# Dog Barking at Other Dogs to Get Them to Play



## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

So Vincent tends to be somewhat vocal at the park when I take him to go play with other dogs. He's usually not that bad until maybe the last 30 minutes or so of being there (usually there for an hour). He tends to bark at other dogs in an effort to get them to play with him. It's never mean or aggressive barking. I've actually never seen him be aggressive to anything or anyone...no dogs, no people, nothing. He actually rarely, if ever barks unless he's trying to get play or attention. I figure this is probably just "dog speak" for him, it's him saying "HEY! PLAY WITH ME!" as he doesn't do it as soon as the other dog starts to play. The thing is, though, people that don't know him and don't know that he's not aggressive sometimes seem like they think it's aggressive behavior. The last time I went to the park right before we were about to leave he was doing this to a dog to get it to play and the owners were trying to get their dog away from him. Quite frankly, it makes me feel crappy because people think he's aggressive, when he's not.

Anyway, is there anyway to train him out of this behavior? Is it something I should even train him out of, or is it just normal "dog talk" for him? Should I just tell the owners that are worried to get over it (well, not literally, but should I just not even worry about what they think?)?

Like I said, it's never aggressive barking, it's always just "hey! I want to play with you!" barking and he's never aggressive to anybody, ever. He doesn't even bark when new people to come to the house or if there are loud noises outside or if he sees other dogs on walks. He's pretty quiet for the most part, unless he wants you to pay attention or play with him. The only thing I've been doing up to this point when he gets overly vocal like that is to take him away from the rest of the dogs and go on a little one on one walk with him around the park. It seems to get him to settle down a bit, but he eventually goes back to it.


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

I have tried to grow a tough skin with other owners who don't understand that my dog is not aggressive. Sometimes he does a really rumbly growl when in a play bow and I can't tell you how many people think he is about to eat their dog. This is in spite of his obvious play bow and their dog's obvious lack of concern for the growling. Sometimes people are just stupid. I wouldn't go out of my way to train your dog to be different. If other dogs don't like the barking, they will let your dog know. Taking your dog for a walk to take a break never hurts. Sometimes I do it to keep myself from telling off the human. My dog doesn't care either way.


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

MegaMuttMom said:


> I have tried to grow a tough skin with other owners who don't understand that my dog is not aggressive. Sometimes he does a really rumbly growl when in a play bow and I can't tell you how many people think he is about to eat their dog. This is in spite of his obvious play bow and their dog's obvious lack of concern for the growling. Sometimes people are just stupid. I wouldn't go out of my way to train your dog to be different. If other dogs don't like the barking, they will let your dog know. Taking your dog for a walk to take a break never hurts. Sometimes I do it to keep myself from telling off the human. My dog doesn't care either way.


The dogs he does it to obviously know he wants to play. They either ignore him or humor him for a moment, then try to walk away...but never has any dog ever reacted negatively to him barking at them. I mean, I feel like they all know what each other is trying to communicate to each other. It just makes me feel like an ass because I have the dog that likes to bark to initiate play. Sometimes he does get a bit too excited if the dog won't appease him and nips at them and won't leave them alone, that's typically when I go for a walk with him.

It's funny to me though because he will be playing with one dog for a while, then another dog comes by and takes his play friend and that's typically when he gets to barking and nipping. Haha, I think he gets jealous. lol


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## bklantz (Feb 14, 2010)

Both my dogs do that too. If Ringo is laying down and Ella wants to play she would literally bark at his face for an hour if I let her! Ringo does it too but not as much because he is pretty low energy and lazy.

I have the same issue at the dog park and I just let it go, if they want to think she is aggressive then fine. Both my dogs also do the low growly type sound when they are wrestling too and people ALWAYS think they are growling aggressively even though they aren't.

I ignore it and if someone says something to me I tell them they just make that sound as part of their play or that they are barking because they want the dog to play with them. If they push back again about it I simply state "These are my dogs that I live with and deal with everyday of my life, I think I know their personality a bit more than you" That usually ends the conversation and they either are fine with it or they take their dog away, no sweat off my back if their dog can't play. 

