Is Rough Play Causing My Dog’s Reactivity?

I have a client with a newly adopted dog. After a few months of owning him his reactivity to other dogs increased. He has had some bad experiences with off leash dogs rushing him and a lot of other reactive dogs in his neighborhood making him uncomfortable. Today his human asked me if his increased rough play with their neighbor dog could be a cause of his reactivity as well. She sent me a brief video of rough play followed by her dog shaking out and the other dog tackling him. This was my response. 

“Thanks for sharing that video of Frankie playing. Feel free to send over any others you have, I can give you more info the more I see of them together.

Typically play style doesn't affect reactivity as long as dogs are playing cooperatively and consensually. From that clip it seems consensual, but it's hard to tell in such a brief moment. At the end Frankie shakes out, indicating he wants to reduce the intensity and energy in the game. The other dog responds by body slamming and biting his ear which is an inappropriate response. The other dog should have mirrored his shake or backed off and shifted his energy. It is concerning that the other dog may struggle to regulate himself and listen to other dogs during play.

If Frankie is exposed to other dogs that lack good social skills or don't listen when he asks them to calm down he may become more reactive. It is less about the play style and more about the conversations the dogs are having regarding the rules of the game, like when to pause, when the game is over, and what behaviors are not allowed, etc. Frankie may enjoy rough play, but not with a dog who lacks healthy boundaries and communication skills. 

I think the best way to support him is to be able to recall him out of play for breaks when things get too intense or if there is inappropriate behavior. Ideally you would be able to reinforce healthy boundaries and rules in the game by having the dogs take breaks at specific times. Could that dog join us for part of our class next week so I can talk to you in real time about dog social behavior and how to support Frankie? For now maybe you could have Frankie take a break from playing with that dog or just keep play sessions short.”

Dog social behavior is so nuanced, just like our social behavior. And just like dogs we can enjoy and even emotionally benefit from rough games like wrestling as long as everyone is on the same page. But if one person is not following the rules or listening to their sparring partners then the lines between play and a fight can blur. Constant exposure to someone who can’t follow the rules or respect you is going to lead to increased sensitivity in other social interactions.