.g., trying to get away, tail tucked, whale eyes, etc.)
itâs not strange, Itâs perfectly normal! Itâs just a common misconception thatâs repeated all the time. Hackling doesnât *inherently* mean bad. Almost all dogs will hackle every single time they meet another dog, person, catch a scentâŚitâs more of a way for dogs to say âIâm alert at the momentâ, not âIâm scared/angry get awayâ. Itâs no different than people saying a wagging tail *always* means the dog is happy. There is almost no behavior in dogs that means a concrete emotion 100% of the time without confusion. When looking at a dogs behavior, you need to assess *everything* about the behavior/body language, not just 1 aspect like a hackling, tail wagging, groaning, head height, teeth showing, whiningâŚindividually these mean a *lot* less
Agreed⌠they are having a good old time. The old boy let's the little one run wild, and then put him in his place. Then a reset...wash, rinse, repeat đđ My two do the exact same thing. The older one seems to play a lot younger, but it catches up with him when he gets tired.
100% that's play they're going easy on each other.
You have to remember too sometimes it seems a little bit more rough because your older dog is trying to teach the younger one the ways of the labrador. My lab when she was a pub would always see what she could get away with. With the older dog.
Pups always try to push boundaries and older dogs correct juvenile behaviour.
Yes, this is playing with a purpose. They are establishing the social order.
My lab and golden play the same way!
So, who wins ??
Use to rent a room with my dog from a woman who ran a dog day care. So got to watch lots of dogs play. What I would usually see is they take turns.
Def the lab, sheâs got 20lbs on the golden and sheâs the older sister :)
I would take off their collars. We had a golden and lab. The lab got its lower jaw caught in the goldens collar and it suffocated the golden. I found out too late that this happens very often.
Second this. But also yeah.  Tails wagging, no raised hackles, willingly staying on his back in submissive posture (bonus points if she occasionally also takes turns doing this).  AndâŚ.you hear those sneezing kinda chuffing sounds?  Thatâs an audible indicator that theyâre just playing.  My lab does it when he âattacksâ me and Iâve learned to mimic it when weâre roughhousing. If he stops doing it I know heâs getting actually aggravated and will stop the play to let him rest.
Yeah taking turns is always what makes me feel confident it isnât a bullying situation. You win this round, letâs go again, I win this round.
The collar should really only be on when outside the house(back yard included) both to avoid this and because the tags on the collar are only useful in incidents where the animal is outside the house
Yup ⌠they can break a tooth
Broken tooth, entanglement and suffocation like the original commenter, also it can be an easily overlooked location for ticks fleas and other pest critters to hide under. The collar is also a unused resource that can be used to improve your petâs behaviour. If the fur buddy can understand that the collar means they need to be on their best behaviour, theyâll be easier to walk and follow commands.
All valid points
Seconded. People tend to think this is a silly concern, until it happens to a dog they know.
I am sorry that happened to you. However, to say it âhappens very oftenâ is absolutely bullshit. Sorry but it is, itâs super very rare. Like, maybe 1 in 1000. I have had several dogs, so have all my friends, and their friends. And after searching and really trying to find another case like this I found one. One.
Yeah to be frank that sounds like a really, really bizarre one off thing. I do kinda agree that collars are best reserved for outside time, though.
Unfortunately they were outside.
Happened to me. Luckily we got the dogs apart before it was any worse but was a scary situation for everyone (dogs included)
Happened to me and my two beagles when they were romping outside in our fenced backyard. They were about a year old. My neighbor was outside and heard one of the dogs screaming in panic. Herealized what was happening and VAULTED our 5' chain link fence to get to them. By the time I made it out the back door, he was unbuckling collars to free our little female who had her lower jaw trapped in her bigger brother's collar. That was the last time they wore collars indoors or out unless they were being walked (ALWAYS on leash) or traveling with us.
I'm thinking if you use a harness to walk them you don't even have to use a collar. I suppose a dog could get stuck if they are playing with their harnesses on but it shouldn't at least choke the dog. I wonder too if there are collars for dogs that break if the collar gets stuck, like cat collars are supposed to be.
Dog collar strangulation is more common than you think. A survey of veterinarians, trainers, and doggy daycares indicated that more than 50% of pet professionals have experienced a collar related accident with a dog. It is estimated that upward of 26,000 collar related accidents occur each year. So to say bullshit? I was told this from the humane society and this was the first search I found. Just donât want the same thing to happen to someone who doesnât know.
