Play Behaviour

[Lollipup]

For my canine communication assignment, I have chosen play behaviour and fear based aggression and have photos of each. I then have to do a write up of what is occurring in each photo and I have to explain the instinctive goal.

What is the instinctive goal of play behaviour? Is it based on predatory instincts? Or is it play instinct? What is the dog's goal of play when it is two adult dogs playing?

The photo is of Lola in a play bow while playing tug with Mojo - another dog which we were looking after.

P3120096 by Lola & Chester, on Flickr

Edited January 30, 2011 by Lollipup

[corvus]

Believe it or not, scientists aren't entirely sure what the purpose of play is. Common theories are rehearsal for predatory and social behaviour, as well as body conditioning for the activities the animal will need to be good at when they are adults. Some studies suggest that play is far more important than we realise and helps teach animals (and people) coping skills.

I have a pile of papers on play in canids in particular, but it might help to look up Panksepp on the neurology of play. I seem to remember there is quite a good book in Google Books online that has a section on play that gives a really good rundown of the theories and the work that has been done.

[The Spotted Devil]

Agree with corvus - read a great chapter on play in cats in a book called "Play Behaviour in Humans and Animals". Really interesting and they argued against several theories I was familiar with. Might be getting too detailed for what you're after though.

[Lollipup]

Thank you, thank you. I do like to read the more in-depth information and will research it more for my own benefit. But my assessment doesn't have to be that in-depth.

So if scientists don't know why they play, does that mean I can't answer this part of my assessment?

"The instinctive goal of play behaviour is to have fun" LOL

Do you think the photo is appropriate anyway?

[Staranais]

If you mean what ultimate evolutionary advantage does play behaviour serve, I'd say it serves lots of ultimate purposes in both animals and in humans. Social bonding, practicing social roles, practicing hunting techniques, passing on the culture of the group.

I'd say the proximate goal of play is to have fun. "Fun" is the immediate emotional reward that the animal gets for play, and evolution provides this reward as by playing the animal is doing something that is advantageous for its survival/reproduction (honing survival skills & group cohesion).

[The Spotted Devil]

Not sure that would cut it if I was marking (lollipop's response)

With the photo...just to be annoying ( ) is the dog play bowing or just getting a better grip and angle on the 'tug' toy? Maybe look at the tug game itself - is it serious? What is the outcome of such an encounter? Does one dog generally get the toy over the other? Why tug at all? Is there a point at which play can escalate into aggressive behaviour?

I'd rather propose more questions rather than give you the answer you're looking for

Edited January 30, 2011 by The Spotted Devil

[Lollipup]

Not sure that would cut it if I was marking (lollipop's response)

With the photo...just to be annoying ( ) is the dog play bowing or just getting a better grip and angle on the 'tug' toy? Maybe look at the tug game itself - is it serious? What is the outcome of such an encounter? Does one dog generally get the toy over the other? Why tug at all? Is there a point at which play can escalate into aggressive behaviour?

I'd rather propose more questions rather than give you the answer you're looking for

You got me. That's why I wasn't sure if the photo is really appropriate for what I am talking about. Lola does tend to bow to get a better grip on the tug toy. So it is more likely that. But its still alright to illustrate play behaviour?

As for your questions... When Lola plays tug she is serious about it. She usually always wins and definately wins against a visiting dog. Is there a point it could escalate into aggressive behaviour? Well, that has never happened but I suppose it could if the other dog was to challenge Lola for "her" tug toy.

Are you an instructor?

[The Spotted Devil]

No - I'm doing a PhD in canine welfare/behaviour and have also a strong research interest in cat welfare/behaviour. I like to challenge assumptions - very beneficial when it comes to animal behaviour!

ETA: More questions! How do you know she is serious? Does she growl? A dog can growl in play. Is it an issue of possession do you think? Is it simply reinforcement history?

Edited January 30, 2011 by The Spotted Devil

[Lollipup]

No - I'm doing a PhD in canine welfare/behaviour and have also a strong research interest in cat welfare/behaviour. I like to challenge assumptions - very beneficial when it comes to animal behaviour!