Anyway, I personally haven't even tried to train it out of them...it's just play for them and I don't see the harm in it besides that it can be annoying (for me and other people) but I personally don't see it as a big deal or anything. I also have no clue how I would get her to stop


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## Tavi (May 21, 2010)

I have to agree with the other posters as well, Buddy is a nice quiet player on respects but Dia has this very rough growl that she keeps going during any time of wrestling match. Which I suspect makes more than a few dog owners a bit leary considering her favorite thing is to go after another dogs feet and throat. Now she's completely dog friendly and would never hurt a soul...but she still sounds like a little demon. And at the same park a good friend of mine has their dog Tango, who barks...non-stop before play, during play, after play. I seriously can't figure out how this dog manages to drag in a breath with all the barking. LoL But he's also a very sweet dog and just gets into a very vocal play mood. We've decided that if other owners want to ask us about it, we'll discuss it and such but the dog parks we go to are large enough that if you don't want to play with my dog you don't even have to be in the acre as me! LoL Heck my fave dog park is 60 acres and multiple paths...you can get lost in their if you're having fun! =)


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for all the reassurance. I guess from now on I will just have to tell other dog owners to get over it...lol...but of course I will be more polite then that. ;-)

The best part, was today Vincent had a dog doing it to him at the park and he didn't seem to be too fond of it himself. Too bad he can't put two and two together.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Kit does something similar, but not quite the same. If she's somehow restrained (tie-out, behind a fence, in a crate), and someone walks by who she wants to meet, she likes to bark to tell them "Hey! I'm stuck here - why don't you come over here so I can administer the face lick of death!?" Of course, all the barking makes people think she's deranged, and who's going to approach a barking dog? No one notices the frantically wagging tail! 
I try to avoid tie-outs because the barking can get pretty insistent, which is embarrassing.

The first time I saw Kit do this I was visiting with her at the shelter where I got her. A man walked by and she barked at him. I asked if she had a problem with men (so many dogs do), and I was told "no". Turns out that was true - she just wanted to say hello.


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## hbowen87 (Aug 4, 2009)

Star does the exact same thing. If she's worn out another dog and it doesn't want to play any more or if, heaven forbid, one of her favorite wrestling buddies is playing with SOMEONE ELSE *gasp* the world just ended and she will bark her face off. Because I work at a dog daycare there have been many occasions I've had to make her stop (coworker on the telephone with a customer, customer trying to pick up their dog and can't hear a single thing, type instances) and Star immediately goes into "well how can I annoy this dog into playing with me without barking?" mode, and figured out pulling tails works too! Actually quite a bit better! *facepalm* I'd say don't worry about it or you too might have to be explaining tail pulling in the future (or in the case of our Australian Shepherd at work, why Star keeps nosing around through the fur on his butt looking for a tail)


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

hbowen87 said:


> Star does the exact same thing. *If she's worn out another dog and it doesn't want to play any more or if, heaven forbid, one of her favorite wrestling buddies is playing with SOMEONE ELSE *gasp* the world just ended and she will bark her face off.* Because I work at a dog daycare there have been many occasions I've had to make her stop (coworker on the telephone with a customer, customer trying to pick up their dog and can't hear a single thing, type instances) and Star immediately goes into "well how can I annoy this dog into playing with me without barking?" mode, and figured out pulling tails works too! Actually quite a bit better! *facepalm* I'd say don't worry about it or you too might have to be explaining tail pulling in the future (or in the case of our Australian Shepherd at work, why Star keeps nosing around through the fur on his butt looking for a tail)


Haha, you pretty much EXACTLY described what Vincent does as well.


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## Jenn~n~Luke (Aug 20, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about it if the dogs he's playing with don't mind, BUT that being said, I know that some dogs do mind. Luke is not a barker, and I find that he will get a bit annoyed if a dog is constantly barking in his face. Maybe he gets it from me lol because I cannot stand small breed barks. I have chronic headaches, and any high pitched/tone sound like a bird screeching or small dog barking is like shards of glass in my brain. My mother's new shih tzu pup is BAD for this ((just recently started though and Mom was asking me for ways to get her to stop)). It drives me crazy. Luke loves her, but after a while even he gets sick of it and will stop playing with her, walk away and try to ignore her. Only problem is, she's stubborn as heck and doesn't clue in lol.