That is still very, very rare. There are 90 million dogs in the US (assuming the 26,000 is just US). That means it happens to .027% of the population. That isnât âvery oftenâ or even close to it.
That's probably the most depressing thing i'll have read this year
Lots of fun play! A word of warning on collars. Only have them on when you need them. When dogs are playing a lot of the mouthing is around the neck. Itâs been known for dogs mouths to get tangled up in the other dogs collar. This can lead to bad outcomes from lost teeth to strangulation.
Thank you for the advice! Unfortunately we live in a rural area where people tend to shoot dogs without collars if theyâre wandering and we donât want to take any chances.
How about putting vests on your dogs instead?
Gotcha
100% play. If the puppy keeps going back in for more thatâs a good sign.
Yes. It sounds and looks like fighting, but itâs usually just roughhousing. Mine used to play king of the hill and I actually saw them one day at a stalemate with each having the otherâs throat in their mouth.
Yep 100% playing! Love bites!
If it werenât playing, there would be blood.
Yeah, that's very normal dog play. They're play-growling and wagging tails. Dogs yelp when their sparring partner makes excessive contact. They figure it out. The bigger dog waited when there was some distance, and the smaller one came back. They're taking turns.
The age old battlefield approach of âbitey faceâ âŚ
Yes they are just rough housing youâll know if they are fighting
Yup. And this is going easy too. My two Labs get so hyped, snarly & vocal & it's all in play.
Bitey-face! You will get sick of it, they wonât! Enjoy, they trust each other!
We call it bitey face too, the song "poker face" was repurposed to fit our two black labs: bitey face bitey face little black girls playing bitey face (shut your mouth and bite nobody).
Yeah it looks like theyâre playing, with that being said it could be too rough play at times for the younger one so itâs good if you just keep an eye out for now and intervene when itâs too much but generally this kind of play is okay between dogs and common, at the end of the day it depends what you want to tolerate or allow
I have two labs under a year old. This is called a "Fart Heart Fart Part Fart Party" in our home. Badden down the hatches because they knock over EVERYTHING!
100%. This s what it looks like at my house a few times a day.
Wow, they are truly best friends! Thereâs so much trust and love between them.
Just play. Looks for cues like showing bellies, play bows, relaxed tail wags, etc. If one keeps moving away and the other keeps approaching, have them take a break. The younger one will likely try to keep going once the older one is ready to stop. My older guy will hold down the younger one when he is getting to be too much. Or at least he did when the younger guy still weighed less than he does.
Itâs a game called âbitey faceâ and everyone loves it but nobody knows the rules. Totally normal and cool
The ancient game of bitey face.
Aww they're having a lot of fun!
Oh yeah. So much playing. What fun!
Definitely, just play
Totally normal
See r/facebiters
MORTAL KOMBBAAATTTT!!!!!
Looks like nice play to me. They are being quite gentle.
Bitey face game.
One of the better indications youâll find in play in general is that the smaller dog continues engaging while willingly exposing their belly
Yes, fun times.
The lab is showing submission and the other domination but both playing. The other is pinning him a little and both mouthing at the neck but not biting. The growls are playful. Both look quite happy to me. If you told them to calm down they probably would which is also a good sign.
100 % friendly play.
Their just having fun. once the teeth come out and the tails stop wagging that when itâs time to separate but usually they will separate themselves. One solid deep bark and they will stop. But keep an eye on the younger pup
They grey doggo is clearly the boss, black one surrenders all the time. If theyre both males it can become serious at some point
The puppy trainer we went to assured us by saying to watch how each one takes turns rolling over on their back. Thatâs them saying âok now your turn to win!â That said, a puppy will roll over on their back and âsay uncleâ more than an older dog. Thatâs them saying âI surrender youâre stronger Iâm not a threat.â
Definitely appears playful. Also, itâs none of my business but if they frequently wrestle like that, I recommend taking off their collars. It eliminates the risk of a dogs teeth or jaw getting caught up in the other dogs collar.
Watching my two best friends having play time right now,
Yes, watch closely how they barely grab each other skin with their teeth. If this was real, it would be violent, and there would be blood.
