When to step in when dogs are playing?

When it comes to play fighting, the key is deliberate intent. If two dogs are wrestling and one dog accidentally goes a little overboard, you should see that dog immediately back off when the other dog gives a little yelp, for example. That's if the offending dog has no deliberate intent to hurt. If the offending dog doesn't back off, there's cause for concern. So, my encouragement is to first establish the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and then simply monitor your dogs' adherence to these rules, stepping in only when necessary. You as the head of the hierarchical structure need to establish clear rules, especially the rule that aggressive behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Dogs with a strong human authority soon realize that it's best to live in harmony and be subservient rather than face the consequences of an unhappy leader. Dogs do this by testing one another's dominance and subservience, mostly through play and general interaction. They wrestle, tug, mouth, pounce, play bite, and even softly growl and yelp. And, this is all okay - as long as the dogs maintain self-control and do not allow their behavior to escalate into outright aggression.

When dogs are 'playing' we need to watch their body language in order to truly see how a dog is feeling about that 'play' and to ensure that both dogs are enjoying the interaction. Remember dogs should not be allowed to just 'work it out between themselves'. As dog guardians, we must monitor their interactions and intervene if we feel it is necessary so that your dog and the those they are playing with stay safe and only learn appropriate play behaviour. These include:✘ If either dog is running away or trying to escape or hide from the other dog✘ Continued or excessive yelping✘ Barking in the face of another dog✘ Escalating growling✘ Barring of teeth✘ Hard staring✘ Stiff bodies or tense body language✘ Pinning down (where a dog stands over another dog for a prolonged time)✘ Continued mouthing, nipping, biting or holding✘ Standing or leaning over the head, neck and/or shoulders of the other dog✘ Standing up on hind legs for too long (this can be a sign the dog is trying to keep the other dog at bay)✘ When a cornered dog starts air snapping✘ When large dogs don't self handicap and play too rough with little dogs leaving them feeling overwhelmed or even cause injury✘ Escalated arousal levels✘ Body slamming✘ Continued or relentless chasing with no role reversal. It is especially important with puppies as it's up to us to help them learn appropriate play behaviours and that means stepping in and stopping play if we see any of the inappropriate points above during puppy play interactions. Therefore, always look for reciprocated, fair and even play and intervene if that play is appearing to be one-sided or where any party is looking more over aroused than the other.