Pampered pooches are so driven to play and please that these urges can overtake other instincts, such as being wary of strangers, a new study shows.

Socialised dogs don't even seem to care who they play with, the study says, as long as the person plays by the same rules and general manner established by the dog's owner during earlier play sessions.

"It could mean that if, over time, the dog and its owner develop a routine of games, the dog could generalise these behaviour routines to other play situations with another unfamiliar person," researcher Lilla Toth says.

During the play sessions the researchers took note of each dog's tendency for possession, willingness to retrieve, behaviours related to fear, avoidance and aggression, and the occurrence of play bows, when a dog crouches down on its front legs with its head held high and its tail wagging.

This bow is a visual cue that the dog would like to play.