Background
Aim
Dogs stand out when it comes to play, not only do they play much more frequently as adults than most other animals, but they also readily engage in play with other species than their own (most commonly humans).
We know that this has a genetic component since wolf hybrids does not show the same playful behaviour as the domesticated dog. This shows that the playful behaviour in the dog is something that we have selected for but the how and why is still not clear since it doesn’t give any clear benefits to us humans.
But we do know that play in general has benefits when it comes to mental health and social bonding.
So maybe that is the reason as to why dogs stand out when it comes to play? They are dependent on the relationship they have with their owner for both survival and welfare. The better the relationship is the more care is the dog likely to get.
Play might strengthen the relationship.
To examine what role play has in the dog-owner relationship and compare it to training with positive reinforcement.