Is it normal for dogs to bite each other when playing?
Jaiden Lowe
2025-06-29 05:02:28
Count answers: 11
If two dogs are wrestling and it seems too rough to you, with all that growling and snarling, body-slamming, and biting of each other’s necks, this is normal dog play. Puppies play with their littermates constantly. From around two weeks, when their eyes open, until they go to their own homes, they spend almost all of their waking hours wrestling with each other. It’s a critical time for social development because it is when they learn bite inhibition and good dog manners. Although play-growling is exaggerated and friendly, it can be loud and can sound scary. Dogs who are play-growling are over-exaggerating their snarls, which may make this noise sound scarier than if they were actually fighting. If dogs voluntarily make themselves vulnerable by “falling” down, they’re probably playing. By exposing their bellies to another dog, they are being particularly vulnerable. Playing dogs will allow themselves to be caught while playing chase, and take turns chasing each other.
Kennedi Boyer
2025-06-29 03:22:41
Count answers: 14
It’s totally normal for dogs to play-bite, bark, chase, swipe, and lunge, as long as it’s in a gentle and friendly manner. Roughhousing is just part of the fun and in most cases, it’s completely healthy, safe and harmless. When dogs play, it often takes the form of play fighting, play biting and wrestling. Although it can be fun and harmless, sometimes this can intensify into unsafe and serious scraps if you do not observe your dog closely. However, sometimes growling, biting, jumping, barking, etc. can shift from playful to aggressive. Aggressive play can appear in a variety of different ways. Just because a dog displays some aggressive behavior, does not mean they should be labeled an aggressive dog.
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