Dog Training Community

Hi Jeff,

I recently got a second dog, and every time they wrestle and play, my old dog makes these funny noises - it's sort of a deep, low tone sound, not a growl. It sounds like some sort of wild animal sounds. She seems relaxed and enjoying the play, but I just want to make sure it's not a sign of something I'm not catching.

Thank you for your help!

Best,

HJ

HJ,

That is a great question. What you want to look for is escalation of behaviors coupled with discomfort or anxiety by one or both dogs. If both dogs are relaxed and "come back for more" you can feel confident that things are okay. The only catch is that siblings can learn to play rough with each other, but can be too much for other dogs that are not used to rough play. If this happens, move your dogs away from the new dog when they are too rough and only let them play if they keep their play within comfortable levels for all dogs involved.

Jeff