What's a good way to convince people that dog play is not vicious, etc?

Question

Sometimes I see people at my local dog park who see dogs play and they scream or something. Sometimes they will walk up to the person and say your dog is vicious, etc. It drives me nuts, but the dogs are actually crazy and some people don't understand. I know someone myself who met my dog and she thought my dog was going to kill the dog when actually they were playing. That person said it himself that my dog was going to kill his dog. My dog is really sweet and never had hurt anyone. The same with other dogs. I even explained to them that they are playing and dogs do that all the time and told them everything. I wish I can convince people they are wrong.

Answer 1

You can talk until you are blue in the face & no one hears & no one pays attention. The general public is very ignorant about dogs, even people who own them.



Don't stop trying to educate people, you are doing it for the sake of dogs every where.



There are days on this site that I have to just get up & walk away. I get so frustrated trying to help people with their dogs but the ignorance is so great you just can't do it.



Most people just simply don't know. I find it very sad.

Answer 2

Actually many people cannot tell the difference between PLAY fighting and fighting.



Many of my dogs growl, bare their teeth, wrestle, grab each other by the necks and generally look aggressive, when in FACT it is only PLAY fighting.



All too often I have people walk past in the park looking horrified, or asking if they are fighting.



Watching dogs that play really rough and vocally (lots of growling and barking), it is easy for me to understand why people that do NOT have dogs that play this way, get confused.



It looks rough and out of control, but is not.

If we call them, they come immediately and HAPPILY, and switch back to what we all call "sane mode".



The rough play between our big dogs, is sometimes so loud, we cannot even talk over the noise.

Sat morning play on the oval after training, is their FAVOURITE day of the week!

They can hardly wait to get off lead and go a little crazy.

There is a group of 5 or 6 of us that all meet up each week, we have all been friends for years.



The big dogs generally know not to be to rough with the smaller dogs.

Sometimes I do have to tell my over enthusiastic b**ch to not try to wrestle the little dogs too roughly. They are not scared of her, and will greet her by jumping all over her, but if she gets to much, they can become a little worried and look to us for assistance. I correct her the SECOND this happens. She knows, when I say "Enough!" or "Ack!". To soften up a bit and play more gently.



There is nothing gentle about the way the 2 GDSs and 2 Dobes play with each though.



Our dogs when playing in public like this, have never ended up in a fight.

Have never injured each other.

Have never broken each others skin.

LOVE to wrestle and when tired, lie down with each other to rest (wrestling and chasy are exhausting).



Note:

Obviously, they never play this way with dogs they do not know.

In fact I would say they generally ignore any dogs walking past completely.

They are generally too engrosed in their own games.

Occasionally they may stop long enough for a brief sniff at most.



I would NEVER let my dog play with someone elses anyway, with out talking to the owners first, and assessing their dogs behaviour/signals.

Answer 3

some people will never understand. Maybe you should tell them that dogs play the same way some little boys do, they wrestle. I know what you mean though, sometimes I will have people over and my dogs will play and they will ask if Im going to break them up and Im like....they are just playing...lol but yea some people just dont get it and never will.

Answer 4

I have had people yell at me and my dog at the dog park because they thought my dog was fighting with their dog when it is in fact always play. My dog has never been in a dog fight, but people see his breed and automatically think he is mean and a vicious dog. So i think breed stereotypes have alot to do with it. I find that people who own similar breeds and bigger dogs tend to understand the difference between playing and fighting. I love going to the dog park and seeing people with bigger dogs and similar breeds because that means my dog can play with theirs till his hearts content with out someone yelling at me. I would not bring my dog to the dog park if he was going to fight with every dog there, the purpose of a dog park is socialization with other dogs.

Answer 5

if you cant controll your dog off the leash, keep it on the leash



if you want it too play with someone elses dog, be polite and ask first, not just too be polite, but also too find and make sure you know who the owner is and that their dog will be ok with your dog, so for the safety of your own dog you dont just let it go up and play with every strange dog it meet, you make sure you know who the owner is first and talk too them



because you also want too gauge what type of owner they are if they are the type if something happen which are capable too get their own dog under controll and help out, or if they are going too panic and leave you alone too deal with two dogs (in which case you dont let the dogs play, to avoid geting your own dog injured)

Answer 6

Everyones opinion is different

If any dog has their tail between their legs, yelps, ears back and always get chased by dominant dogs, they are being threatened

Ask other people there how they think ur dog is playing

Answer 7

Some dogs play too rough and it gets out of hand.

Answer 8

get on ur hands and knees and wrestle with the dogs, bark and growl at them to, u look like complete idiot but they'd think ur so cute cuz u do that make ur dog happy, and its fun

Answer 9

depends on person to learn how dogs play

what i consider non acceptable play may be ok with you