Play Fighting

[TrishB]

I don't allow play fighting with Parker. I don't do it and I won't let others do it. We do play fetch, find it, get it, go for walks, work on commands and play tug of war by the rules.

Personally, I hate it when (sorry guys, but this is the trend I'm seeing ), men see that Parker is a Rottweiler (3 months old) and the first thing they want to do is rough him up and play fight with him. It isn't appropriate!

In my opinion, I don't want human hands or body parts to be viewed as toys by my dog! He's going to be 120 lbs. plus! There's no way in Heck that I'm going to have a big dog latch on to my hands or legs because he wants to play!

So my point, or questions are these:

1) Do you allow play fighting?
2) Do you allow play fighting with those outside of your family?
3) What impact have you seen in your adult dogs?
4) Why do men (mostly, although some women do it too) automatically go into dominate / fight mode? :p

[Bruce Lanthier]

While a puppy, no play fighting and certainly no playing "inside" the mouth. The pup needs to learn a few rules before any of that happens. As the pup gets older the games change as they can handle it.

Actually, I don't let anyone roughhouse/play with my dogs except me. I know the rules and I won't break them OR let the dog/pup break them. No one else knows the rules of "play" so they can't participate in any physical (tug, push, shouldering, kneeing, etc.) type playing. The truth is I'm the only one that "plays" with my dogs. Although my wife plays fetch with the pup while they are watching TV.

[guberdog]

Nope, no play fighting . . . ever. I learned early on, starting with innocent tug-of-war, that he would take advantage of the situation. So with y'all's help, we changes the rules of tug-of-war and stopped the behavior real quick.

[K9-man]

Nope! No play fighting here either.

The dogs get enough of that amongst themselves.

[DixieGrl113]

I don't rough house or play fight with my dogs and I don't allow others to do so either. For the exact reasons you stated Trish. I don't want any part of my body or a human body to be viewed as a play toy. I had a real problem when Beau was smaller with him running up and biting folks on the back of the legs. The calf area. It was a hard habit to break b/c he was so fast. A bite and run sort of thing. I'm guessing his former owners, if they can even be called that, rough housed with him. We eventually worked through it but it certainly would have been easier to avoid the problem in the first place. I have also noticed that a lot of men who meet my dogs want to play rough, as if that would bond them with my dogs. I tell them its not allowed. If they don't like it tough, they're not their dogs. Its as much for their safety as my dogs. My males are a bit stand offish with strangers, tolerant and polite but not overly so. If a strange man tried to rough house with one of them I believe I would have a problem on my hands.

[Rottnlove]

So how do you play tug of war so that it's safe and a positive thing? I know others do it, so I'm curious! :D

And definitely, no play fighting will be allowed for my puppy!

[Bruce Lanthier]

Originally posted by Rottnlove
So how do you play tug of war so that it's safe and a positive thing?

You teach the pup/dog the rules and then follow them.

Teething puppies - I play tug with a cotton sock (helps with the teething although they may get a bit bloody) and treats in my hand and pocket. I let them tug a bit, then show them the treat (with the other hand) and say "out" at the same time. Invariably they spit out the sock and take the treat. Then I throw the sock, they run after it, bring it back and we tug a bit more, then "out" and treat. I am controlling the game and teaching them out and fetch at the same time and they don't even know it. They think they're just playing LOL.

Older pups and adolescents - (They know "out" by now) Now I use rope tugs or some rubber toys I have. Same kind of scenario as above except now they "out" without showing the treat. Once they "out" I throw the toy and they race after it and bring it back to tug. The "tugging" is now the reward they want although I will still use treats intermittently.

Adults - The same as above except now I will make them (intermittently) sit/stay when I throw the tug. Then I release them and they get it and return to tug. I mix other stuff in like down/stays, downs/sits on the returns, etc.

Another game I incorporate into the tug game is "keep". I tell them to "keep" the tug and then chase them around. They are allowed to run from me with the tug if I tell them "keep". Thanks to Judi W for telling me (the forum) about that "game". Another game is to put the dog into a stand or sit stay and start running from them with the tug extended from my side. I release them while running and they come running by me and grab the tug as they go by, then I catch up to them and we will tug some more.

