First, a link to Stewart Brown’s interview that you can listen to here.
Second, I am NOT advocating people idly standing by while dogs or other animals destroy each other, either physically or mentally. What I’m advocating is the usual: a knowledge- rather than emotion-based approach to domestic animal play. That means that those who own and/or work with animals learn what constitutes normal play in their individual animal and others of that species, and about the role of play in normal development. This is quite different from taking a one-size-fits-all or free-for-all approach as occurs in some dogparks, doggy daycares, classes, or playdates, or imposing some idyllic fantasy on animal play that excludes normal exploration, learning by trial and error, and sometimes rough and tumble play with others.
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Great podcast and loved the interview with Dr. Brown 😎
Hi. I very much enjoyed your podcast.
However, I would argue with your position that the best approach to animal play is through knowledge rather than emotion. Yes, knowledge is good. But the primary reason people “clamp a lid down” (as Dr. Brown puts it) on rough-and-tumble play is that we’ve been taught that it’s wrong to express certain uninhibited emotions that are an essential part of play. And in my view, when it comes to rough-and-tumble play most of our the current “knowledge base” comes from having our own playful emotions repressed when we were younger.
So since it’s the mind that stifles pure playful impulses, I would reverse what you said: it’s only through our childlike emotions that we can truly understand play. Our “knowledge base” will always steer us wrong.
Just another way of seeing the subject,
LCK
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Lee.
I wasn’t referring so much to “in my heart I know it’s true” kind of knowledge, but that which comes from the studies of play in both animals and kids. Fortunately, we’re starting to get more studies of both kinds. For a long time and in keeping with the repressive mindset you mention, believing play had value and was worth studying was considered professional suicide.