The embodiments disclose a stress and strain gauge including at least one stress and strain sensor module configured to sense stresses and strains being applied by an animal biting a rope extending from a protective hand guard, a stress and strain gauge indicator coupled to the at least one stress and strain sensor configured for measuring the sensed stresses and strains as strain levels, a processor coupled to the stress and strain gauge indicator configured to dynamically analyze and compare the strain levels to predetermined threshold strain level measurements to determine a current animal play level that varies incrementally, and an alert module wirelessly coupled to the processor configured to notify a user of the protective hand guard in real-time of the current incremental animal play level.