From the feelings they have to how humans read, four-legged creatures are fascinating creatures and living with them is a truly unique experience. Today we are dealing with an aspect of their life that maybe we dedicate ourselves to but rarely think about: the game of dogs .
Normally the game of dogs is associated with the ball: the human throws it, the dog runs and catches it, often brings it back and so in a series of repetitions for the various minutes of the session. Most dogs seem to lose their minds over the ball so it is normal to think that the object that rolls is the most beautiful of gifts and running to get it is the best activity.
This would be true if dogs were simple, but they are not, as we have seen so many times now. Few things in the world are as deceptive as the appearances of dogs and even the game with the ball as it is usually conceived is more a no than a yes for dogs. But let’s see everything in detail.
Index
- The four rules of Bekoff
- Appearances are deceiving
- The functions of the game for dogs
- Five points to keep in mind about dog play
The four rules of Bekoff
The great ethologist Mark Bekoff has devoted years of study to the game of dogs. Four fundamental rules have been derived from his studies to keep in mind when interacting with what is a truly special companion, capable of experiencing complex feelings and emotions. Here’s what they are:
- Ask first;
- Be fair;
- Respect the rules;
- When you are wrong, you admit you were wrong.
Therefore, the first thing we deduce from these rules is that dog play is not casual. That running, jumping, rolling, mounting, using the mouth, bumping into each other, chasing each other and regulated by clear and precise rules. Appearances are deceiving
Often, seeing dogs play one thinks they are arguing. In fact, many game actions are the same as those used in fights . Yet the aforementioned rules that dogs follow when playing serve to clearly indicate that it is play. In fact, it was found, even in sessions of “hard play”, less than 0.5% turns into conflict and less than half of that 0.5% is heavily aggressive.
The rules identified by Bekoff clearly show us that dogs “self-discipline”, identifying their limits, their mistakes and that they act according to a series of predefined actions that they consider correct and appropriate. The functions of the game for dogs
The other fascinating aspect of the game is the functions it performs. Entertainment is, as important as it is, the least important function. In fact, the game serves dogs to develop fundamental skills for their life. It is about:
- Social skills (reading the complex and articulate signals that playmates, other dogs or humans, send)
- Social understanding on the go (our four-legged friends decode other dogs’ messages as they run);
- Cognitive skills (avoiding obstacles, controlling the bite);
- Motor skills;
- Development (and maintenance) of social bonds.
In addition, play also serves dogs to develop what is called behavioral flexibility . In other words, it is used to learn how to manage unexpected events and be able to deal with new situations. Learning to improvise is so important for dogs that it is scientifically proven that while they play they create “critical” situations specifically, so that they can challenge themselves and learn to deal with surprises. Thanks to play, dogs can improve their ability to emotionally manage unexpected and stressful situations. That said, it’s clear why the simple repetitive and monotonous throw-back of the ball is not what dogs need. Five points to keep in mind about dog play
I close this content with five essential points (in no particular order) about the dog game that all of us bipeds should know:
- Not all dogs love to play . They should not be forced. Those who do not like to play may prefer to do something else, including the very important use of the sense of smell;
- Dogs may not play because they have found no one they are in tune with;
- Dogs play with both other dogs and humans; indeed, growing up they tend to favor playing with their humans .
- Some dogs also enjoy playing alone ;
- The game must always be positive. In play, as in all the rest of life with dogs, there is no room for dominance, submission and related practices.