The difference between play and fight

Dog fight! Or is it?

 Sometimes it's hard to tell a play fight from a real fight. In what could have been a simple misunderstanding of dog behavior and difference in play styles, a dog named Bear-Bear lost his life. From HometownAnnapolis.com:

"Shepherd claimed he shot Bear-Bear because the animal was attacking his German shepherd, Asia, and he feared for the safety of himself, his wife and his dog. The man who was watching Bear-Bear at the park, Stephen Kurinij, claimed the officer overreacted and that the two dogs were just playing."

We may never know whether Bear-Bear and Asia's play had turned into something more serious or if the officer was just unfamiliar with Bear-Bear's play style. But one thing is clear: Someone at the dog park that day was ignorant of canine behavior.

 Thankfully, most misunderstandings of this nature don't involve such a tragic ending. But misunderstandings are surprisingly common considering an estimated 39% of U.S. homes have at least one dog (approximately 77.5 million owned dogs).* Many Americans grow up with or around dogs yet we struggle to understand them.

 Most of my neighbors have dogs--and the majority of them have two or more--yet I have had people shoot worried glances at my dogs as they wrestle in the backyard. Online I have received concerned comments over photos of my dogs at play. At the dog park it can be worse with people labeling dogs as aggressive and shaming owners for their dog's perfectly normal behavior. Sometimes things even turn physical. Once a lady grabbed my puppy by the throat and screamed in his face because he was play growling.

  So how do you know when it's all in good fun or something scary? It takes equal parts of reading dog body language and knowing your dog. It also helps to be able to tell the difference between various vocalizations.

 There are websites, books and videos available at various sources that can explain canine body language. Take what you learn from these sources and apply it at home with your own dogs. Watch them and practice reading them. You can take this on the road and visit places where dogs are--places like dog parks, pet stores, vet clinics and training classes--and practice there, too. What are the dogs' bodies telling you?

  And for those of us who share our lives with dogs that prefer rough play styles: We need to know our dogs and stand up for them. A play growl is not the same as a serious growl. Our dogs are not dangerous just because their play style appears aggressive. Don't let ignorant people threaten, scare or shame you or your dog.

 Also, please do be aware that not all dogs like your dog's rough play style. Supervise your dog and know when to separate dogs or enforce breaks in play.

*Source: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html