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## Foster Dog (Sep 20, 2010)

Barking is normal, but barking excessively or to demand things for example, is not and does need to be tolerated - it is behaviour that can be fairly easily changed. There has to be awarenesss and willingness in the owner to do so however.


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## TStafford (Dec 23, 2009)

There was a dog named Buddy when I use to go to the DP that would do that. After awhile Porter started doing it too. The only bad thing about Porter is when he barks he stops, stairs at the dog (or person), looks like he has lost all hope, then out of no where lets out this big bark that scares the mess out of everyone. Then he hops around like a bunny and keeps barking and crying. And of course because he's a Rottwiler everyone just thinks he is trying to kill their dog.


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

I've kind of just approached the situation where I let Vin bark if he wants and observe his behavior as well as the other dog's response. If he starts getting a bit too over exuberant about it, we go for a walk. I've noticed it seems to happen more when there's a "pack" of dogs playing and if they are larger dogs. I think he tends to think he's much better then he is, so maybe the barking is him just trying to express that, who knows. But yea, I let him do his thing, but when it starts becoming too much or I notice the other dog responding poorly, I'll take him out of the situation.

He's been doing it a lot more at the park the past couple times that we were there, which has made me mildly cautious. I dunno, it just makes me nervous, I suppose because sometimes it seems like he's not getting aggressive, per say, as much as he is just getting overly physical.


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## Foster Dog (Sep 20, 2010)

Cesar's Dog Park Tips

While Cesar encourages everyone to exercise their dog on a regular basis, he also reminds you to keep in mind that a good pack leader maintains leadership even at the dog park. Here are 5 tips Cesar has for dog owners who want to demonstrate good pack leadership.

1. Make sure your dog is spayed or neutered, has all her shots, and is in good health. Under no circumstances should you bring a sick dog to a dog park!

2. Do not use the dog park as a substitute for the walk! If you drive to the park, leave your car a block away and take your dog on a vigorous walk of at least thirty-five minutes to drain some of her energy. Never take an over-excited dog to the park.

3. While at the park, don't "punch out" on your calm-assertive leadership. Be aware of your dog at all times, and take responsibility for her behavior.

4. A calm-submissive dog will not attract another dog's aggression--but an excited dog, a weak, timid dog, or an aggressive dog can become a fight-magnet.

5. Know your dog! If your dog has poor social skills, is overly fearful or is dog aggressive, or if you have not yet established your calm-assertive leadership with your dog, find a more controlled way to introduce her to the company of other dogs, such as "play dates" with one or two other dog owners.


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

We had a bit of an incident at the park over the weekend, I guess. My girlfriend took Vincent to the park on Sunday while I was playing a soccer game. Vincent was doing his normal thing and was playing with a boxer. The boxer was on the ground and Vincent was on top of him and they were wrestling. Vincent is very "nippy" when he plays with other dogs, but he rarely if ever nips to the point of hurting another dog. Anyway, so they were playing tails were wagging and apparently the owner of the boxer grabbed Vincent by the scruff of his neck (he had a collar on) and pulls him off her dog. I'm not sure when, but my girlfriend made a comment to the woman that their tails were wagging and the woman promptly replied with "I don't care if their tails are wagging!" My girlfriend then took Vincent away from the situation and went on a walk around the outside edge of the park like when typically do when he gets over excited. Vincent followed, as per usual, and apparently the boxer and some other dogs followed as well...all the while the owners attempted to get their dogs to come back to them by calling them, but they obviously hadn't been working on their recall skills very well because they weren't responding...

Is it right for me to be upset at this woman for grabbing my dog by the scruff of his neck when all the two dogs were doing were what I would consider to be "normal" dog wrestling and their tails were wagging? From the sound of it, it seems like there was body language from either dog saying that they didn't like what was going on and I always assume tail wagging means they're having a good time. I dunno, I guess I'm questioning myself and whether I have the right idea in my head that I know my dog, I know he's not aggressive even though he comes across that way by parking and nipping and that these people are in the wrong for thinking he's some kind of aggressive animal or if I should be doing more to get him to stop these behaviors...

