Typical Dogs Playing Within A Pack

[tlc]

I agree, I love it that mine play rough and they certainly know each others boundries.

Let them be dogs is a great slogan

[corvus]

Your two sound like a hoot, I can really imagine Eric being quite the character!! I bet Kivi didn't know what hit him when you added Eric to the mix.

It's one of the perks of having two young dogs. Kivi was nearly 18 months when we got Erik, and he needed a friend. There's another video on YouTube of Erik playing tug with Kivi's body parts the day we got him. He was young enough that he was still a bit of a kid himself, and he's a very friendly dude, so the two of them just bonded and they have no barriers. They rarely grump at each other, and when they do it's couched in play. A bit of super rough play seems to allow a safe dissipation of any frustration they have with each other. I love watching all the ways they have to keep the peace. It's really evolved over time as well.

Erik is a little firecracker, but Kivi is very touchy feely and he loves it. I have lots of photos of this kind of thing:

Erik has really good instincts playing with bigger dogs. When it gets too rough he lies low on the ground and crawls away so he doesn't trigger another chase. But with Kivi when he wants to stop he just stops running and turns to face Kivi and Kivi pulls up short. Often they have a little shake together and go back to more sedate play. It's really fascinating to watch the way they treat different dogs. In the video, Erik and Kivi's friend Max does a little eye-stalk. Erik learnt that off him and does it all the time to Kivi, and he does it sometimes to Max, but those are the only two he does it to. I think that's really interesting. He must have some sense of the intensity of that action to the dog on the receiving end to be so careful who he does it to.

Rough play puts a big smile on my face. My two love it, so I do.

[tlc]

Corvus I just watched your video, that was great, how funny when Max turns up you could almost say he was stalking and he did look kind of threatening then it was like whoaaa lets play a big game to them!! I didn't realize how fluffy Kivi was till I watched that Video, georgous doggies you have there. I do agree about the ages of the dogs and the way they play I think that is why all mine get on so well there is only 7 months of age between each of them. Although Cooper doesn't play much with the younger 2 he still gets on well with them and looks out for them like a big brother which I love. Here is another couple of snippits from me from today, still not at thier most rambunctious but you get the picture. And also today a dog we always see at the park his name is Bruce he is a beautiful GSP who my guys have known from a pup but he is crazy at the park he runs in at 100 miles an hour and all of mine say hello then he takes off the same way and mine chase him with not a hope of catching him. :rofl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnA64iTqPlI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4k8rWznNDc

In the second Video you see Tully stop behind the jump cause she knows Cooper is hot on her tail.

Heres Bruce

You can see how big our off leash park is in there pictures it is a great spot and always lots of friendly dogs for the gang to play with!!

[poodlemum]

Whoever said non-dog people "just don't get it" was right - my dogs have ALWAYS played very rough - much growling, showing of teeth & snapping, but all in fun - you can tell when it gets serious - it's much quieter! Niki & his mother had a disagreement over some food once, which nearly got nasty, but my ex separated them. After that, they didn't "speak" to each other for about 3 days - I'm not kidding, if one came into the room the other would leave Finally, ex threatened to "knock their heads together if they didn't kiss & make up" and everything was ok after that.

[corvus]

How fun are yours, tlc! I love how they all just get in there together. The boys were entertaining a lady down at the dog park this aftenoon, running around acting like hooligans. I guess they aren't that noisy when they play and mostly chase and wrestle. This lady was watching them play and laughing and she said "They are like brothers." It's so true. :D My previous dog never had a relationship quite so close with another dog. She always had "yard mates", but Kivi and Erik are "brothers".

I read somewhere that play bows are more common between dogs that don't know each other so well. I have found that to be true with my boys. They never play bow to each other, but they do to dogs they don't know. Even the regulars at the park they see often they don't usually play bow to. It's like once they get to know each other they don't need let their playmate know whatever comes next is all in fun. When you think about it, it's like the way you don't joke around much with people you don't know, but you might joke and then say "just kidding" to break the ice. Once you get to know them you don't have to say "just kidding".

[newfsie]

Awww Newfsie, they look so cute playing together, They didn't sound like they were making any noise in that video, are they usually vocal dogs or fairly quiet?

Our newfs always seem to quiet.......We do get early morning Zoomies, which I do not have on video. We have a 2 acre garden and they just love to run, just for the sake of it

[Skruffy n Flea]

bella has a gruff vocal, byron giggles ... sometimes we both think it's too much and separate but we are noobs...

we make each other anxious!

so i reckon if 2 dogs are enjoying each others company and no blood is shed, then leave 'em alone ... if you are really concerned, be there to supervise

our two are alone together all day, unsupervised ... not cuddly buds, but great buds all the same, they have a ball together...

[tdierikx]

Trouble can get quite vocal during play, and people who don't know her are a little put off... but their dogs aren't... *grin*

You should hear Trouble and James playing - talk about noisy and rough!!

Trouble teaches all my foster puppies that noisy play is OK...

T.