The Trouble With Play: A Scoping Review Examining the Conceptualization of Dog–Human Play.
Across millennia and geographies, humans and dogs have lived, worked, and played together. While play between dogs and humans may be a hallmark of the dog–human bond, empirical research on dog–human play is relatively limited. This scoping review examined academic research on dog–human play, mapping...
| Published in: | Anthrozoös Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 771 - 802 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Aug2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=195547580&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 195547580 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 08927936 GZF jtl: Anthrozoös issn: 08927936 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Aug2026 vid: 39 iid: 4 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 195547580 10.1080/08927936.2026.2659448 ppf: 771 ppct: 31 formats: tig: atl: The Trouble With Play: A Scoping Review Examining the Conceptualization of Dog–Human Play. aug: au: Linares-Roake, Julia B. Sader, Rayana J. Breen, Andrea V. Locke, Henrietta R. Callaghan, Kelly M. affil: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada su: Human-animal relationships Pets Recreation Comparative psychology Animal behavior sug: subj: Human-animal relationships Pets Recreation Live animal merchant wholesalers All other miscellaneous animal production All Other Animal Production Pet and Pet Supplies Stores All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries Comparative psychology Animal behavior keyword: Dog–human play human–animal interaction interspecies play scoping review Dog–human play human–animal interaction interspecies play scoping review ab: Across millennia and geographies, humans and dogs have lived, worked, and played together. While play between dogs and humans may be a hallmark of the dog–human bond, empirical research on dog–human play is relatively limited. This scoping review examined academic research on dog–human play, mapping (1) theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of dog–human play; (2) how play is defined by researchers; and (3) the primary aims of research studies focused on play. Four databases were searched: Web of Science (via OVID), Psych Info, Agricultural Sciences, and Family and Society Studies. One hundred and nine articles describing dog–human play were identified, with 28 articles primarily focusing on the dog–human play encounter. Most research was localized within European and American contexts to focus on companion or "pet" dogs, and most studies were rooted in scientific disciplines, such as ethology and comparative psychology. Less than half of the identified articles provided a definition of dog–human play, and the most common definitions focused on relational components of play and/or on specific motor activity involved within the play encounter. Almost all articles provided an example of play, which primarily focused on social object play (e.g., fetch, tug). Researchers highlighted specific functions of dog–human play behaviors or focused more generally on implications of the play relationship. This scoping review identifies a need for more diverse cultural, theoretical, and methodological contributions to the landscape of dog–human play and reiterates concerns that definitional ambiguity may devalue the important work of play research. Ultimately, dog–human play tends to center the "human" within the dyad and would benefit from more diverse considerations around what it means to play with our canine companions. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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