Aggressive or playful ?

[BEF]

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Just interested to know what this photo portrays.

 

[Ari_RR]

I would say - a happy dog, probably looking for something to bite or someone to play with on that comfortable sofa.
Could be looking for someone to bite or something to play with, but these are minor details , a happy playful dog nonetheless.

 

[JoanneF]

I agree. An aggressive dog would be unlikely to be on his (her? hard to see) back. The fore paws also ok loose and relaxed. The teeth aren't relevant imo, my boy does teethy play with complete bite inhibition.

 

[BEF]

And if she was in the same position with grass underneath her and a dog above her would you give the same answer ?

 

[JoanneF]

And if she was in the same position with grass underneath her and a dog above her would you give the same answer ?

No, I don't think I would. But that said, we have a thread on body language, and static still photos are quite hard to read without seeing the dynamics of what went before.

 

[JudyN]

And if she was in the same position with grass underneath her and a dog above her would you give the same answer ?

I might, but it depends. Lurchers often play 'bitey-face' where they can look and sound as if they're trying to kill each other. You'd have to see the whole interaction and the body language of each dog to be sure. Look for occasional pauses in the game, shaking off a bit of tension, whether either dog is stiffening/freezing at all.

 

[BEF]

Ok thank you, trying to learn more about doggy body language. It's very interesting.
It can be confusing when a dog is playing and growling at the same time.

 

[Caro Perry]

Harri plays very rough at times with dogs he knows well. Full on bitey face and wrestling, often bowling each other over and grabbing. Often with growley noises. It's just play though - both parties enjoy it immensely until they have to stop for a breather, at which point they'll trot off together happily.

There is a real noticeable difference between a "play" growl and an "aggressive" growl.

 

[niamh123]

My 2 rough play together and have to agree with Caro Perry you can definitely tell the difference with a play growl or an aggressive one

 

[Mad Murphy]

My two play rough grabbing pinning and snatching at each other's legs and ears.. But there is no growling and if either one yelps the other lets go without any hesitation. They take turns to be the one on top too.