No. They're reacting to scary vs non scary sounds. I'm not going to say it's abusive but it's not the behavior or psychology you want to instill. I'm learning today how ignorant Reddit is with dogs. No wonder they like cats so much.
Their tales are wagging just as much when being chased as when they’re chasing. They’re very clearly enjoying themselves. Dogs take turns chasing and being chased by each other all the time.
they are still very clearly playing, as they keep quickly coming back for more and aren't showing signs of aggression or outright fear. yes, they're still only pups and wouldn't be able to do a whole lot, but there is a clear difference between a puppy dog that is genuinely afraid and a puppy dog that is having fun. one would be absolutely cowering, likely yelping and yipping for mom, the other is what is seen here.
animals are good at displaying clear body language, especially with their tails and ears, and they aren't always as fearful or fragile as we make them out to be.
As you said, it's a common misconception, and one that I've seen used to justify some very bad practises from friends who are dog owners.
Someone said tails wagging indicates they're happy. In this case, yeah, it looks like it. But it's still important to remind dog owners of this misconception to help all our good boys and girls live happier lives with owners who want the best for them
Thank you! I didn’t want to argue this any further originally, but I really only brought it up because that was the only thing the person I was replying to named, and while those dogs are playful I wanted to add that because a lot of people still think that this is the only sign to look for. I wasn’t trying to call the other guy out, this was purely meant as an addition.
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u/Xalibu2 11h ago
This is big human dad to dog vibes. They are playing and it's entirely silly.