Vincent has never gotten in a real "fight" at the park. There have been a few scuffles with other dogs that pester him and won't leave him alone. There are a couple dogs that I have recognized he doesn't get along with as well, mostly because they are male dogs that follow him around constantly and want to hump him. He deals with it well for a while, but when he's trying to play with another dog and some other dog has it's head on his back and his following him around constantly he will start to basically tell that dog to leave him alone (of course, the dogs rarely if ever listen). I've recognized the specific dogs he has issues with and I'm aware when they are around. Vincent tends to bark a lot at a dog when he wants to get them to play and it can sound like a mean bark, but I know it's not. He will just stand there and bark and bark and then put his paw on their side and he never quite gets it that when the dog does engage back, it means it probably doesn't want to play. He also likes nipping at legs and ears, but he's never drew blood from another dog and there's only a few instances where he has made the dog whimper a bit and in those times I take him away from the situation and give him a bit of a time out.

So should I be trying to do something differently through training or should I just ignore these people's opinions because I know my dog?


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## Foster Dog (Sep 20, 2010)

Hard to say for sure by your description - that is all totally normal playful activity - but if the dog on top isn't switching to let the other dog play the dominant, depending on the other dog, it could get aggressive quickly. Perhaps the other owner knew that about her dog and separated them before anything more could happen. And anyway, no harm done - they can handle a scruff grab - and the owner for whatever reason didn't want the play to continue - which is her right in the end. It could be, based on the other dogs following your dog, that he was in an overly excited state, in which case best to just remove him from the dog run area entirely if you prefer to err on the safe side. Has he been spayed and neutered? Has he been socialized properly. Is he exercised enough? Basically the Cesar points above.


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

Foster Dog said:


> Hard to say for sure by your description - that is all totally normal playful activity - but if the dog on top isn't switching to let the other dog play the dominant, depending on the other dog, it could get aggressive quickly. Perhaps the other owner knew that about her dog and separated them before anything more could happen. And anyway, no harm done - they can handle a scruff grab - and the owner for whatever reason didn't want the play to continue - which is her right in the end. It could be, based on the other dogs following your dog, that he was in an overly excited state, in which case best to just remove him from the dog run area entirely if you prefer to err on the safe side. Has he been spayed and neutered? Has he been socialized properly. Is he exercised enough? Basically the Cesar points above.


Yes, he is fixed and I guess he's been socialized properly? I mean, we never really had to "socialize" him per say, but we take him to the dog park at least once a week and have done so since we got him on June 30th. He gets along great with other dogs. I've never seen him be aggressive to other dogs unless, like I described above, that dog is being insistent and won't leave him alone. Otherwise, all he ever wants to do is play with other dogs and he's been around a huge variety of dogs while going to the dog park. And like I said before, he's never been aggressive or shown aggression to any dog unless that dog has shown it first and even those occasions are very, very rare. He pretty much likes any dog he sees and the ones he doesn't want to play with he just ignores unless they are following him around attempting to hump him (which happens pretty much every single time we go to the park...I guess he just brings all the boys to the yard? I dunno, but male dogs like to hump him).

I guess as far as the scruff grab goes, I just feel like it could have been done in a more appropriate manner. I just don't appreciate a stranger putting their hands on my dog like that when there is no reason to. If my dog were actually attacking her dog, then I would completely understand the need and desire for that owner to pull him off of their dog, but when it's just play it seems like there is a better manner to go about. I don't know if they were switching, but Vincent is rarely always the dog on top. More often then not, he's the dog on the bottom because he typically chooses to play with larger dogs (he's a little under 50 lbs and likes to play with labs, GSDs and larger dogs in general) so just based on his size, that's where he ends up although I have seen him on top of large dogs as well. I've never seen him sway more one way then the other in that regard.

Also, it should be noted that the dog park we go to is about 3.5 acres or so, so when we take him for a time out walk, we are pretty far away from the areas the other dogs typically play in.

In regards to exercise, I would say so. We typically use the park as a form of exercise, but I know that day he had already been on a 30 minute walk in the morning. Typically we do a 30/45 min walk in the morning and evening during the weeks (or supplement an evening walk with a visit to the park) and on weekends we'll do a 30/45 minute walk in the morning and evening and a visit to the park in the middle of the day since I have the time.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

I think some people just don't recognize dog play, but it's their right to stop it if they're uncomfortable about it. I'm not sure I'd agree with someone grabbing my dog like that.