The whole idea is to have rules that everyone follows. Then it is less likely to become a "power play" and will likely just stay "play". It will just be a game with rules that the dog has to follow and it is also a great teaching tool. It's not tug-of-war, it's tug-of-play ;) .

Others may do things differently. This is just how I do it.

[Rottnlove]

Thanks, I'll have to remember that. I like all of the above! :)

Lisa

[bliss7373]

I do not rough house with my girl, and I don't allow others to do so. When I rescued her, I did not feel that I had enough experience owning Rotties to be sure I knew how to enforce the right rules, and I have small nieces and nephews-- I opted for "better safe than sorry", and will do it again. Sofi wouldn't dream of play-fighting with a person, and that makes me feel safer than allowing her to do it under certain conditions - the last time someone tried to start a game of tug, she politely refused to close her mouth around the rope, and looked at them like they were stupid. TrishB, I have ran into the same problem-- the first thing I have had to do with both of my last boyfriends was explain the "dog rules of the house" ...... and I am still convinced the current boyfriend rather thinks I am either paranoid or the Nazi Rotti owner from you-know-where! :D

[Skip]

I do play-fight with him. There is only he and I in the house. He is 2 years, 9 months and intact. We do play rough at times, but I prefer to have a dog that I can do this with. I don't allow anyone else to play fight with him (exception is bite-work in schutzhund), nor is he allowed to initiate it with others. No matter how rough we play, we stop when I say and he must NOT bite anywhere on the head. I also play some tug games with him. Many times I let him win when we're playing tug..but if I even WHISPER 'out', he must release whatever he has.

[laurlitt]

I do these things with Maddie (under my control) to build up her confidence and her drives. When I say the game is over... it's over. Her bite is getting quite a bit stronger now that she is 4 months. I think at this age I will put an end to her biting on me b/c it hurts!!!! I think it all depends on what you want w/ your dog and for most I wouldn't recommend this kind of behavior.

[CarolineS]

I rough house with Maggie, but not with Dresden. Maggie thinks it is great fun to be allowed to play with me, but that's the key, I allow her to do it. I always initiate it and I always am the one to call a stop. She knows the rules. She will only play like this with me; even if my husband and daughter try to invite her to rough house with them, she won't do it.

Dresden is another story. She used to play bow in front of me and then leap at me. She would do it to anyone who looked her in the eye. I've put a stop to that and don't let her rough house with me or anyone else.

I do play tug with both of them with no problems. I start the game and I stop the game. Sometimes I let them win, sometimes I win. Of course, when the two of them are both on the end of the tug pulling against me, they always win!

[Jamie & Odin]

Trish, I've run into the same thing. My adult nephew and step son always wanted to "play rough" with Odin. This included the lovely game of "slapping each cheek too fast for the dog to get you". You can bet I put an end to THAT real quick! (Why do people think dogs like that?)

Anyway, no rough housing here. Teeth on skin are not allowed. I have a 9 yo daughter, and numerous nieces and nephews. My daughter and Odin have lots of games they play together. They've largely made up their own rules, with an occasional "mom, is that ok if we do that?" and some guidance to make sure all is well.

I just think there are far better and more constructive ways for my family to spend time with our dogs.

[TrishB]

Originally posted by Jamie & Odin
This included the lovely game of "slapping each cheek too fast for the dog to get you". You can bet I put an end to THAT real quick! (Why do people think dogs like that?)

I think that people across the globe try this game.

And for the record, a dog can bite and release a human 6 times before our sluggish nervous systems even tell us what's going on! So guys? You're not that quick. :p

[Mattweiser]

I rough house with my dog. But I have never allowed him to use his mouth... he headbutts, pushes, paws, slaps, and grapples with me.... but never uses his mouth...
I have had no problem with it, when I am done (or he is getting a little too reved up) I stop the game....

only family is allowed to play this way with him.. I believe there is a level of trust involved in play fighting, and without that, you are asking for a serious incident.

Originally posted by TrishB
And for the record, a dog can bite and release a human 6 times before our sluggish nervous systems even tell us what's going on! So guys? You're not that quick. :p

Trish, where did you get this figure from?? I have a hard time with this, as I have done and witnessed a bit of "civil" agitation, and I still have all my fingers ;)