Competitive Play & Games

Behaviours involving physical play or playing with objects in order to test another dog's degree of self-confidence and physical , as well as the stability of its social status.
(Goodman et al. 2002; Capra, 2011)

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitch challenges the Border Collie puppy to grab the toy.

The young male black Labrador cross is playing with the Alaskan Malamute bitch in a very intense manner involving lots of physical contact.

VIDEO

large screen
In this interaction between two males, the light-coloured mixed-breed meets the Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) for the first time. The two dogs show no aggressiveness, but play with lots of physical contact and increasing intensity. The video highlights three moments of competitive play. The Italian Mastiff bows and leaps forward, hugs and then pushes the mixed breed away before turning around him and exploring his anus-genital area, then twice making as if to mount him. In the second clip, the Italian Mastiff again makes as if to mount the mixed-breed, hugging and then wrestling with him. The crossbreed attempts to use the same strategies, but is knocked down. The Italian Mastiff moves away quickly, chased by the mixed-breed. The Italian Mastiff stops, and the two dogs display riding up. In the third clip, the two dogs exchange paw jabs and hug each other; the mixed breed succeeds in knocking the Italian Mastiff off balance, and the Mastiff falls down; the frequency, intensity and duration of the of the wrestling phases increase, with both dogs displaying mounting behaviour.

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