About Dog Play

To “play” is to engage in an activity for enjoyment, with no overt purpose other than the enjoyment itself. While some play may feel important in the moment (talk to my husband if the Ravens are in the playoffs), play is not directly related to an organism’s survival or reproduction.

So if play doesn’t directly affect survival or reproduction… why do it? Why is play so ubiquitous, especially among mammals, most especially among social mammals? And why is play absolutely imperative when it comes to puppy development?

The answers lie in play’s function. In other words, while play may be “pointless” in and of itself, it nevertheless serves a crucial role in gradually shaping social interactions, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being. For a puppy, playing is learning. They are inextricably linked. 

Play-Based Learning

Telling your friends you’re sending your dog to a Montessori school seems like a sketch straight out of Portlandia. But here’s a thing everyone knows but feels weird about saying out loud… 

Dog training and early childhood education are reeeeeeeally similar. 

Dog brains and human brains share quite a few features. Both species are mammals and have a common evolutionary ancestor. Both dog and human brains have similar basic structures responsible for higher cognitive functions, motor control, and basic life-sustaining processes. Both species’ brains have functional areas dedicated to similar tasks, such as processing sensory information, motor functions, and emotions. Both species use the same neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) to transmit signals within the brain, which influence mood, behavior, and various physiological processes. Lastly, both dogs and humans have the capacity for learning, reasoning, and memory formation (although the complexity and methods can vary).

So it makes sense that educating the young brain of a human and educating the young brain of a canine would share some pretty foundational strategies.

And chief among these strategies? PLAY.

The concept of play-based learning has deep historical roots, evolving through various educational philosophies and practices over the centuries, long before Maria Montessori came onto the scene. 

Plato, for example, believed that children learn best when they are engaged in enjoyable activities. He saw play as a means for children to practice and prepare for their future roles in society. Through play, Plato said, children could develop physical, cognitive, and social skills.

Fast forward a couple thousand years—and a whole lot of philosophers and educators later—and we’ve got Maria Montessori in the early 20th Century. Montessori emphasized self-directed activity and hands-on learning. Her approach encouraged children to explore and learn at their own pace within a prepared environment, which often included play-like activities. 

Today, play-based learning is widely accepted and implemented in various educational settings, from preschools to early primary education to (drumroll please) Dog Adventures Northwest’s Puppy Play & Learn program. Ta-Da! Why should human children be the only ones to receive the benefits of extensive research on early brain development? Let’s invite the puppies along, too.

The Seven Emotional Systems

Jan Panksepp (1943-2017), a neuroscientist known for his groundbreaking research on emotions, proposed seven primary systems as foundational to the mammalian emotional experience: Seeking, Rage, Fear, Lust, Care, Panic/Grief, and Play. Engaging in fun and playful experimentation with these systems allows juvenile and adolescent dogs to learn valuable skills in a low-stakes, low-pressure, and fun-filled environment. 

In this way, play is like a gym for the mind, allowing puppies to hone systems crucial to their success in adulthood. 

• Seeking is the motivational system that drives exploration, curiosity, and the pursuit of rewards. It is associated with the release of dopamine in the brain and plays a crucial role in learning and goal-directed behavior.
  
  The Seeking system underlies curiosity and the motivation to explore, which are essential for active learning and knowledge acquisition. This curiosity also aids in problem-solving, spatial awareness, and impulse control.
  
  Dogs get plenty of practice “Seeking” at Puppy Play & Learn, as successful social interactions are highly rewarded, both intrinsically and extrinsically. Norman the Bernedoodle wants to play with JoJo the Havanese, for example, which he indicates by swiping his big paws at JoJo’s head. This behavior understandably makes JoJo move away, however, which is not at all what Norman wants. So he instead experiments with other strategies to successfully solicit play, eventually discovering that if he lies down and keeps his paws (mostly) on the ground, JoJo is happy to play with him. The lesson is further reinforced by the trainer (hello!) through praise, treats, and access to resources. Mission accomplished and lesson learned.
• Rage is the response to frustration or threat, activating defensive behaviors. This system is vital for survival, triggering fight responses in the face of danger.
  
