If my dog (labrador) barks at me while we're play-fighting does it mean she's pissed?

hatrickpatrick

So myself and my lab have these ridiculous wrestling matches, tugs of war, games of chasing, and God knows what other kinds of battles when one of us is bored

Sometimes during these games she'll turn to look at me and start barking. It happens fairly randomly and during pretty much any kind of game. If I keep playing she'll keep playing, but I wonder is there a way to tell whether she's barking in a having-the-craic kind of way, or if I'm genuinely pissing her off with the chasing / trying to steal stuff / whatever?

She initiates most of these games herself, generally by coming at me when I'm sitting down trying to concentrate on something and doing something she knows will distract me enough to give chase Generally involves pawing at me, or putting her nose under whichever hand I'm typing with and forcing it away from the keyboard - so I know she enjoys the games, but when she stops and starts barking at me I sometimes wonder if that basically means "Ok now you're just being a dick, feck off!" >_>

Anyone got any insight into how one interprets this? I'll try and get a video next time so ye can see what I mean!

Whispered

If you want to find out for sure, next time she does it, stop playing and see if she initiates again

It sounds like she gets excited. One of mine groans when he gets excited and it sounds like a growl if you didn't know him. I wouldn't worry if she seems happy to continue playing.

ferretone

Yeah, I was going to say also: they do get very excited and wound up at times like these. It sounds to me as if she is simply getting over-excited when that happens, and just needs to let off some steam. If you're happy enough with a bit of that happening, then I'd say no problem, really, as you say she'll leave it at that, and just resume play as before. If it does ever get over the top, however, it should be easy enough to restore calm by switching activities, especially to doing a few training exercises, as they really concentrate the brain. Then she should either settle, or resume play, but in a calmer frame of mind.

hatrickpatrick

Ah I don't really mind the barking to be honest, just worried that it might mean she's not having fun. Do dogs bark even when they're enjoying themselves? When she plays with other dogs she almost never barks at them, which is what got me wondering if it was unusual.

EDIT: If this makes any difference, sometimes these barks are punctuated with what sound like "falsetto growls", as in a rolling rrrr growling sound but an octave or two above her actual "there's some fecker in our garden!" kind of growl. So her barks are like "Ruff! Ruff! Rrrrrrrrrr..... RUFF!!!"

DoYouEvenLift

Mine barks and growls sometimes like the other poster said too but I can still tell she's having fun. She also barks when she's excited when you come home, sometimes seems more like she does that if she's not getting attention though lol. Same if she's going for a walk and you take too long to get ready haha

tk123

One of my retrievers rarely barks - except for when she's playing! Usually to encourage us/her brother to keep playing lol

JuliusCaesar

Don't give her alcohol! It's not good for animals!

ShaShaBear

When my partner used to rough-house with Shadow, he would make all sorts of noises. They wouldn't sound out of place in a dogfighting ring He would snarl, growl, bark... And when OH stopped playing, he would stick his arse in the air, jump around like an idiot and bark until he re-engaged

aonb

my dogs would bark with excitement when we're playing. Its like they are having so much fun, that they have to bark with the sheer joy of it.
You know your dog, from its stance/eyes/tail/ears - you know the difference between a "this is great fun" bark vs a "Im scared" or "Whats the noise" or "Go away" type bark?

My dog is VERY vocal. He growls/moans ALL the time. I mean all the time - at everything! if I wipe dry his feet with a towel (happens about 20times/day) if I lift him up, if I put him down, if I scratch his back, if I play with him, if I scratch his belly. I know its just that he is vocal, someone who doesnt know him would be afraid of all the growling/vocalisation Im sure!

Hooked

aonb wrote: »

my dogs would bark with excitement when we're playing. Its like they are having so much fun, that they have to bark with the sheer joy of it.
You know your dog, from its stance/eyes/tail/ears - you know the difference between a "this is great fun" bark vs a "Im scared" or "Whats the noise" or "Go away" type bark?

My dog is VERY vocal. He growls/moans ALL the time. I mean all the time - at everything! if I wipe dry his feet with a towel (happens about 20times/day) if I lift him up, if I put him down, if I scratch his back, if I play with him, if I scratch his belly. I know its just that he is vocal, someone who doesnt know him would be afraid of all the growling/vocalisation Im sure!

^^^^^

exact same here...

My two are very VERY vocal. Growls, barks and lots of talking.

orchidsrpretty

Mine does the same too,I put it down to her getting really excited. She growls and bites me too! The second I tell her to stop though she does. It's just her way of playing!

Ashbx

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Ah I don't really mind the barking to be honest, just worried that it might mean she's not having fun. Do dogs bark even when they're enjoying themselves? When she plays with other dogs she almost never barks at them, which is what got me wondering if it was unusual.

EDIT: If this makes any difference, sometimes these barks are punctuated with what sound like "falsetto growls", as in a rolling rrrr growling sound but an octave or two above her actual "there's some fecker in our garden!" kind of growl. So her barks are like "Ruff! Ruff! Rrrrrrrrrr..... RUFF!!!"

Yes, my dog barks when she gets really excited. Doesn't bark when she is playing with other dogs but if I am playing fetch she'll bark. Also, we have a green area across the road from my house, if I let her out the door without putting her on a lead, she will dart out to the field barking the entire way. It has me in stitches some times!!

I would say it is just excitement but as another poster suggested, maybe stop the next time she barks and see if she initiates it again! That way you know whether its a warning or a fun bark!

hatrickpatrick

Tried the idea of stopping when she barks, she retaliated by running at me without warning and grabbing the tennis ball out of my hand, subsequently prancing around with it like a world cup lap of honour

fishfoodie

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Tried the idea of stopping when she barks, she retaliated by running at me without warning and grabbing the tennis ball out of my hand, subsequently prancing around with it like a world cup lap of honour

So she definitely doesn't want to stop playing, as she is initiating another round of chasing, & shes 'it'.