I had a similar, but less physical, situation happen a couple weeks ago. My dog was playing really well with a slightly smaller cocker/poodle mix - they were chasing each other around and when they got tired they wrestled a little bit then both lay down and started playing bitey-face (I don't know what else to call it ). They were both enjoying it and neither one was being pushy. The other dog's owner, who was on his cell phone the entire time (also leaving his two 10-13 year-old boys unsupervised) said loudly into his phone, "I better go get my dog before this brute of a dog mauls her." I gave him a dirty look, grabbed my dog by the collar and kept her by my side until they left. (By the way, my "brute of a dog" is a 30 lb./8-month-old puppy.)

My dog also had a male puppy incessantly humping her during our last visit to the dog park. I followed them around, pushing him off, and even picked her up, but he was still fixated on her (jumping on my legs as I was carrying her away). Meanwhile, his owner was laying on his back in the grass (ew) staring at the sky, and made no moves to stop him when he finally sat up and saw what was happening. My dog loves every dog/person she has met up until now, but this dog prompted her to snap at him more than once (and he still didn't back off). I didn't want it to escalate, so I kept her away. He did finally stop after another dog came in and I guess broke his fixation (he was no longer humping any dogs).

I think a lot of people who go to dog parks don't know even about basic dog stuff - as far as dog manners, body language, etc. - so it's always a risk going there.


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

And I'm perfectly fine with owners not wanting their dog to play with mine, that's no skin off my back. I guess what I was most offended by is the way this woman went about it. I wasn't there, only my girlfriend and she didn't say anything to this woman, but I'm sure I would have had a few choice words. I just think her method of displaying her distaste with their play by grabbing my dog was rude.

Also, to be clear, we are both not the type of dog owners that takes our dog to the park, lets it do whatever he wants and go sit down and read a book. I actively follow him around and observe his play to make sure he's not being a jerk and my girlfriend does the same. We're very much aware of him the entire time.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

I hope you didn't think I was saying I thought you were like that - just sharing some similar experiences. I actively follow my dog around too because I know, as a puppy, that she can get annoying. Not that I plan to stop when she gets older either. I just feel safer being nearby in case something happens.


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

melaka said:


> I hope you didn't think I was saying I thought you were like that - just sharing some similar experiences. I actively follow my dog around too because I know, as a puppy, that she can get annoying. Not that I plan to stop when she gets older either. I just feel safer being nearby in case something happens.


Oh, most definitely not. Just adding more information for any readers.


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## Foster Dog (Sep 20, 2010)

I wouldn't be happy with a stranger doing that either to be honest. If they were just playing, with play-level growls and movements, tails wagging, etc; then she could have just stepped in and claimed the space to separate them - rather than grab him like that. Most likely, not experienced, or maybe had some bad experiences before.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

We tend to discourage the "stand there and bark at other dogs while they play" thing at work, but it is a normal, if obnoxious behavior. If you want it to stop, simply take a hold of his collar(gently) the second it starts and remove him for a moment. Then let him go back, if he starts again, simply remove again. They learn pretty quickly that the behavior results in them being removed from the fun. Some other dogs find this behavior very annoying and will go after a dog for it, most just ignore the dog, some will play with the dog.


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## bklantz (Feb 14, 2010)

I personally would be very upset if someone grabbed my dog like that, I don't touch other peoples dogs unless I'm petting them and I expect them to do the same. If the lady didn't like the play then she should grab her dog and then obviously since you/your girlfriend watch your dog you would see that and be able to grab your dog as well.

Ella loves to wrestle and one time she decided to run and tackle a dog slightly smaller than her and the owner didn't like it and so I went to grab Ella and he started making mean comments to me to 'control' my dog so I told him she was playing and likes to wrestle and she does it all the time to other dogs. He walked off and went around the park and then when he got back to where I was Ella runs over and wants to wrestle again but this time he starts shoving Ella away so I get mad and we basically end up in a full out yelling argument over this because he insists that Ella was being aggressive and fighting with his dog when I am 100% positive she was playing because she does it all the time at home with my other dog. Several other people at the dog park even came over and were helping defend me as well, he ended up storming out and writing down all our license plates (not sure what he was planning on doing with those)?

Anyway, I personally just do not want someone touching my dog like that especially when she is playing. I'm very protective of my dogs and cannot stand people who make mean comments/actions towards them.