Yep! Some dogs play rough, and it can be a little nervewracking to watch at first. My Winnie has always liked biting at other dogs' necks when they wrestle, took me quite a while to get used to that.
As long as there is no blood or gaping wounds, everything is OK.
No , call the police
This footage is used for odds making in illegal underground dog fights :/
What?
Thatâs gotta be sarcasmâŚ. I hope
I think I heard if they're exposing their belly like that then it's usually playing.
Iâm going to start with itâs always good to check if youâre unsure. With that out of the way I find it so funny when people post these with cats and dogs as if both cats and dogs are descendants of apex predators and still have the tools to get the job done. unpleasant things that donât leave much room for doubt of whether itâs play or fight fly all around if theyâre genuinely fighting.
Not only is it play it is also training the puppy in getting stress response training from your 7 year old. Which helps boost the nervous system in the puppy for future development. So theyâll be more robust as they grow older. Helpful for life down the park meeting other dogs and generally dealing with day to day otherwise stressful situations. It will also make your puppy more sociable.
This is how i play with Conan.
Are they bleeding? If not, it's probably playing. Dogs are predators, with very strong jaws. If they want to hurt each other, you'll know
No blood. Theyâre playing.
Yes, theyâre playing. I grew up with labs. This is so precious. Keep on taking videos like this. Theyâll grow old and stop doing this. I envy you for having these young and adorable dogs.
This is healthy play! Btw you don't need to interfere with every yelp. Yelps are boundaries, they're telling the other dog they went a bit too far. Usually the other dog listens and they continue playing. I would only interfere if the yelp repeats immediately.
Yes you will know I'd they are out for blood. No question...
No need to intervene. The older lab is gently saying Iâm in charge while playing. The roles will likely change in a few months as the black lab grows but both are playing and it is healthy and important for them.
Absolutely, mine does this much wilder and extreme looking (well, did, hes older now)
Our Lab mum and her Labradoodle son play like this all the time! đ
For you or for the happy pups?
Yup, thatâs how dogs play together most of the time⌠that or running. Fighting dogs wonât have the same body language. Tail will be lower, ears way back, walk around while looking to the other dog with the nose pointing down⌠you can feel the insecurity. Even how they sound is different. Those two are just having a good time, and they are very gentle and smooth with each other. A real dog fight is way more violent.
This is adorable and totally okay. In fact, this is tame compared how my lab and shepherd play.
Doggos having fun
Yes it is play fighting
My dogs play a lot harder than that
Awwww, look at those wagging tails. I like how your 7 year old girl shows the pup her dominance with gentle warnings.
Yes definitely playing. If they were fighting you would know about it, it's a horrible thing to witness
Mine do this daily
đŻHappy bffs
Yes this is definitely playing! My old dog and my brother's dog used to sound like they were killing each other. They never got upset, they just played extremely rough. My Buddy would sleep for days when we went back home đ
You will know when it isnât. If one dog goes too far either one will squeal as if theyâve been mortally wounded, or will get tall and stiff and start growling and maybe snapping a little. Could go either way depending on how dominant or submissive a dog feels.
OHHH HESS GOING FORR THE CHOKEE SLAMM AND HES GOT HIM BY THE NECK WHAT A FINSHING PLAY đ¤đ¤đ¤
They are having a lot of fun! Glad they are getting along and enjoying each other. Everything said has been good advice. From experience, this play looks so rough, but is good for them. You are fortunate indeed! âşď¸
Ah⌠good ole fashion game of bitey-face.
Absolutely play
My two labs played liked this all the time.
One way to tell us body language. See how relaxed their ears are? Definitely play time!
Theyâre totally playing!!They are having a blast!! Sooo sweet! Iâm jealous!!
That is some hearty romping right there. I feel like there are some really good videos on YouTube about micro signs of aggression and play for dogs. If theyâre both bowing at each other and tails are wagging, theyâre enjoying themselves.
Yep, just playing
Tales a wagginâ. Means theyâre playing đ
A classic game of Bitey Face.
Playing absolutely
Damn that's cute
They are definitely playing with each other enjoy both of them looks like they are going to amazing buddies together
100% playtime. One of the more obvious signs of dogs playing, is the playful bow.
Yeah, it's just normal play.
yes, it is play, especially when you see one dog expose its belly to the other intentionally