Playing rough

nicwithcandy · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:20 am Post subject: Playing rough

I know I've mentioned this before, but I wanted to ask you guys. Luca seems to get really rough when playing with other dogs and I was wondering if any of you guys have the same problem. I stopped going to the actual "dog park," now I go in the woods where there are other dogs, but not nearly as many as the dog park. Its just sometimes certain dogs set him off and he gets nuts. He will jump on them and bite them on their neck, sometimes he doesn't let go, he's crazy. Newman did this when he was young too and he finally outgrew it. Im just wondering if you guys ever have the same problem. And its just random dogs, some are rough and some are submissive. Its really annoying.

nicwithcandy · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:23 am Post subject:

Sorry, to add to that, he also finds dead animals and ROLLS on them, its sooooooo disgusting, why the heck do they do that???????????? Then he smells HORRIBLE afterwards.

oregonweim · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:51 am Post subject:

Kennedy LOVES rolling on dead things that smell, yummy to her. One reason I like winter, fewer chances of those spots occurring.

As for 'rough' play, I personally don't like it. It isn't that it is bad in my book but to me it can escalate so much faster into not so rough play. I just call my dog out when things get to nippy. At the park Miles generally has a cuzz toy in his mouth so that helps prevent him from rough play. Sadly we didn't have a place like where Kennedy was trained with miles. Puppies all learned early on how to play nicely and she never does what I construe as rough play with anyone.

nicwithcandy · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:59 am Post subject:

I know, but unfortunately since I adopted him at 1.5 years old, I had no control over his behavior as a puppy Sad

I stop him and leash him when he acts up, its just so annoying. It def looks worse than it is, but other owners get mad and look at him as aggressive, I hate it.

oregonweim · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject:

nicwithcandy · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:57 pm Post subject:

Yeah, yeah, I hear ya on that! Or I'll tell them, look he plays REALLY rough, oh no its ok, then next thing ya know Im getting dirty looks! See, I told ya!

Banshee13 · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject: Rough play

My lab mix, Ranger, plays too rough on occasion (at the dog park) and I do exactly as you do--give him a "time out"--on leash. I typically find that if he is "that mood", time outs don't always help and when they don't, we just pack it up and call it a day.

My problem with rough play is more often when my three pups are out in the backyard for a pee. They play SO rough with one another. they get so rambunctious, I don't know what to do. Banshee, my weim, usually goes SLIDING down our asphalt driveway, and Scout, the baby, always gets TRAMPLED on by both Ranger and Banshee. I hate it when they roughhouse like that, and sometimes I resort to taking them out back individually, but that's a lot more work for me. I can't help but think it's not GOOD for them to play like that...someone could get HURT (bashing into something, not from the biting or flying over one another). Anyone else with multiple dogs have this problem? If so, what do you do about it?

nicwithcandy · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject:

Yeah I hear ya with that too. I just have two of them, but with Newman being 9 years old, he can't play like that at all and Luca is constantly trying to start fights with him (playing). Newman wants no part of him and won't even walk on the grass by him Sad

And then I feel bad for poor Newman because Luca charges him and Newman gets hurt. If it gets too crazy I take them out one at a time. For Newman's sake.

Wes · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject:

Mine plays rough too. He runs with them and nips them on their neck. He loves to punch them in the face, too. I tell people his surrogate mother was a Boxer. If its another large dog who is equally excited, I figure he can take the abuse and let them got at it, but I do stop it when it looks like it could escalate into a fight. He wears an E-Collar, and I pop him with a few low volts when he becomes too fixated with the rough play and doesn't respond to verbal commands. Then he is quick to obey.

oregonweim · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject: Re: Rough play

Banshee13 · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject:

Tough and resilient they sure are! I keep saying that when the baby grows up, he's going to be the toughest one of all! After getting beat up, trampled on, stepped on and fallen on at least twice a day, I'm sure he's going to want revenge once he's one of the BIG DOGS!

Peri

nicwithcandy · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject:

oregonweim · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:18 pm Post subject:

Rosko · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject:

Rosko will get pretty excited with dogs that don't seem to 'mind' persay.

He picked up the more roughhouse style of play at the dog park from other dogs so we had to take action quickly. We stopped going to the 1 acre local park so often and instead go to another dog park that is more 'wilderness trail' like but with _a lot_ more dogs around. That was step one.

Step two, whenever he gets too excited we just grab him and restrain him while letting out a firm 'no'. We've been lucky that he has learned 'no' pretty well now.

What I've witnessed works very well for other dogs (not Rosko just yet) is a very strong 'Leave It' command. I've noticed other well trained dogs that get too excited can be called off quickly with a firm 'Leave It' by their owners. Leave It has been the bane of my existence with Rosko though so we are working on it hardcore right now (he thinks it's a game). I'm hoping we can use it for such occassions in the near future though as it means we don't have to pull an Olivia Newton John on his *bum* and 'get physical' to calm him down but can just tell him calm down with the command essentially (I've been using the word 'calm' while restraining him too).

imamonstertruck · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:33 pm Post subject:

The only other og Turkish get rough with is Brody, my brothers boy. As soon as they see eachother, they tackle and wrestle each other to the ground. It has never turned into anything more than rough play, but it is annoying and the other dogs get riled up too often. Usually what I do is when they get to that point, I will separeate them in their own rooms for a sec. They have began to grow out of it, but I am not sure they will completely. I can tell, when all the dogs get together, and Turkish has alot of friends, Brody is his best buddy, and I think that has alot to do with it.

cheers