When Dogs Play, People Relax, and Social Barriers Break Down

I began writing this post months ago but somehow misplaced my notes, including those from talking with people about how and why dogs play and how frolicking dogs can be social catalysts for getting people to interact with one another. I recently found the notes, and after talking with more people during the past two weeks—50 citizen scientists, all of whom were excited to talk about their dogs and their playmates—I learned a lot about how playing dogs can break down social barriers. The subtitle came from a long talk with Annaliese about her dog, Ragmuffin. It captures a good bit of what I discussed with other people and what I learned.

Let's consider some aspects of what dogs are doing, thinking, and feeling when they play with other dogs and what Annaliese said. Doing this provides valuable lessons about why dog play is important for them and for us.

What is play?

Play is chaotic. There are various definitions of play, and many home in on how John Byers and I defined it some years ago: "Play is all motor activity performed postnatally that appears to be purposeless, in which motor patterns from other contexts may often be used in modified forms and altered temporal sequencing. If the activity is directed toward another living being, it is called social play." This definition centers on the structure of play sequences—what animals do when they play—and not on possible functions of play.¹

Dogs and humans can identify play and "read" what is happening by its chaotic and kaleidoscopic nature. Research shows sequences of play behavior are more variable than those performed in serious aggressive, reproductive, or predatory situations.

Dogs and other animals also tend to follow the "golden rules" of fairness when they play, and their play only very rarely escalates into real aggression. They trust one another to maintain the rules of the game.

Watching dogs play can also be contagious for them and for us—dogs who weren't playing often jump into the fray, and I often want to do the same, as do other people who are watching them. I'm often told they feel the empathy and joy that the playing dogs are feeling and expressing. I do, too.

Likewise, play can be catalytic and work as a social catalyst for getting people to interact with one another. People often laugh, smile, and talk with one another, and this can be tied into play being contagious. I call this the "lube effect" that fosters cooperation and trust in humans.

Source: Marc Bekoff

For example, I first met Aimee and Yoann a few days ago while watching their dogs Luna and Djobi (pictured here) playing in front of a coffee shop, and we had a wonderful chat about what their dogs were doing and how much fun it was to watch them play. This was their second rendezvous.

What people say about dogs at play

Here are a baker's dozen of comments about play in dogs that reflect its chaotic, contagious, and catalytic nature and that it's also fun:

• Maria: I love watching dogs playing. They have fun, and I want to join them but don't know how to do it.
• Harold: When I watch Esmerelda playing, I find myself smiling and talking with other people I don't know.
• Aimee: Watching Luna and other dogs playing delivers joy.
• Richard: I can't figure out what dogs are doing when they play because it seems like a free-for-all. They run, jump, growl, bite, nip, mount, hump, dodge here and there, and it makes no sense to me. They rarely fight and somehow manage to play fair.
• Lucinda: I'm often running late because once Toma begins playing and other dogs join in and I start chatting with other people, I lose track of time.
• Petr: I always feel badly when I have to pull Yankee from playing, because he gets lost in running around with his buddies and has no desires other than to play.
• Carole: I've met so many people just standing around and watching Oscar and Blondie play until they can't walk any more.
• Jon: I have no idea what's happening when Lola plays, but she is totally unaware of anything else and will play forever even when she's dragging her butt from fatigue.
• Alisa: When I watch Toby playing, I'm always smiling, and that attracts other people to talk to me, even if they don't have a dog and don't know me.
• Warren: Scientists need to watch dogs playing and stop wondering if they enjoy themselves, because if they didn't like to do it, they wouldn't do it.
• Josh: Maybe play evolved because it brings people together, because it's fun to watch and lessens possible tensions among them. Maybe it was important in domestication.²
• Martha: I have no idea what Sally is doing when she plays, because it looks like a mix of predatory, reproductive, and aggressive behavior, but she is having fun.
• Jacob: I find it easier to talk with other people, especially those I don't know, while watching Ronni play.

Important lessons and takeaways from watching dogs playing

Each of the above comments is packed with useful information, and taken as a whole, they surely can and should motivate more formal research.

I think of dogs as a "gateway species" that can help people bridge the "empathy gap" and connect with other species so that they extend their feelings about dogs to animals other than dogs, including humans.

Dogs also can be "gateways" for understanding animal emotions, for learning about why they and other animals do what they do, and for stimulating citizen scientists to contribute to an ever-growing database on different aspects of dog behavior and their rich and deep cognitive, emotional, and moral lives.

Play can be "fun for all" and open gateways at the same time. There's lots of value in allowing dogs to go nuts when they play and sharing the fun and ideas about what's happening with others. I don't know of any formal studies of this, but what I learned and what people shared can serve as the foundation for further research.

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It's important to share the joy you're feeling when watching dogs at play. And who knows? Maybe in the big picture, watching dogs at play can be a panacea for adding joy and goodwill to the world at large. So let them play, enjoy themselves, and share their joy with people who are lucky enough to watch them frolic. Nothing is lost, and most likely, a lot would be gained.