Playing with Harley

Harley and Snickers are my inlaws' dogs. Harley's dad is owned by one of my friends and he is a black English Labrador. His mom is a black Labrador mix, supposedly some husky in there. Snickers (full name Snickerdoodle) is a Labrador and standard Poodle mix rescued from a small enclosed concrete slab in a backyard full of screaming children. Many people think he is an Irish Wolfhound mix because he's so tall!

The girls had a great time playing with Harley. Snickers joined in a bit too but he's not fond of the rougher wrestling. He was most interested in trying to mount Kaytu, but she doesn't let dogs mount her. She, in the way most polite for dogs, will spin out from under the dog while giving a single sharp "harf!" sound and baring her teeth. Then she typically will give a play bow or other invitation for the dog to chase her, or play continue with whatever she was previously doing.

I took a couple dozen photos of them all playing. Dogs give signs constantly throughout play. They indicate to each other that they are still playing and having a good time. They indicate if the play is getting too rough and they'd like a brief pause or even a full stop to take a break. They show they are comfortable, or not, with the interaction and will ask for distance if they need it. I took so many photos because I was fascinated by what Harley was doing. Fascinated in a way that only a dog lover and behavior-studying nerd can be! His play with Kaytu was really fun to watch. As you're about to see, Harley shows a lot of teeth when he plays and also often has his hackles up. The fur goes up from his shoulders all the way his back. This is called piloerection. We get it too, and we call it goosebumps.

While he was for the most part enjoying the interaction with my girls I feel showing his teeth and his raised fur along with the tension he often displayed throughout his face and entire body is a pretty clear sign that he wasn't always comfortable. He does not routinely meet or play with dogs other than Snickers, and my dogs can be pretty rough when they play. The girls were pretty good about giving him space when he asked. Things never got serious and they all had a great time!

Ready for lift off!

Snickers followed Kaytu a lot.

Harley looks very tense in this pic. Tail low, teeth bared, fur raised, head lowered.
Kaytu gives a great play bow to show Harley she's still wanting to play, and
Denali is also taking the hint to give him some space.

Play bows can happen mid air too!

Kaytu's signature move

Look at Snickers. Classic "I want to mount you" posture.
Tail high, staring at her back, standing tall, head over her back, tension in his hind quarters.
You can't see, but his mouth is closed too.

Harley trying to go under Snickers, as he did when he was a puppy.

Snickers again showing the "I want to mount you" posture.