Okay, so you want to know is this picture play or fight….the common consensus among those who study behavior, is that play is the precursor to fight.  It is the time that young animals learn how to fight later in life.  This is why early socialization is so incredibly important in a young animal’s life and why it must be monitored. 

We usually think of socialization when relating to dog behavior, but cats, birds, fish and reptiles also test each other. For birds, fish and reptiles it is usually just a display of color, who holds his ground, or who postures the biggest. When dogs and cats interact it can be much more animated; fur flying, hissing and growling, contact, and perhaps blood. 

So when do you know when a line is crossed? You don’t always know and this is where some problems can begin. I usually tell my classes, whenever you feel uncomfortable, stop it.  Don't buckle to teases and taunts of "let them work it out". If your friends give you a hard time, try to remove your emotions from the picture and see if you are being too protective. 

We all bring to the party whatever we have experienced in the past. If you had a dog that was attacked by a big dog, you will probably be cautious about big dogs. But you don't want your little puppy to become afraid of all big dogs so you should consult a qualified trainer who can help you get past your fears and not pass them on to your new puppy. A qualified trainer will not let you puppy get ganged up on during playtime; they will monitor the play and assist the group to play appropriately. 

Train your new puppy; socialization is vital to the development of a well-rounded adult dog.  Prime learning periods are usually early in the life of animals, and they are what set the stage for the adult behavior.

Oh yeah, was it play or fight? Well, in this situation it was play, but it could have changed to fight just as easily had it not been monitored.    

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