  Puppies are not put in situations in which they feel unsafe at Puppy Play & Learn. All puppy play is opt-in only. What puppies do get to do, however, is play-act rageful battle royales in a safe, playful, and fun way. Under careful guidance by a trainer, puppies learn how to appropriately express boundaries, control the pressure of their jaws, interpret the body language of other dogs, resolve conflicts, and regulate emotions.
• Fear is the response to perceived threats or danger, promoting avoidance behaviors and heightened arousal. It is crucial for learning about dangerous situations. 

The concept of risk and risk aversion is actively explored at Puppy Play & Learn, through the use of play equipment and the navigation of new social relationships. What is it like to walk with four paws across a balance beam? Is it safe to careen down the slide or enthusiastically pounce on the trampoline? What happens when you crash into the play tent and it falls over? Is that bigger/faster/different dog safe? What happens when you think you might want to play, but are not sure? All of these experiences will help a dog develop the “right” kind of fear, in an environment where the consequences are manageable. If a puppy falls off the balance beam, for example, they have a very soft landing. If a play tent falls on a puppy, while it may be startling, it will not actually hurt anyone. If a puppy meets another dog and decides they are not ready to be friends, they are given the space they need to decompress and try again in an even lower-stakes environment. Allowing puppies to gently face and successfully overcome physical and social obstacles goes a long way toward building resilience in young dogs.

• Lust is the emotional system related to reproductive behaviors and sexual attraction, facilitating species propagation.
  
  Many of the Play & Learn dogs are not sexually mature, but they will nevertheless display occasional “sexual” behaviors like mounting and humping. Why? Because playing is learning! Dogs need to practice the physical behaviors that accompany sexual maturity before they are able to actually mate. These behaviors often serve as solicitations of play, demonstrations of excitement, or a barometer for where they fall in the social hierarchy.
  
  Of all of the primary emotional systems, this is the one that dogs don’t get to practice too much at Play & Learn, as a learning opportunity for a puppy cannot be at the expense of another puppy participant. The occasional mount or hump is a part of a dog’s play repertoire is fine, but repeated mounting, humping, or obsessive following of other dogs unfortunately can’t be accommodated. When adolescents get to this point, they will “graduate” Puppy Play & Learn until they are spayed or neutered and/or they have moved beyond this developmental phase.
• Care is the nurturing and caregiving system, associated with maternal behaviors and social bonding. It fosters attachment and protection of offspring.
  
  Because we often have stable cohorts at Puppy Play & Learn, dogs develop legitimate social bonds with other dogs, allowing them to flex their “care” muscles. “Care” in puppyhood and adolescence may look like careful and self-aware play, respecting social cues from other dogs, social modeling, and affiliative gestures, such as snuggling, grooming, and co-regulation (because group chill-times are the bestest).
  
  
• Panic/Grief is the system involved in separation distress and the loss of social bonds, facilitating social cohesion and reunion behaviors.
  
  Dogs at Puppy Play & Learn get lots of practice working together as a relatively regulated group, and can develop very strong relationships as a result. The first dog to arrive in the morning often runs from space to space, looking for their friends. And if they don’t find them, they can be disappointed. At the end of the day, many puppies don’t want to leave, and can protest separation from their buddies. All of this is normal behavior, and is evidence of strong social ties and cohesion. Guiding dogs through this emotional system helps to build resilience in developing minds.
  
  Play & Learn puppies also get practice with positive separation away from their human guardian. In the middle of every session, all puppies are given their own separate space to decompress with a good food puzzle for 45 minutes. (Some of the youngest puppies may also snooze during this time, but most pups find the environment a little too exciting to sleep.) Whereas puppies are repeatedly rewarded for engagement with their trainer during most of their PP&L time, puppies are rewarded for disengagement from me during this rest period. Through the use of remote feeders and carefully tossed treats, puppies get reinforcement for taking a deep breath, lying down, and engaging with their food puzzle.
  
  
• Play is the system that promotes joyful activities, social bonding, and the development of cognitive and motor skills through playful interactions.
  