ETA: More questions! How do you know she is serious? Does she growl? A dog can growl in play. Is it an issue of possession do you think? Is it simply reinforcement history?

Let me just put my beer down so I can think....

By serious, I mean she is in it to win it. She can be a possessive dog but I don't think she would get aggressive in this kind of play situation. I think it would be unlikely for this situation to turn aggressive. It hasn't happened before. But not entirely impossible. She growls loudly but its a play growl. And kind of muffled with her mouth full of toy haha.

When you say reinforcement history, do you mean she knows to growl in play because she has won possession of the toy that way in the past? Or do you mean that I have reinforced her for laughing at her when she does this? Or both maybe?

Also, just on another topic - I have been thinking about taking my studies further down the track. How do you get into animal behaviour studies at uni? What diploma or otherwise do you have to do to get into it?

[Lollipup]

If anyone is interested (or has more questions ) here are the photos I am going to use for the fear based aggression example. Chester was staying with us at the inlaw's place and another dog came to visit, and she didn't appreciate Chester at all.

DSCF3520 by Lola & Chester, on Flickr

DSCF3522 by Lola & Chester, on Flickr

DSCF3523 by Lola & Chester, on Flickr

DSCF3524 by Lola & Chester, on Flickr

[Lollipup]

And here is my other option for a play behaviour, although I think he was partly doing it for a stretch haha

DSCF3717 by Lola & Chester, on Flickr

[RallyValley]

I saw the title and though oh! Corvus changed her DOL name

No help from here sorry! I only understand dog academics up to a point.

[Lollipup]

I saw the title and though oh! Corvus changed her DOL name

No help from here sorry! I only understand dog academics up to a point.

Now THAT is a compliment!

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Play is a good topic for an assignment.

I think I could write a squillion pages on it. Note - I have no professional qualifications to do so.

1. it's fun, it makes whatever you're doing pleasurable.

If you can incorporate play into training a dog - it's more fun for both of you and in my opinion - more successful.

2. it's probably not so different in the "why" as with humans and their play and sport.

3. Play - helps with social skills, and physical fitness and skill, ie life skills.

Some things dogs do

(Turid Rugaas has written a fair bit and Paul McGreevy in "a Modern Dog's life" has also )

http://www.canis.no/rugaas/

http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/about/staff/pmcgreevy.shtml

the bow - is a play invitation or initiation - ie all that we do after this is not to be taken as rude and bad (doggy) manners.

the response - either another bow, or to leap at the other dog or to ignore and look away if no play is desired.

Alexandra Horowitz has written some good stuff on the subject too, there's a link to the full paper on this page

http://www.barnard.edu/psych/faculty/Horowitz/research.html

Does the dog have in mind a goal? Hard to tell.

My dog likes to go until she's knackered or the other dog stops. She doesn't always try to win, in some cases she deliberately goes slower so the other dog can keep up, and she takes turns in who is "it" in a game of "chase me". She has much more highly refined rules of play than other dogs I've watched. She only plays as hard as the other dog is willing - so with little dogs - there is generally no touching, just lots of chasey, and no running so fast the other dog loses interest because it can't keep up. With bigger more robust dogs, they hang off each other's cheeks and ears and neck and trip each other up. Occasionally there is an accidental prang but mostly they roll, and leap up for more. Frosty spends a lot of time in the "kill the antelope" neck (or collar) hold with some dogs, usually they're having a rest while she pretends she's won (I think, but I'd be guessing). When they're good to go again, they get up and she does not hold them down.

My dog also lies down and does a double front paw slap with her front feet, and howls to get attention when she wants to play. Doesn't always work. She sometimes does the bow/paw slap and then runs hitchem skitchems in tight circles and figure 8s in an attempt to get the other dog to chase her. She runs with her head up, and her tail between her legs, and it's the funniest thing to watch (apart from her commando crawl roll over greeting technique).

