How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting?

I take my dog to a dog park and it seems dogs attack him. Are their signs to look for when the playing turns into fighting?

    How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting?

    I take my dog to a dog park and it seems dogs attack him. Are their signs to look for when the playing turns into fighting?...
    General Dog Discussions : How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting?...

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    • How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting?

      How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting? General Dog Discussions
      I take my dog to a dog park and it seems dogs attack him. Are their signs to look for when the playing turns into fighting?

      How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting?

      How do you tell the difference between dogs playing and fighting? General Dog Discussions
    • one is their position. are the tails wagging or standing straight or down? Is the hair on the scruff (back of neck) standing up and down the back? The growls will change if it is going from playing to fighting. I have had my own dogs playing to rough and get upset with each other and start a small fight I have to stop them and correct them.

    • Look for the posture of the dogs. Are they doing the 'play bow'? Are tails wagging? OR is the hair standing up on their backs and have a stiff posture? You'll be able to tell very quickly. My dogs sound like they're killing each other because of the growling and snarling and slobber but they're just playing. Ask about a section for small or timid dogs vs. larger or more active ones. Get your dog in the proper area. If there are aggressive dogs there, I wouldn't go there.

    • I agree with the statement that you'll know when it's fighting. Play can be really rough and nasty sounding but it's very obvious when a fight occurs. It really speeds up, hair is raised, ears back and becomes violent. Aren't these dogs leashed? I would say something to the owners if possible and walk my dog somewhere else. It's great to be able to let them run loose, but it's not necessary as long as they get to go for a long walk a couple of times a day.

    • With the sounds that dogs make, it can certainly sound like a to-the-death fight sometimes.Just watch their body language. Are the dogs stiff, staring and possibly showing the whites of the eye, with tails over the back, ears perked and forward? Are the lips curled showing the front part of the teeth and mouth? If a dog is exhibiting these behaviors, it is aggression and a person should intervene immediately.A dog with ears held loosely or to the side, with a wide open mouth and lolling tongue, in general is playing. Taken to the extreme, this is a stressed fear-based exhibition.Here are some websites that are helpful if you don't know what to look for:http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/diagrams.htmlhttp://www.aspca.org/pet-care/kids-and-pets/caninebody_language.pdfhttp://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/pdfs/dogs/DogBodyLanguage.pdfhttp://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/tp/dogbodylanguage.htmhttp://www.hssv.org/docs/behavior/dog_body_language.pdf