  Because Puppy Play & Learn fosters development through play, this emotional system is woven through all of the other systems. Navigating these foundational systems through play makes learning emotional regulation self-reinforcing. Which is rad. Learning is PLAY and play is FUN, ergo LEARNING IS FUN.
  
  Our brains pay us for playing, using dopamine as currency. Why? Because at its core, play encourages physical exercise, mental stimulation, problem-solving skills, stress relief, and social bonding, all of which are vital for an organism’s full health. In other words, it’s to an organism’s advantage to neurologically prioritize play, as the lessons it inherently learns as a byproduct of play are integral to its success.
  
  Play provides a safe and non-threatening environment for puppies to experiment with different behaviors, learn the consequences of their actions, and develop communication skills necessary for navigating social interactions. Moreover, play helps establish social hierarchies and reinforces appropriate social boundaries, facilitating harmonious coexistence within dog groups.
  
  Play also serves as an excellent means of physical exercise, helping puppies develop coordination, agility, and motor skills, which are crucial for navigating their environment and interacting with other animals. Perhaps more importantly, play allows excitable and hyperactive young dogs to expend excess energy, which goes a long way toward emotional regulation. Raising puppies is HARD, y’all. Meeting a puppy’s needs for physical and mental enrichment—while crucial for their development—is also crucial for your sanity as their adult guardian.

The Role of the Trainer in Facilitated Play

What does Kerry do during Puppy Play & Learn? Are play-sessions free-for-alls, in which the puppies go bananas and work out new social relationships on their own while Kerry chills out and eats chocolate chip cookies?

No.

(Though I do love chocolate chip cookies.)

Facilitating Puppy Play & Learn is a very hands-on job, primarily revolving around the following objectives:

Management: It’s my job to create a variety of environments in which puppies can feel safe enough to actively play, move specific puppies into and out of these environments as is necessary and helpful, and actively supervise play within these environments. To do this, I use baby gates, exercise pens, tethers, fences, gentle handling techniques, positive reinforcement, and very close observation. Some groups do well all together, while others do best divided into smaller groups. Puppies are often moving  between one space and another, as their energy levels and emotional regulation necessitates. Puppies may just have one playmate, a couple of friends, or the whole darn group if it is a safe and productive learning environment for all. 

Material: As Maria Montessori says, “A child, who more than anyone else is a spontaneous observer of nature, certainly needs to have at his disposal material upon which he can work.” Another big part of my involvement during Puppy Play & Learn is preparation and presentation of a variety of different materials that the dogs can use for learning and socialization. Our outdoor play space has stumps to jump on, balance beams to walk, steps and ramps, vegetation to run around and through, balls and tugs, open areas and compact areas, and kiddie pools and other water features (in the ​​warmer months). Our indoor play space has large foam blocks for climbing, a balance beam, a slide, a ramp, a variety of balance toys, a mini trampoline, balls and tugs, step-up platforms, and food puzzles. Introduced into both environments at various times and on rotating days are also a variety of sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, and situations of the human world. Puppies need positive exposure with all of these things to thrive!

Training: I use a clicker and a variety of high-, medium-, and low-value treats to capture desirable behaviors, which serves to increase the chance of the behavior’s recurrence in the future (termed “positive reinforcement”). Puppies learn quickly that human engagement behaviors like auto check-ins, eye contact, and close proximity usually result in awesome things happening. After puppies have gotten their wiggles out, I also actively solicit behaviors like recalls, sits, and downs. I also “mark” appropriate play with dogs through click/treats and verbal praise. I want puppies to love learning about new stimuli in their environment, to develop the resilience they need to navigate new relationships, and to overall have a really, really good time. Training is absolutely essential to develop trust-based relationships between pup and handler.

How Dogs Play

Think of all play behavior as practice for basic ancestral and instinctive canine behavior. Puppies learn how to stalk, chase, bite, kill, hide, dissect, and ingest prey by playfully practicing all of these skills on one another and on various items/elements in their environment. Puppies learn how to manage conflict through play-acting conflict. They learn how to fight by play-acting offensive and defensive strategies. They learn how to attract a mate by play-acting various sexual and hierarchical rituals. All of this is 100% normal.

