What Is the Difference Between Playing With a Puppy and Teasing a Puppy?

Playing with a new puppy can be a good way to introduce new experiences and create a dog that will be well-rounded in adulthood. But when playing becomes teasing, the result can be a dog that is suspicious of humans and hostile toward human interaction. Knowing where the line is and what defines each type of interaction is as important for adults as it is for children.

  1. Forms of Teasing

    • If you wouldn't like it done to you, don't do it to your puppy.

      There are a number of things that qualify as teasing a puppy. Playing with it but never letting it actually have the ball or toy -- consistently holding it above its head and making it jump for it or always having it just out of reach -- is teasing. Poking and prodding the puppy to make it snap or struggle to get the touching to stop is teasing. Promising a reward and then taking it away is also teasing, a form that can considerably set back training if the puppy realizes there's no point in trying to obey as there will never be anything in it for it.

    How Playing Becomes Teasing

    • Healthy play can easily cross the line into teasing, especially with games like tug-o-war or with puzzle cubes that the dog needs to solve. While puppies should be expected to work for things -- they need to learn that nothing is free -- they also need to learn that reward comes with hard work, Dog Star Daily states. Playing fetch turns into teasing when the puppy is never allowed to touch or catch the ball, and instead watches its human companions toss it among themselves.

    Types of Acceptable Play

    • Every puppy is different, so find your puppy's comfort zone.

      When playing with the puppy, let it win once it's worked for the reward. A puppy won't have the attention span or ability to think ahead like an older dog, so games shoukdn't last too long. After it has jumped for the toy once or twice, throw it to the puppy. Puppies are building associations that shape the rest of their lives. Humans should be viewed as benevolent givers of rewards, not as cruel masters who withhold treats and toys. Acceptable play is something the puppy doesn't find threatening, scary or uncomfortable. The line between teasing and play might be different. A brave puppy that likes games of hide-and-seek might love having an owner who hides around corners and jumps out to surprise it. A more timid puppy might find this terrifying.

    Consequences of Teasing

    • Relentless teasing can create a puppy -- and later an adult dog -- that views people as hostile and cruel. The puppy can begin to snap and bite in earnest, feeling that it needs to defend itself against the mean monsters that share its home. Alternately, a puppy can also become meek and afraid, viewing new people as well as family with suspicion. When teasing and playing are combined in an unpredictable way, the puppy will also learn that people are unpredictable and not to be trusted. This can make for a dog that can end up being dangerous to be around as an adult, the Bichon Frise Club of America warns.