So, I have a 7yo labradoodle and a 4-month-old mostly-lab mix. They play together quite well, but often VERY mouthy, rough, lots of body slamming, but both seem relaxed and to enjoy it. My labradoodle, Burke, makes a lot of noise - I wouldn't call it true growling, he's sort of "talking" at her constantly during play. She rarely yips/squeals, and he always backs off when she does. If I can sense he's getting overwrought by all the puppy energy, I separate them and send her to her crate with a Kong, get him settled on his bed with a Kong, etc. He was quite grumpy at first about the new arrival and would growl at her a LOT, but that has subsided. However, there are still a few situations in which he gives a playful "growl" and I can't tell if this is resource guarding that's developing, or simply him reminding her that he was here first. Mind you, we're talking "talking" and not actual real, low growl, no teeth shown, no snapping, etc. 1. Food bowl. If she approaches while he's eating he will warn her off, but nothing comes of it if she doesn't back off (she often doesn't). 2. His "spot." If she gets too close to him on the couch or bed, he'll give a little growl and then get up and move. 3. His favorite game w/her is to tease her with toys. Just now he was going to the toy basket and trying to pick out a toy and growling at her when she came near. He likes to pick out a toy and play "keep away" with her, which sometimes morphs into tug. But he likes to parade "his" toy around and let her know she can't have it. He'll toss it toward her and then get up and get it and make a big show of not letting her have it. But then sometimes he'll toss it toward her and let her get it. Thoughts? The food and spot "guarding" makes me wonder if this is "mild" resource guarding and he feels insecure, and if so, what do I need to do about it? But until recently I thought this was just "his way" of playing with her. I wouldn't say he has other signs of aggression: his body is loose and relaxed, he isn't baring teeth, even in play.
There's a big difference between the two things that you describe. The play is play - loud, noisy, boisterous. Yes, you're completely right to step in and stop that if it gets too much - for either dog or for your house/sanity! My two do the same, they look and often sound ferocious, but it's just play, nothing to be concerned about. The other part is definitely resource guarding, and should be thought of as a separate thing. How you approach it depends on how you feel about it. My experience is this - when we brought Shadow home at 14 weeks of age, we'd already had Willow for 6 weeks (they're litter mates, just got them at different times). Willow had settled into her routine by then and no longer felt she had to compete for food. Shadow still did. So, I made sure that they didn't bother each other until their bowls were empty, by standing between them at first, and gradually moving back. When they had a chicken wing or similar, I'd shut Willow in the crate and Shadow went on a bed. That's when the resource guarding really showed up, with high value things. Shadow would always finish first (he still does) and he'd see if there was any chance of getting anything from Willow - hence why she was in the crate! She would growl, bark and snarl at him if he even looked in her direction while she still had some left. In time, though, they both learned that I wasn't going to allow any stealing, and all that stopped. Now, they have these things in the same space; they take it to their respective beds and leave each other in peace until it's finished. Willow is still quite possessive of her spots, though. She's not a touchy-feely dog and likes her own space. If she's somewhere settled and Shadow starts bothering her (she hates it when he stands on her), she will bare her teeth at him, and if he pushes it, she'll bark at him. I'm absolutely cool with that; it's her way of telling him to back off, that's all. It happens a couple of times a week and is over almost before it's begun. Oh, and the teasing with toys? That's nothing to be worried about! It's fun fun fun! Mine do it all the time and can get really sneaky about it. Willow, especially, if Shadow has something she wants, is really good at getting it off him. For example, I use balls a fair bit as rewards for training. If I have one dog settled at the side of the work area while I'm doing something with the other, at the end of the session, I'll reward both dogs with balls for doing those jobs. So, I have two dogs, each with a ball. It is then Willow's purpose in life to get Shadow to give up his ball, which he normally does almost immediately, because he has no real interest in holding on to it - he's all about the chase. But, every now and again, he decides he would like to carry it for a while. So, Willow will start dropping her ball in front of him, and pouncing on it. "Look at this fun game I'm having, all by myself! It's so much fun! You should try it!". Of course, he does try it, drops his ball and she swoops in to steal it. Every. Single. Time. But, he also knows that she likes to own everything, so if he wants to initiate play, he'll grab something and start shoving it in her face. She's a lazy moo, so it takes some doing, but she'll generally end up being interested in whatever it is and just have to get it off him. And the game is on It sounds like they're completely normal, well-adjusted dogs
Okay, thanks! It is really helpful to me to separate out the toy-play from the food guarding and not consider them the same. Burke likes to do this with other dogs, too. That is pretty funny how Willow gets Shadow to drop his ball! And it is reassuring that dogs can play that roughly but be fine. I watched some training videos and wondered, because the dogs were sort of mouthing the air, and not touching each other. These two are full-body contact, teeth, etc. Gently, but they mouth each other's ears and faces such. I make sure there are two separate bowls, each with food in them, and that seems to be fine, but this morning one was empty and I didn't realize it, and Burke was having none of it when Bessie approached. When they get Kongs, Bessie gets hers in the crate and Burke gets to have his on the couch (ewww but I have a cover on it and wipe it up after - he has never been crated and I don't have room for the 42 or 48 incher I'd need for him in this little cabin). It works out fine. Once the initial eating is done and there's a little left, neither one minds if they "trade." She often leaves hers almost full in the crate (because even a Kong isn't worth being crated to her and/or she gets too stressed to eat it), and he'll go get it and finish it off, ha. She doesn't seem to have any desire to guard her stuff from him.
I think I would feed them separately or stand between them as they eat and have treats ready for them when finished so they look to you before each other's bowls. Zaba, 3 years old, who stays with us a lot - does some of this so we tend to feed him in the utility room behind a baby gate and the other two in the kitchen. All is fine with Kongs etc. I agree about the play - no problem at all.
Oh, yes, it's definitely a one-way street here, too! Willow likes to possess "stuff", but Shadow isn't interested in ownership, he just likes to play. I find it fascinating watching the play, and the rules they have. My two sneeze all the time when they're playing. I looked it up ages ago and it's a sign to one another that, even though they sound and look terrifying, it's just a game. Then, how they shake to end a game. Another might start up almost immediately, but if one shakes to say "that's the end of that", the other one will shake a second or so later to agree. You can see them taking it in turns to "win", too - this is important to know that you don't have a bully - and to chase and be chasee. Again, they have their preferred roles, because Willow far prefers to be chased than to chase after her brother, but sometimes she has to do it anyway. Normally, that lasts a few seconds and then she'll basically say, "My turn!!" again
Ha, so cute! Bessie likes to stand on the couch or a coffee table so she's as big/tall, or bigger, than Burke! She used to be more submissive in play but has gotten much bolder. She loves to roll onto her back and pretend to surrender, only to jump up at his face the second he backs off. And yes, the shakes! If one does, then the other does too, and they take a little break. I haven't heard the sneezing with my two. Burke lets her win a lot, I notice. In that they seem to take turns, but she's so much smaller, he could win all the time, but doesn't. At first he was more about putting her in her place, but she was just as crazy with biting him - his face and ears in particular, that beard! - as she was with biting our hands and ankles. I did notice he'd growl and she'd back off, so I tried it - you should have seen her face when I growled! Stopped her biting instantly. She was shocked. In the beginning she'd be on her back and he'd take each leg in his mouth in turn, the whole thing, as if to say, "I could just eat you, you know. I won't, but I COULD. Don't forget that, little missy."
