Dogs Playing, well balanced play Options

[Louwra]

It always amazes me how some dogs can really 'read' others! Sirius and Mesi play like there is no tomorrow, taking turns in biting necks, legs, Sirius often puts his mouth around Mesi's muzzle, in turn Mesi jumps on his neck. The growling can be frightening sometimes and makes me check them just in case it gets out of hand. It never does

When Sirius was a pup, Mesi taught him how to play, how to behave, then Sirius was a round 16 months when Mellie came as a pupster, and he showed her how to play, just like he was shown.

Sirius is brilliant with pups, he seems to know what age they are and modifies his behaviour, it will never cease to amaze me.

When we meet a tiny pup, just out in the big wide world, he sniffs, and then doesnt react at all, they usually walk under him, try to take his ball, hang from his tail and he accepts it all in good nature.

When we then meet a pup a few months older, he is a bit stricter, when they try to take his ball he will nudge them out of the way, or turn around, but nothing more.

Yet as soon as he reckons the dog is old enough to know better, he will first push them away from his ball, if that doesnt help, a growly noise, then a full growl then if they still wont listen, it will be an air snap. At that point he will then walk away

This is a dog who will defend his ball against all big dogs, (he usually ignores anything smaller than him ) with teeth if needed!

We actually did meet some pups in exactly those circumstances, hence me being able to watch this interaction and him 'knowing' how young they were - needlesto say he got a huge hug from me, I felt soo priviledged to have him:love: (and yes I am a big soppy one at times lol)

[mum24dog]

This is quite an interesting one. The dogs are running free on the beach and chasing. One dog appears to be a lot slower than the other (I guess through age) and they are not running flat out because of this. Although the one dog is "being chased" most of the time, you can see how that dog is really having fun and keeps looking back at the other - not through fear, but to check they are keeping up and still playing!

My lurcher Charlie used to do that. He loved to be chased but would always keep just out of reach, however slow the chasing dog was.

Pam

[nikirushka]

Not got any pics I'm afraid. But I thought I'd describe how my dogs play with each other and how different combinations of dogs alters the dynamics very quickly.

Remy and River: play a lot, these two. It's VERY rough - lots of face-grabbing etc, but nevertheless very good play. River is almost always on the floor being very viciously cleaned but unless Remy cleans a bit too hard (he nibbles her face), everything can go on like this for hours, with River just flipping herself over every now and then, or nipping Remy's back feet when he isn't looking

Add Opi: play continues as normal, but Opi gets upset because she isn't being played with. She barks and gradually gets grumpy, so when River does try to instigate play, she gets grumbled at and Opi goes away to sulk.

Remove Remy: very balanced play from River and Opi. These two have played the most - the day we met River they played almost non-stop for 6 hours; and when I took Opi with me to pick River up the next week, they played most of the way home too. Very little in the way of being on their backs - these two play upright, it looks like sizing-up but it's all fun. Lots of posturing and bouncing around from Opi, waving her bum at River to get her to play but without getting too rough

Remy back in, River gone: VERY rough and frequently WAY OTT so I have to stop them. Opi is horrendous with Remy - very violent. He enjoys it for some reason but she has given him puncture wounds in the past so I do have to be careful. He invites rough play - he's very snappy-face himself, but having next to no fur of course he's more susceptible to wounds, and his style of play tends to rev OIpi up too much.


Soli with anyone: horrendous! Soli is a great example of how things can go wrong if a pup is not socialised. Soli cannot play normally with the other dogs - at all. If I am playing with a toy, she will come over and mouth the other dog's back and bark at them, or chase and mouth and bark if I throw it. This is 99% of the time aimed at River - River is smaller than everyone else, and faster, so is a great target for Soli's style With Opi and Remy she tends to mouth and push at the same time, little nudges, and will occasionally play-bow, but because they are her size she won't do anything else and will run away barking if they try to.