And some dogs play far too rough with her, and don't quit when she gives them all sorts of unhappy signals, like running away with her head down, her tail between her legs and her ears down and back.

Also when she chases other dogs (herds them in play) sometimes she barks and growls and sometimes she does it all silently. And she does the same thing with the same dogs. Eg there is a dalmatian she likes to herd, and she makes a lot of noise doing it. And there are a couple of kelpie xs she plays with, and they make no noise together at all.

Also if she has a tug toy, if the other dog lets go of it, she will bring it back to them to continue the game. And if another dog challenges her for the ball and it is serious about it, she always gives it up, but she does like the game of chase me for the ball, that stealing one triggers...

Edited January 30, 2011 by Mrs Rusty Bucket

[BMAK]

The bow is more of an invitation for play i would think ?

when my dog bows a few times boucing around she is trying to intince the other dog to join in and then do what ever whether chasing tug or running so ther list could go on whether you are doing the bow or the play. As play can cover a lot of different areas in dogs.

Is fear aggression the fear of uncertain outcome of what is going to happen??

Sometime uncertain interaction of another dog, human or object noise of sometime just bad breeding can lead to lashing out. Might be easier to get basic photos of what you are going to talk about and when you have finished get better ones of different and more precise actions as it might help to explain.

[Lollipup]

The bow is more of an invitation for play i would think ?

when my dog bows a few times boucing around she is trying to intince the other dog to join in and then do what ever whether chasing tug or running so ther list could go on whether you are doing the bow or the play. As play can cover a lot of different areas in dogs.

Is fear aggression the fear of uncertain outcome of what is going to happen??

Sometime uncertain interaction of another dog, human or object noise of sometime just bad breeding can lead to lashing out. Might be easier to get basic photos of what you are going to talk about and when you have finished get better ones of different and more precise actions as it might help to explain.

Oh, you don't think I have good examples? :D

[corvus]

The bow is more of an invitation for play i would think ?

No, MRB is correct AFAIK. Play bows are to put behaviour in context. Like a wink or a friendly nudge to let a friend know you are just kidding around. If you watch a pair of dogs that know each other really well play, it's common to see far fewer play bows than if the dogs don't know each other well. This is thought to be because when dogs know each other they don't need the "I'm just kidding around" signals because they know each other's behaviour and a lot of signals get abbreviated. You might even see half play bows or bounces that are like momentary play bows. My boys have it down to an exchanged glance. If I watch carefully I can pick it up. Kivi usually instigates and he may just glance at Erik, then glance ahead and back to Erik as if he's saying "Wanna go?" Erik springs after him and it's on.

Why don't you try breaking down play into individual behaviours and then think about whether those behaviours occur in other contexts? For example, wrestling. What else does it look like? Does it occur outside of play? What movements are incorporated and in what other contexts might they occur? How do dogs start or stop a wrestling match? Do THOSE behaviours occur in other circumstances outside of play? Stick to the common and obvious behaviours and in short order you'll have a nice ethogram of dog play you can use to nut out the purposes of common behaviours seen during play. Think about what a dog in the wild without human contact would use those behaviours for in day-to-day survival.

Or is that getting too detailed? :D

[corvus]

Look, here's a photo of my two boys playing a rough wrestling game. Look at Kivi's face, in particular his mouth. His mouth is so soft and relaxed you can barely see his teeth. Erik is more serious in his play and seems to be doing a snarly face, but it's hard to tell he's playing from that angle!

[Erny]

The bow is more of an invitation for play i would think ?

No, MRB is correct AFAIK. Play bows are to put behaviour in context. Like a wink or a friendly nudge to let a friend know you are just kidding around.

They can be either, depending on context. An invitation to play or, as Corvus say, like a "wink". Dogs will often throw back to a play bow during play if/when the play starts to become a bit rough.

[Lollipup]

Thanks Corvus. They are cute. I understand what you are getting at but that might be too detailed. I have to choose from a list of behaviours and it simply says "play behaviour" as an option.