The Role of Play for Dogs

The importance of play

During playtime, the dog experiences pleasurable activities such as playing with toys, eating treats, and interacting with its owner. The reward during play must be of high value and accessible for timely reinforcement. Each breed has its unique behaviour and different needs. For instance, terriers have high prey drives and like to hunt and kill small prey such their role in vermin control on farms. Whereas, a Border Collie instantly like to herd. Breeds can be categorised into toys, hounds, pastoral, terriers, utility dogs, gun dogs, and working dogs. Each breed exhibits varying intensities of prey drives, defensive drives, and fight drives, requiring adaptation of mind games and activities based on the dog’s breed, age, and health. 

Across all species, play behaviour is found in those with complex cognitive abilities and motor skills. Slow juvenile development & a generalist diet contribute to the development of a dog/s. Excessive amounts of energy can be channeled in to hunting, guarding, chasing & more (Ewer,1968, Fagen, 1974, Byers, 1999). Play is an activity which is pleasurable and a learning experience for both parties who take part in it. Dogs will play with each other for the following reason or functions.  (Somerviller et al, 2017)

 1) social bonding with dogs and people in order to reduce antagosnistic encounters and enhance familiarity. 

2) Enhance motor skills especially young puppies and adolences. 

3) Practice for the unexpected such as fighting in a non risky environment with other dogs. 

4) Through artificial selection of the domestic dog from the wolf, play has been exaggerated more from a juvenile state in to adulthood.  As mentioned above some breeds are more playful than others. 

Play as a survival tool for juveniles to help them practise to hunt and practise combat in a low risk setting (Hagen & Hagen 2004, Hagen & Hagen 2009).