Out and about she's horrible. Since walking a little dog with my lot, she has learned that they are not evil and is now attempting to play rather than aggress. But she's still going basically the same thing, albeit with a different motive: she will charge, hard, and bark with a bit of air-snapping. She won't touch though. Trouble is, it's very scary if you're a little dog! This is definitely play now - because she listens to me if she does it to little Jolly (if she's aggressing, I am non-existant). And her body language with other little dogs indicates play, not fear. It's like she just cannot grasp how to play - even after living with playful dogs for 3 years and learning 99% of giving and reading body language and behaviour from them.

In short she is incapable of balanced play - either she in charge and making sure everyone knows it (even though she NEVER is), or she is staying well away.

Interestingly though, her and Opi had very nearly the same start in life - bought at the same age, taken to a couple of puppy classes, and neither would come out from under the seat from fear. Soli's were stopped and she got essentially no socialisation apart from her brother from then until 5yrs old, when I brought her home. Opi was put through the remaining two classes of that course, and then put through the same course again, until she learned to be friendly - she loves all dogs and has the best, most balanced play style of all four dogs. She has brought a fair few nervous dogs out of their shells too.

[traceymcl]

I took some video footage of two of my dogs playing on boxing day which I think is the kind of thing Lindsay is talking about.

They are rough but both dogs take turns at leaping on and chasing each other. And they have regular breaks where they pause and check that all is okay with the play session.

This has largely been taught by the older dog - the brindle bullmastiff. He has very good social skills and is particularly good at teaching young dogs how to play sensibly - rough is fine but he never lets it get OTT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrsrLQxTQE

[lv1109]

That's a great video tracey, thanks for sharing.

I love that the dog in the background just carries on chewing his bone as if to say "you two crack on, I'm fine here".

[cody]

I took some video footage of two of my dogs playing on boxing day which I think is the kind of thing Lindsay is talking about.

They are rough but both dogs take turns at leaping on and chasing each other. And they have regular breaks where they pause and check that all is okay with the play session.

This has largely been taught by the older dog - the brindle bullmastiff. He has very good social skills and is particularly good at teaching young dogs how to play sensibly - rough is fine but he never lets it get OTT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jrsrLQxTQE

thats a great video lovely to watch. What a grand brindle lad - could do with borrowing him for my lurcher lad who is VERY annoying to my other dogs trouble is they are just not big enough to put him in his place

[Fairy Snuff]

My husband and I were very pleasantly surprised with how quickly Arnie adjusted to playing with Lyssa when she arrived as he's never been brilliant with other dogs.

Initially he wasn't sure what to make of her at all but then it suddenly just fell into place and he realised that she was fun

They've always been very big on wrestling, even when Lyssa was tiny.......



We're constantly being amazed by how nicely they play together, it looks (and sounds!!!) very rough but they're incredibly careful with each other and always take turns to be the one "winning". Even with toys they take it in turns to be the one keeping the toy just out of reach of the other. Despite the fact she can be a little madam sometimes Lyssa is very good at stopping playing when Arnie has had enough, she'll occasionally keep badgering him for a couple of minutes after he stops but he knows he just needs to continue ignoring her and she'll give up.

Arnie has also become adept at engaging in play whilst expending very little effort. If she brings a toy over to him while he's in his bed he'll grab it and just lie there whilst she rags away on the end of it

It's lovely to see Arnie playing with another dog as it's something we never thought we'd see happen. He's had such a rotten time with other dogs and he's normally so fearful of them it's great that he's able to be so happy at home

[Princess C]

Mine play in a variety of ways...

Bridge babe Matilda trying to persuade Scout to come out of the shrubbery, while Min adds backup







Youngsters coursing each other

[Princess C]

Neck wrestling







Pouncing







Riding off







Lurking

[Princess C]

Teasing the elderly collie with HD














This post has been edited by Princess C: 4th Jan 2010, 9:32 am