If she was actually being aggressive then that is understandable as I would do the same if another dog was swanting to fight my dog. 

I think the lady should have just said something to your girlfriend about not liking the play so that she could grab your dog and not just grabbing him herself. Or at least go over to her dog and start calling him so that it was obvious she wanted her dog out of the play so you could intervene then.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Jackson does this too! He does a play bark sometimes in the dogs face or in a play bow position and I don't stop him. If we're at a dog park, he's there to have fun and be a dog so I'm gonna let him. Most owners don't care or seem to care anyways, and don't try to stop him or anything. If it's a skiddish new dog who has never been to the park before or something, and Jackson does this, I'll tell him to back off and he will usually listen. Or if he does it too much and the dog clearly does not want to play, I tell him to stop. He means no harm and, like Vincent, has NEVER been aggressive. 

The other day, I was at a dog park I don't typically go to, it's on the way to my dads house, but it was for a little meet-up group from other forums I belong to. Anyways, this lady had a Yorkie pup, 5 months old, maybe 4lbs or so. The puppy was clearly loving it, having a grand old time, and would roll over on her back, wagging her tail quickly and showing no signs of stress, etc. Jackson has a little 5lb yorkie girlfriend that he LOVES so he's used to playing with the little ones but it can look rough to someone else because he sometimes nibbles on them. Anyways... this lady was like wigging out (and not just on Jackson- any other dog too) and was like shooing my dog away. She almost squirted him with her water bottle but I caught her beforehand and asked her please not to. I was really annoyed.


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## snoopy1239 (Dec 7, 2010)

I Googled this exact question and this thread came up.

My dog's two and a half now but everyone thinks he's a puppy still because he'd play all day if he could.

When another dog finally tires, or doesn't want to play in the first place, he'll lie down and bark at them non-stop until they agree to play chase again. If they try to move away, he follows, which can result in the dog snapping. 

I'm therefore worried that one day he'll bark at the wrong dog and learn his lesson the hard way. He might even start to lose the friends he does have.

Are there any known techniques for stopping this as too often an otherwise fun playtime ends in a scuffle that I have to break up.

I've tried just finishing his play time and leaving to another area of the park as soon as it happens, but it didn't seem to have any long-term effect and I don't want him to get into the habit of barking to get what he wants.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

I am continually surprised by how ignorant of dog body language some owners are. Most around here are pretty good, but there's the occasional owner who has clearly never met a reactive dog, or thinks that one dog barking at another means they want to fight, etc. Its kind of funny - my neighbor thought our dogs hated each other, even though its very obvious that they just want to play. When we pass by each other on walks, both dogs bark and play bow like maniacs, tails going back and forth like... well, something that goes back and forth really fast - none of which is a sign of aggression.

All you can do is explain to the other owners (politely) that barking doesn't usually indicate aggression, especially if tails are wagging or dogs are play bowing.


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## mnshutterbug (Nov 27, 2012)

Barking dogs have never concerned me. It's the growling ones with their lips curled, hair on their back standing straight up and tail moving slowly back and forth that worry me. It's really surprising how ignorant people can really be.


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## anoukaimee (May 2, 2015)

Foster Dog said:


> Barking is normal, but barking excessively or to demand things for example, is not and does need to be tolerated - it is behaviour that can be fairly easily changed. There has to be awarenesss and willingness in the owner to do so however.


HOW do you change the behavior? My dog does the same thing and got attacked by a larger dog... they were playing fine, then he started to bark, and this dog just went after him (they were both fine, thank God). But now as soon as he starts to bark it is time to go. This might not bug some dogs, but it can develop into a serious problem. Please tell me how to change it--I've read ten books, literally, and none address this issue in particular. Thanks.


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## emiro123 (Mar 1, 2017)

I have this EXACT same issue, whatever happened with your dogs? Did it seem to stop?


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## WesselGordon (May 17, 2017)

As long as both dogs are on the same wave-length about the intensity and duration of play (or any interaction) it's fine with me. Unfortunately, like some posters noted, some people don't know Grade 1 dog behavior. From the description of the Boxer incident it sounds like the Boxer might have become a problem and his/her owner chose to intervene in completely the wrong way. 

Having said that I've learned in life you'll always get people that you can't get along with so no use worrying about it.


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