Muoi (the husky) and Hunter (the dachshund) are siblings that LOVE each other.  We keep a very close eye on dogs playing when their sizes are so different, but in the case of siblings, they usually have already worked out their “rules”.

This play session probably lasted a solid 5 to 10 minutes and not a single yelp, growl or yip was heard out of either of them.  As a rule, silent play, is very good play!  It means that it is balanced and that neither dog is feeling at all overwhelmed or intimidated.  That isn’t to say that some noise during play is bad (some dogs constantly make noises and some games (like the “bitey face” game always involves noise) but silent play is almost always good.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you’ve ever witnessed a dog fight, you’ll probably remember the loud noises that accompanied it.  Escalating noise between two dogs playing is usually a sign that the play is moving beyond fun and rambunctious and is always a sign for us to step in and give the dogs a short break, if they don’t initiate the break themselves.  Often even just a few seconds of rest can make a huge difference.

If you are interested in learning more about dog behaviour during play, here is a great article about what to look for.  We couldn’t agree more with what she has to say about “Third Wheels”!

And just because I had lots of photos of these two, I figured I might as well post them.  Enjoy!

So I’m pretty sure the game started when Baloo decided he was tired of being the short one.

The chair didn’t really help once Mya hopped up there with him though.

After playing “Bitey Face” for a bit, Baloo moved onto the game of “Squish”.

They then decided to see who had the bigger mouth.

I think it was a tie.