She and her colleagues wanted to know whether dogs respond to peoples’ play signals. In 2001, animal welfare and behavior researcher Nicola Rooney - now at the University of Bristol - had a simple question about dog-human play. But a study published in 2014 found that whether or not a dog plays with a person can be life-changing. Recent research suggests that it might be you who is not “playing right.' I initially found the implications of this research rather benign, extending no further than a particular dog-human duo. “This stinks.”ĭon’t be so quick to blame the dog.
Have you ever tried to play with a dog and it just doesn’t work? “The dog’s not playing right,” you may think. Dogs also play with people, although that’s not always a given. “I’ll do it!” After all, dogs play together until they are gray in the face. You’ve probably heard the expression, Life Is Short: Play With A Dog.
