If you are ever unsure whether your dogs enjoying play with a new dog, a quick Consent Test is the best solution. The Consent Test simply involves you, the owner, holding back the more boisterous or more confident dog to see how your dog reacts.
GOOD VS. BAD ETHICS
What we sometimes see as normal socialisation for dogs, can in actual fact, be putting them through unnecessary trauma, just because we are not familiar with their body language. If you are interested in learning more about canine behaviour, please take a look at our previous blog that dives into the signs of a happy, stressed or anxious dog. At the end of the day, your dog’s happiness comes first!
Does the dog willingly go back to the more confident dog or are they more reluctant to return? Their response indicates your response. If your dog goes back to the other dog, then this is great indication that both dogs consent to the way in which they are playing, so feel free to let them roam!
However, if your dog is more reluctant to return (especially if your dog walks off in the opposite direction of the other dog), then please take this as a sign that this type of play was in actual fact too much for your dog.
