# rough play with other dogs



## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

When Dudley was small I was careful not to fuss him too much when he played with other dogs and he has grown up happy to play with any size dog. However now he is often the larger dog I am aware that some owners worry for their smaller dogs, as Dudley always just leaps on other dogs, he loves a good chase but often nips them as well, he bites a mouthful of bum hair or a tail and tries to hang on if they are just in front of him, I always tell owners I am happy if their dog tells him off as he needs to learn manners but very rarely does he take any notice. Is grabbing him and stopping play the only way for him to learn, would he even realise why. There have only ever been a couple of dogs that really snapped and snarled at him that have made him back off, does he just need to mix with more like that to learn? although I worry that then it would get out of hand and he could get hurt. Any suggestions? I don't worry so much about the boisterousness but his nipping.


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

We should let our dogs meet - Saffi doesn't nip but she likes to play rough!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Buddy's the same very bouncy and loves rough play (he always goes for the ears?) I am however 100% confident he is biting gently it just sounds worse then it is and to be honest sometimes other dogs are alot worse then him.

The only time he gets told off by other dogs is when he's getting on their nerves ! I must admit as he gets older i have noticed he has learnt if a dog does snap at him to back off and leave them alone ,also he kinda just knows when certain dogs like to play rough and when there are others that just dont like it.

If i think rough play has gone on to long i do break it up and pop him on the lead for a few minutes to carm down,dont worry i think making him a confident happy dog wanting to play with others is a great thing he is still a puppy and as he gets older he will learn more .


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Bonnie doesn't like rough play and although she mixes a lot with other dogs she sometimes meets a puppy that just doesn't get the message that she isn't enjoying it. She gives a warning growl that an adult dog would understand but a puppy is often too excited to notice. This is the time that the owner should intervene in my opinion and if they don't I just take Bonnie away and move on. Its nearly always little dogs that upset her never the big ones.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Thanks guys, I'm probably worrying about something that is perfectly normal again then! I'll just carry on as I'm doing and stop him if he's too much for the other one and hope he eventually learns from the ones who tell him off before he gets really bitten.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Weller sometimes plays like this, he pulls tails and bum hair!!!!! Normally it's when he knows he has no chance of catching who ever he s chasing!


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

As long as both parties are happy I would let them get on with it, but having had dogs chased to within an inch of their lives by pups only playing and now owning a pup Minton who is very full on when on the lead but has been strangely submissive off lead I feel I have a foot in both camps. If Hattie is chased she screams and runs off. I have yet to see how Minton copes he was off lead the other day when he met an elderly lady terrier he was very subduded tail down but wagging, I did check it was ok to let him approach her, she snarled and niped his nose! Great he needs to learn but it does not seem to have made much of a difference yet !


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

In all honesty a dog who jumped on another and considered it OK to bite a mouthful of fur would be my idea of a nightmare to me.

The last few years of my previous dogs lives were made a misery by dogs behaving like that and being told you did not mind if my dogs told them off would just have annoyed me even more as controlling your dog is your job not my dogs. I had a dog with a serious spinal problem who would have been badly hurt by a dog jumping on him and my other dog got jumped on and knocked over by so many other dogs in her last years she became too scared to go off lead when we were out unless we were with my friend and her pack of dogs who would defend her if need be.

I now have Molly who is young, bouncy and enthusiastic and loves to play with other dogs but she would be straight back on her lead if she decided to jump on another dog or chase and nip it as it not behaviour I would tolerate from her.


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

I worry sometimes about Teddy and his little buddy from next door as they look a bit ferocious at times. The only thing that stops me freaking out is that little Lola keeps coming back for more. If I saw that the other dog was not participating or actively seeming to enjoy the play I would have him back on the lead pronto.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Tressa said:


> I worry sometimes about Teddy and his little buddy from next door as they look a bit ferocious at times. The only thing that stops me freaking out is that little Lola keeps coming back for more. If I saw that the other dog was not participating or actively seeming to enjoy the play I would have him back on the lead pronto.


 I know exactly what you mean, Weller only plays like this with like minded play friends. Others that want space he gives it. He is a pretty good judge of who likes to play and who doesn't.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Dudley doesn't seem to get it yet but I do always tell people his manners are not great and ask if they would be happy for their dog to play with him before I let him go (as he is always on the long line now, I just hold it short when approaching), If its obviously an elderly dog I would just keep away and not even ask, If the owner thought their dog would want to play but it obviously isn't enjoying it I grab hold of Dudley and put him back on, so I guess I am doing what I can, shame there isn't an instant way to teach them manners, I guess it's just another maturing thing.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

In that case yes you are doing all you can and hopefully he will get the idea soon. Apologies I thought from your first post you were just leaving him free and he was mobbing all and sundry 

Sadly I had very many repeat offenders who seemed to feel their dogs could do whatever they wanted to mine without them taking any action to control their dogs


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

2ndhandgal said:


> In that case yes you are doing all you can and hopefully he will get the idea soon. Apologies I thought from your first post you were just leaving him free and he was mobbing all and sundry
> 
> Sadly I had very many repeat offenders who seemed to feel their dogs could do whatever they wanted to mine without them taking any action to control their dogs


To be honest he was just charging over which is one of the reasons I got the long lead, when he was younger he had a good recall but that went out of the window, I worried more about him getting attacked by an aggressive dog or chasing something out of the park, but since having it I've realised it could stop him upsetting other people as well.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Dont worry Dawn ,if your in a field where others have their dogs off lead then they must also take some responsibilty .

If i thought Buddy hated other dogs chasing and wanting to play with him then i wouldnt take him to a field where i knew lots of off lead dogs were.

I think by having him on the long line your being responsible they do mature as they get older and remember dogs learn from other dogs so lots of walks with friends and their dogs off lead will really help.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

DONNA said:


> Dont worry Dawn ,if your in a field where others have their dogs off lead then they must also take some responsibilty .
> 
> If i thought Buddy hated other dogs chasing and wanting to play with him then i wouldnt take him to a field where i knew lots of off lead dogs were.
> 
> I think by having him on the long line your being responsible they do mature as they get older and remember dogs learn from other dogs so lots of walks with friends and their dogs off lead will really help.


I definitely agree with keeping him on a long line being the right thing to do and hopefully as he matures and can be allowed off lead with people you know he will learn.

Not entirely sure if the comment about people not taking dogs where other off lead dogs are is a dig at me or not - apologies if not and it is just the way I have taken it.

To clarify - in the space of a couple of months my 15 year old whippet cross was attacked by another dog where she ended up on her back with the other dog snarling at her until I hauled the other dog off by its collar, had a huge labrador run over and start humping her whilst its smiling owner told me "he always does that" (and I subsequently found he had also caused deep cuts in her side where he had gripped her) was bounced on and knocked totally off her feet by a largeish puppy who's owner shouted "don't worry he's only a pup" and chased off by a large dog who when I asked her to call her dog back as mine was nervous replied that her dog was nervous too so would not hurt mine.

When walking dogs everyone should take responsibility for their own dogs behaviour and not let it cause problems for others. For the last few months of my dogs life I was only able to give her free running on open spaces - which she very much enjoyed and deserved - if we were with my friend and her dogs as she has a couple of collies who take no nonsense from other dogs and will not tolerate rude behaviour.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Remark not directed at you at all just a general comment


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