This may seem a daft question but here goes? My 6month old Labrador loves playing with his big sister who is 5. Whilst playing he often goes for my older dogs legs and this can sometimes evoke a yelp from my older dog. Is this fair doggy fighting? Or should I stop him doing This? To me it sometimes feels like he is cheating. They both love to play with each other. Should I intervene? Thank you for any advice in advance Lisa xxxxx
I stop all play fighting once any one of them yelps Of course, they soon start up again. Here it’s the little one who sometimes causes the bigger ones to yelp so I’m hoping he’ll soon learn. I have a command ‘enough’ which means all play stops. I teach it by giving super tasty treats when I shout it - then the pup goes in his pen for a while with a Kong. .
By yelping I mean it is very brief and the older dog - minstrel is keen to carry on playing and is wagging her tail. She likes to be laying on her back and when she has had enough of being in that position she easily moves Simba away. Although they are the same height now minstrel is still much heavier, as Simba is still quite slim with all his growth currently being upwards. When not playing they love laying close together (virtually on top of each other). They offer curl up in Minstrels bed together during the day. They both groom each other. I think the biting of the legs is Simbas mischieviousness plus at that point in time it is the only body part he can access!!!!!! Lisa x
Leg biting is a perfectly normal part of play. Even my three-year-olds still do it to one another. You'll find as your pup grows he'll become better at self-regulating so he doesn't make your older dog yelp. My puppy is now 11 months and I can't remember the last time any of the dogs yelped when playing. It doesn't mean any damage has been done, it's just Minstrel's way of communicating "that was too hard". If she's keen to carry on, then it's fine to let them unless you think it's getting too much, at which point, training an "enough" cue, or settling them down by giving a frozen kong, is definitely useful.
Teller (lab - big brother) and Rigby (Pointer - little brother) would never yelp even when they looked to be in a cage fighting match. I wonder if T should have made some sort of noise as Rigs bloodied him by nipping a bit too hard. Of course we just had to know when to intervene when things got too rowdy. I will say that Rigby made some awful noises during - growling, barking, etc. - but the trainer said he was not stressed according to his body language and that some dogs are vocal during play whereas others aren't. Usually they would stop playing - or T would stop, rather - when I told him to 'Calm' lol.
From the noise in my house, when the dogs are playing you'd think there was some sort of carnage going on. Just keep an eye on them but let them have their fun. It teaches them limits, helps them grow closer and burns off some of that puppy energy.
As long as they stop and start up on their own is it probably fine. Cooper bites Tilly's leg some times, though usually they play bitey face or tug. Cooper is very gentle considering that she is much bigger and younger than Tilly.
