Hi everyone, Sorry about this,inexperience coming through again just wanted to benefit from those of you with better dog behavior knowledge than me. Dexter walks with a white GSD the same age as him,probably twice a week,neither of them are castrated.they go nuts with each other for the first couple of minutes,literally running,running,running in circles,trying to get hold of each other by the scruff of the neck ,falling over each other,bit of humping( usually Dexter doing the humping :-[)once the excitement is over they trot along with us sometimes together,sometimes apart,sometimes it's back to the excited play. there is never a growling sound or teeth out EVER.this last week though,they seem to have got rougher...Loco is bigger so usually gets the better of Dex but Dex is faster and can get himself out of trouble...Loco is catching up now and today he really rolled and pinned Dexter down at the throat.his owner,my friend went nuts at Loco,( I actually think Loco got his teeth caught in Dex's collar for a couple of seconds so he wasn't physically ABLE to release from him)Again not a sound out of them.......Loco was getting really told off and got put on the lead,I just heeled Dex a few feet away then put him back on and 5 minutes later they were off again and running happily along. they get so sandy and filthy they both come home together in the back of my car and there is a never any growling or noises between them.my question is this ,is this do you think this 'play' is going to get rougher and rougher until they fight? ??? I felt awful for my friend,dexter didn't seem perturbed,he comes back for more ,of course I was just a bit on pins because he had the sore tail at the weekend,but that was wagging like mad too Thanks,sorry taking up time x
Re: Rough Play Riley and Monty (my inlaws 6 year old entire male) wrestle endlessly with horrendous noises coming out of them. Occasionally there's a squeak if someone is too rough but mostly they just end up knackered and covered in each others spit They're also relaxed in the car. They stop when they're told and get put on their mats or on lead but that's mostly to give us a rest! Not sure if that helps but I don't think loco and dexter are necessarily being too rough but I'm as inexperienced as you so interested to see what everyone else says ;D
Re: Rough Play Thanks Barbara....we both just felt a bit clueless about whether it was normal with neither of us having anything to use as a measure.Dexter is friendly with all dogs ,he has never had a tussle,touch wood,please may it continue.....Loco only comes into contact with Dexter,he's never played with any other dogs....when I took them on another walk I do it was a bit of a disaster.Loco got rolled a few times and Rose got really stressed,thinking about it now,maybe Loco is inexperienced with behaving around other dogs and they were picking up on it...I don't know,need to read a few more books but just need to get my own dog behaving nicely before I start veering outside the box,....haven't got time for extra curricular reading! ;D
Re: Rough Play Pinning another dog down and mouthing their throat, grabbing rolls of facial or neck fur with the teeth, body slamming, full-on wrestling - all are normal and fine as long as both dogs are participating happily and neither dog is showing signs of being uncomfortable with it. If there are signs of crouching, cringing, tail between the legs, front lips pulled up in a snarl-like expression, hiding behind people or under furniture - all those are signs of discomfort that warrant quickly stopping a game that is getting too rough for one party. Obi is a very rough player and loves nothing more than a good down-and-dirty wrestle with plenty of Bitey Face. He is also very vocal - sounds something like a distraught Wookie. He is quite good at moderating his style to suit the other dog though and he has become better and better at this as he gets older and accumulates more and more playtime experience with other dogs.
Re: Rough Play I can only go off Charlie and Harry play fighting. They get into some terrible scraps, the noise is awful - but it's all play. I have photos of them, and it looks like a proper fight. But 2 minutes later they're drinking out of the same bowl together, then curled up with Charlie on top in one basket. I'm always there to step in if neccessary, but I've not had to so far.
Re: Rough Play yep same here.....Cuillin and brodick look and sound like they are murdering each other when they play rough. Huge amount of noise, they grab each other by legs/face/neck, but tails are wagging and there are intermittent play bows. Occassional brodick will get pinned and Cuillin won't let him up, I say Enough and she will let him go, Brodick just charges back in, tail going like the clappers. There is the odd squeak now and then, and if there is nine times out of ten they will stop themselves and both shake, almost as if to say cripes that got a bit much, then they will resume but less full on. very occassionally I stop them when it looks like someone (usually Cuillin!) is getting a bit too OTT, but not often. Interestingly, Brodick never does with type of play with any dogs other than his 'pack' - Cuillin, and extended pack Tarka and Lochan. Cuillin does, but I stop her unless its with dogs she knows and I know that both they and their owners are comfortable with this play style. A lot of dogs don't like it, I judge by what happens when I stop it. Both dogs charging back in tails going means its fun for everyone, also like others have said during play any dog trying to run away or looking a bit scared and it stops. BTW I hadn't seen my sisters two labs playing like this before I got my two, I would have been horrified!
Re: Rough Play Charlie can have some alarming rough and tumbles, but he is the most comfortable doing this with younger dogs, or dogs who like him do a lot of play bowing before and during, or dogs he has played with a lot before. He is really uncomfortable being "ambushed" when a strange dog just powers into him and starts going for the scruff of his neck etc. or just starts a chase game (or not such a game it seems sometimes) with no warning - I have to say I'm starting to really hate this, and getting a bit intolerant of it - but owners of these dogs always think I'm being unreasonable (maybe I am...?). Then, his tail goes down, and he looks miserable. Sometimes I think it's just a matter of the right doggie manners - it really does seem for Charlie that with the right doggie introductions and play bow reminders of "this is just a game, right?", everything seems to go well, no matter how rough and tumbly it gets. No play bows, or no sniffy introduction first, and it seems any rough housing at all isn't ok for him. Maybe he is just a bit young yet though and he'll "dog up"! when he gets older.
Re: Rough Play Thanks everybody,just a bit unnerving now they are bigger stronger dogs and we don't see them do it anywhere else .I think we are ok ....so far i don't take my eyes off them and neither does rose so we can break it up if someone isn't having fun anymore ie the scaredy cat owners!!!ha ha ha! X
Re: Rough Play Julie, I think if Charlie is uncomfortable with the level of rough housing by strange dogs you are quite right to step in or ask their owners to take them away - I would too if I was you If they treat you like you're over-reacting just say Charlie has kennel cough that'll make them take their dogs away
Re: Rough Play Same here Angela, Hattie & Charlie go hell for leather with their play, lots of noises especially from Hattie, pinning down, scruff grabbing, leg grabbing, rolling around, you name it, but like everyone elses dogs when one has had enough they call time themselves and rarely do I step in. They are just playing, quite scary though . Helen xx
Re: Rough Play As Debs says above, my two play together very roughly but no-one seems to get hurt. When all four are having a wild play in the garden, Lochan sometimes looks worried and either Debs or I will step in and break it up. But one interesting thing my two do is that if play is getting really rough they will step away from each other and both sneeze/snort at the other one. Bizarre! We call it "the appease sneeze" in our house.
Re: Rough Play Lilly is a real growly player, and is usually the one to have her teeth/jaws around another dogs neck : I think she is quite dominant on the whole. I find it quite disconcerting, but got to know now it IS just play, and most other folk recognise it as such too. We had a right "Benny Hill" moment today with my sister in law's dog. Dogs run right to left, Lilly in hot pursuit of Georgie. Two seconds later, roles are reversed, Georgie is chasing Lilly left to right! It was a right hoot! ;D
