Is It Bad to Wind Up My Dog, Even in Play?

Maybe you've seen someone, or even done it yourself, bother a dog until they growl or bark. That's what we mean by teasing a dog. It usually involves blowing on them or something similar to wind them up.

It's common to bother puppies or very small adult dogs this way. As you can imagine, this is an entirely inadvisable habit. Below we explain why it's bad to wind up your dog.

A Dog's Reactions

Sometimes, while playing or interacting with our dog, we discover some of our actions trigger a reaction that can seem funny to us at first. We're talking, for example, about blowing in their face, but every dog has their own sensitivities and will react with irritation to different actions, such as being touched in certain spots.

The reaction that usually follows is a snap at the air, an attempt to stop it with a paw, barking, growling, baring teeth and so on. Plenty of people find it funny seeing these gestures in a puppy or a small dog. With, say, a Great Dane, it might not be so funny…

As always with something we find funny, humans tend to repeat it again and again, which is exactly the opposite of what we should do if we love our dog. If you discover this kind of reaction in your dog by chance, simply don't seek it out or make more of it. Nobody likes being bothered, whether dog or person.

My Dog Is Annoyed With Me

Following the example of blowing in their face, you might not know it's going to bother the dog. If, as a game, you do it, it's common for them to react by closing their eyes, turning their face away, running a paw over it and so on. These movements are their way of telling you it bothers them. You should stop right there. Immediately.

If you insist on carrying on, the dog will keep showing more signs of discomfort. That's when they'll start visibly showing they're bothered, though it's also true some very patient dogs stoically put up with our silliness. At this stage the dog could snap at the air, growl and bare their teeth.

For some people, this reaction is exactly what they find funny. But actually, they're just winding up a dog who, however small, has as many teeth as a large one. If you keep bothering them, it will edge towards an actual bite. What's more, your image as their carer and your bond with the dog will be seriously damaged.

The Importance of the Bond With Your Dog

Dogs build a close relationship with their carers. For them, we're their reference point. They'll always look to us to know what to expect in any situation. That's why we need to be good guides. Besides the basic care any living being needs, dogs need a safe environment for their wellbeing.

To achieve this, we need to give them socialisation, training and routines. Dogs need predictability. That is, for example, knowing they go out for a walk three or four times a day, that when you get home from work you take them out, that they eat at a certain time and so on. This is how they manage to adapt to the complex human world.

By meeting their needs and giving them affection, we're always a positive reference point for them. And that's how it should be. If, for fun, we spend our time winding them up, what we're doing, beyond the real, direct bother, is creating confusion for them. If we keep repeating this silliness, we'll become a source of instability and stress. It's terrible to live like that.

Respect So Your Dog Respects You

So, forget about winding up your dog, however much fun it is for you. By bothering them, you destroy your relationship with them. This can lead to problems in day-to-day life together, which is the dog's way of showing their stress. Living in a constant state of anxiety isn't fair on anyone. Remember having a dog is your decision, not theirs.

If you can't treat them with respect, or don't understand that they deserve it, it's as simple as not adopting one. Bear in mind the puppy you're winding up will grow, and not only will they feel bad, you yourself could end up with a nasty bite. The same goes if you think about winding up a dog you don't know.

My Dog Growls While Playing

Lastly, we need to tell apart the reaction we've explained when we bother the dog from the growling or even bites we might get while playing with them. This usually happens during puppyhood, and it matters to know how to act, since it affects the dog's future behaviour.

From about a month old, puppies start playing with their mother and littermates. It's common for these interactions to include bites and growls, which will also repeat when playing with a toy. These games help the puppy learn that biting hurts, so they learn to control their bite.

When the puppy moves on to biting or growling at us, we need to stop the game immediately so they understand they've hurt us, and not resume it until they're calm. So, snapping at us in this context isn't because we've wound them up — it's part of their normal development.

Bibliography López, Caterina. 2016. "El juego en el cachorro". Ateuves nº 21. pp. 22-25. Morris, Desmond. 1988. Observe a su perro. Barcelona. Plaza & Janés.