When Dogs and People Fight
Have you ever watched dogs playing together? It’s so entertaining to watch them play – right up until it’s not. Maybe you’ve seen this – two dogs playing together and suddenly they’re squared up and threatening to fight. It’s tough to see what changed the dynamic unless you’re a dog body language expert, and even then, it can be tough to spot the subtle shift.
It’s kind of the same with people.
When two dogs are playing nicely, role reversal occurs. When running, they shift between the roles of chaser and chasee. Play bows (elbows on the ground, butt in the air, big toothy grin and waggy tail) happen. Wrestling and growling are part of normal play, too. The dogs may even play-bite each other – mouthing with no pressure, or air snaps designed to miss the other dog. Those are all signs that the play session is going well and both dogs will soon flop down, panting and happy, to recharge for a while and then play again.
The little subtle shifts – one dog wants to stop playing and the other doesn’t, the growling goes from a steady sound to one that starts low and rises in pitch, a bite with some pressure behind it lands, or when bodies go from soft and wiggly to stiff and still – are signs that the play session needs to be ended immediately.
It’s kind of the same with people.
When two people are getting along well, the conversation ebbs and flows. Both are paying attention to the words and the non-verbal cues of the other and adjust their part of the interaction accordingly. Even when the opinions they’re putting forth differ, the conversation remains cooperative and supportive.
The little subtle shifts – one person tries to change the subject and the other won’t, the tone goes from civil to shrill, words go from cooperative to combative, or the body language shifts from loose and open to stiff and still – are signs that this conversation is about to escalate into something potentially harmful to the relationship.
And sadly, as we’ve seen on the news far too much lately, when it’s more than two people – a protest or a confrontation or a war – the more people involved when the subtle shift occurs, the worse the outcome can be.
When stepping in to stop a play session that’s become to heated between two dogs, calm, fair, swift action usually works best. If there are more than two dogs involved, the solution is rarely that simple.
It’s kind of the same with people.
I wish I had a solution to the heated situations that are happening, yet I don’t. Do you? Please share it. Share it here, share it with all your friends, share it on the socials, share it with anyone and everyone who’ll listen.
Because it’s scary when dogs fight, and even scarier when people with weapons decide to use them on their fellow humans.
Wags,
Sandy Weaver
The Voice of Wagaliciousness
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