Reading Body Language

Watch for balanced play signals: play bows, loose wiggly bodies, bouncy movements, and dogs taking turns chasing. These point to a healthy social group.

Warning signs include a stiff body, fixed staring, raised hackles, one dog pinning another without letting up, and a dog repeatedly trying to escape while another keeps chasing. A park with these dynamics is not safe to enter — walk away and come back when the group has changed.

Watch your own dog too: their body language tells you when they have had enough.