I read about something called "Predatory Drift" when a big dog is playing with a little dog and all of a sudden - sees them as prey. And that it can happen even with two dogs that have lived together for years.
That was a big discussion on another board I'm on. It worries me because my Westie is three times Lucy's size. It seems like he knows when he is getting too rough with her - he will go and grab a toy and put it in his mouth. They will still roll around together - but he will have a toy in his mouth and not be play-biting her.
Here's a blurb on predatory drift:
"Predatory Drift happens when the larger dog's instinct to hunt are triggered.
These instincts can be triggered when play escalates or gets too much like the real thing (an out of control chase game). It can happen when a small dog gets scared or injured and squeals or wrigglesin a way that makes them look like prey (dinner), Predatory Drift can happen just because thesize difference says, "You are comparatively bite-sized, or move like something that is bite-sized, and I am a canine predator."
Yikes! I never leave mine alone together when I am not home. Scary. |