Engaging in playful activities with my dog can be quite enjoyable. However, I’ve been advised against it, as it might reinforce undesirable behavior. Nevertheless, when it’s just the two of us, I can’t resist getting down on the floor and she immediately understands what’s about to happen. With a spirited leap, she pounces on me, and I playfully bat her away, initiating a playful wrestling match. She taps into her inner wolf instincts, despite her petite 20-pound frame, and puts all her effort into bringing me down. I continue playfully batting her away, occasionally pinning her down gently to remind her of our size difference.

After about 20 minutes of this spirited play, she becomes exhausted. Instead of leaping at me, she calmly walks up to me and nudges my hand, a clear signal that she wants to be petted. It’s the “pet me” nudge, not the “play with me” nudge.

At that point, we both settle down and relax together.

However, this kind of roughhousing is exclusive to our private moments. She understands it’s a special interaction only between the two of us. If the kids or my wife are present, she refrains from engaging in such play. She learned her lesson when she attempted it once and got into trouble. The kids get frightened because her playfulness can appear aggressive, and they aren’t as large as I am. Moreover, my wife gets upset with me, claiming that I’m teaching the dog inappropriate behavior.

In my perspective, I believe I’m simply teaching her how to embrace her innate canine nature, but I understand that it’s not a battle worth arguing over.