Getting my head around cooperative and competitive dog play

When I started learning more about playing with my dog, it took a long time to understand the difference between “cooperative” and “competitive” games.

As long as her Play system was active, who cared exactly how we were engaging, right? Isn’t all play cooperative because we’re interacting with each other? It didn’t seem like it really mattered—so I was amazed at the difference in our relationship when things finally clicked.

Here’s how I got my head around the distinction between cooperative and competitive play with my heeler!

Background knowledge: The six aspects of canine play

There are six aspects of dog play, based on a natural predatory sequence: searching, stalking, chasing, fighting, celebrating, and consuming.

Scout’s favorite aspect is fighting. She loves pushing through resistance for a “win”—and intentional games of tug have improved her confidence so much!

When we first started prioritizing her play drive and comfort in new environments, we focused on this aspect because it wa…