The Goal in Rough and Tumbled Play Is to Have Fun

The goal in rough and tumble play is to have fun. The goal is to make your playmate you're happy as well as you are. So the goal is the exact opposite of in a real fight. Males, more than females, need to learn how to be in close quarters with one another without killing one another. That's true whether you're a wolf cub or whether you were a boy. You're playing with aggression. You're not being aggressive. Unfortunately, too many people don't see the difference between play fighting and real fighting.