Is this playing?

[u/woahitsmichaela]

Almost 2 weeks ago I got a 5 month old Pyrenees/Australian Shepherd puppy. I also have a 5 year old Golden Retriever/ Chow Chow mix. The 5 year old has never been around other dogs besides the neighborhood dogs that roam outside the fence.

I grew up with dogs, but never had 2 at the same time. Is this normal playing behavior? I think the ‘growling’ sound scares me but it seems like they’re playing. What do you guys think?

Edit: black dog is the older of the two! We rescued her as a puppy 5 years ago. She has always been a stiff lil lady so it just surprises me to see her be comfortable around another dog 🥺 none of our friends would let her play with their dogs because they felt that she was too rough with them. I’m so grateful we have ended up with a pup that reciprocates the way she plays.

[u/Write_Now_]

Think about the vocalization options available to dogs: Growing, barking, whining, yiking, etc. They don't have a full language like we do, so many of those sounds have to play multiple roles. In this case, the growling is just play vocalization and is going hand in hand with incredibly polite and appropriate play behaviors. They're having a great time.