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06-07-2013, 06:57 AM | #1 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Garner, NC
Posts: 1,485
| What type of play is appropriate? Hey guys and gals! As many of you know, we recently added a 9 month old pup to our household. I don't have much experience with owning multiple dogs (that interacted with each other anyway) and I'm not sure what is considered appropriate play. Teddy and Toki do a lot of rolling over and getting on their back legs to box. Or they'll run alongside each other and press against each other. I think this is okay? What concerns me the most is that I see a lot of teeth between the two of them. They mouth on each others shoulders and necks (they aren't actually biting each other or growling) and a lot of times they bite (again not actual biting, just mouthing) each other in the mouth. I can hear them smacking their teeth together when they do this. Neither dog seems distressed and they're not really making any noises (like snarling or growling) but it's kind of weird (?) to watch. I'm not really sure if they are playing or going through the process of establishing dominance or whatever. Is this normal play behavior? How do your dogs play? Is this behavior something I should be stopping or redirecting? Thanks for any help |
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06-07-2013, 07:11 AM | #2 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Animals play the hunt/stalk/kill action game just like kids play army, police, cowboys, etc. Just watch it for the time when they get too excited or one begins to get too heated or one too distressed and stop it with a no-nonsense manner - not angry ever - just mean it when you step in. Send them to their corners so to speak and take one out, get another involved in a toy but get them into something else and be firm but matter of fact about it. You are teaching them when you interfere in their interplay, you are unemotionally involved but it is time to do something else. Any dog can get too prey-driven by the actions of another and sometimes just a certain yelp or sign of weakness or domination can cause a dog to escalate dramatically, winding up in a true fight with both dogs becoming predators. They are dogs and they are programmed to do that genetically so just watch for too-intense play that starts to see one going ballistic either way and step in soon as it become apparent. But hard play and tooth clicking and snapping is fine as long as it stays play.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis Last edited by yorkietalkjilly; 06-07-2013 at 07:12 AM. |
06-07-2013, 07:27 AM | #3 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Tennessee
Posts: 646
| Sam and Piper do this all the time. Except there's lots of snarling and growling, with Piper usually making the most noise. I swear sometimes it sounds like they are trying to kill each other! They will run, wrestle, jump, box, roll, nip and growl at each other for hours. When they get tired, they'll stop, grab a quick drink of water or a couple of kibbles, and off they go again. They share toys, bowls, beds, and laps so there's no resource hoarding. It's just the way they play.
__________________ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. - JRR Tolkien |
06-07-2013, 08:21 AM | #4 | |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Garner, NC
Posts: 1,485
| Thanks Jeanie! I was hoping you would chime in Sounds like so far everything they are doing is normal (and probably kind of on the mild side) after reading your post (I must just be such a wuss ) Quote:
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06-07-2013, 08:23 AM | #5 | |
2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member | Quote:
I would add that I learned the hard way about my kids and playing with the pups and their toys at a young age. They would cause such an unsafe situation and tension among two of the dogs wanting the same toy that things got so out of hand that the dogs would fight. I took me a long time to get through to them that they were doing more harm than good and finally got them to stop doing it. But by that time it was too late, we had kayos on our hands over dog toys. Than my challenge to stop the dogs from fighting over a toy began. Gladly and with some hard work we have success. Long story short, Don't rough play with the dogs and their toys. There are some serious issues that can become of it.
__________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs. | |
06-07-2013, 08:34 AM | #6 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Tennessee
Posts: 646
| Quote:
__________________ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. - JRR Tolkien | |
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