Nevertheless, it can be daunting to watch dogs interact—jumping on one another, growling, biting, etc—and not know if they are playing, fighting, or something in-between. Understanding interactive play just takes experience: the more you learn, the easier it is to make sense of a dog’s interaction with another dog. To aid you in this process, as a part of your puppy’s Play & Learn experience, you will receive narrated videos of your dog playing with other dogs. Additionally, all guardians are invited to attend Puppy Play & Learn from 11:30am-12pm to observe play in-person, with active management, explanations, and training by yours truly. 

Here are just a few of the interactive and independent games dogs play as a part of their learning process:

Chase: Many dogs love chasing or being chased. It’s a natural behavior that mimics hunting instincts. Dogs often take turns being the chaser and the chased, which helps maintain the fun and balance in the game.

Tug: This game involves pulling on opposite ends of a toy or rope, and mimics the tearing apart of a prey animal with a packmate. It’s a great way for dogs to release their energy, engage their muscles, and cooperate together toward a common goal. (Note: Tug is not a challenge of dominance. It is a bonding activity between members of the same family/group. It’s a great game for people to play with their dogs as well!)

Fetch: Retrieving a thrown object, like a ball or stick, is a classic game for many dogs. Tracking and retrieving combines physical exercise with mental stimulation.

Wrestling: Playful wrestling, where dogs gently bite on one another while engaging in various levels of physical contact, is common. Wrestling helps puppies practice social skills, communication, and bite inhibition.

Keep-Away: Dogs play keep-away with other dogs to get attention from their playmates, solicit a game of chase, and to create social bonds with others. They also may learn that picking up something they shouldn't and running around with it is a surefire way to get their owner's attention.

Food Puzzles and Long-Lasting Chews: It is highly entertaining for a dog to free food from various confines. Chewing, gnawing, and dissection all mimic various elements of the predatory sequence, which creates dopamine in a dog’s brain. Many dogs would actually prefer to work for their food over eating it straight out of a bowl. 

Snuffle Mats, Lick Mats, and Sniffaris: Exploring the world through olfaction and taste is a fundamental part of a dog’s “Seeking” system. Neurologically, these behaviors stimulate the release of endorphins and other neurochemicals that mitigate stress and foster relaxation. Engaging in foraging, snuffling, and sampling helps dogs regulate their emotional state and manage stress.

Elements of Dog Play

Understanding the elements involved in dog play can help you recognize healthy play behaviors. Here are a few of the key behaviors that I regularly capture and reinforce when puppies interact at Puppy Play & Learn:

Taking Turns: Dogs often take turns being the leader or the follower in games like chase, and alternate who is winning and who is losing in their games of WWF wrestle-mania. This reciprocity is crucial for maintaining social balance.

Play Bows: One of the most recognizable play solicitations, the play bow involves a dog lowering its front legs while keeping its rear end elevated. This behavior is often self-reinforced, as it’s a crystal clear indication of play that often “works” by earning the dog a playmate.

Bouncing or Pouncing: Dogs may pounce on one another or bounce around with comically exaggerated movements, usually with soft eyes, a relaxed mouth, and a loosely wagging tail. At Play & Learn, I specifically capture and reinforce bouncing and pouncing that does not involve physical contact with another dog, unless the other dog also opts-in to play.

Pawing or Nudging: Dogs may use their paws to nudge or tap others, signaling a desire for interaction. This behavior can be directed at other dogs, people, or toys. Similarly to “bouncing and pouncing,” the specific behavior I reinforce at Play & Learn is pawing or nudging with little/gentle contact, until and unless the other dog opts-in to play.

Playful Barking: Vocalizations such as playful barking, yipping, or whining are common ways dogs solicit play. These sounds are usually high-pitched and enthusiastic, contrasting with the more serious tones used in other contexts.

Self-Interruption: Good play involves pauses and breaks, during which time dogs can catch their breath or reassess the situation. This helps prevent over-excitement and potential misunderstandings. Self-interruption also serves as a kind of “consent check,” in which a puppy indicates “I’m having fun! Are you?”

Appropriate Energy Levels: Play can be energetic, but not overly manic. In healthy play, a dog respects another dog’s communicated boundaries and adjusts their intensity based on their playmate’s cues.