all creatures Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) Hello All, We have recently welcomed a female Schipperke puppy (now 9 weeks) into our home. We have a Staffy (SBT) bitch who is about 2yrs. They are both young and full of energy! Whilst I am happy that they are playing together - the staffy is a very strong and powerful girl who doesn't really know her own strength - and the Schipp just doesn't know when to stop - and is fearless! They are both wagging their tails and having a ball together and Daisy is not yelping in pain or anything (growling most of the time actually) My only problem is that I am a little concerned that Midge (staffy) may inadvertantly damage Daisies little growing body....and I might end up with a pup with bad hips or such. So my question is: How much rough play is enough for a puppy? I tie up Midge at present - so that little Daisy can take time out as she needs - but she keeps going back for more. Any thoughts advice most appreciated. Edited January 26, 2011 by all creatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Midge shouldn't get tied up. You need to get/make a puppy pen for the pup to go into for time out & Midge can still do its normal things. You will need to follow that routine for quite awhile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunnwarren Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I have a nine week old silky pup here plus a sheltie who loves to play, I leave them to it for about 10 minutes then either the sheltie goes outside for a while or silky gets put into her puppy pen as I don't want the silky to get too tired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Whip is 6 months old and still doesn't really get to run with the other guys because he has no sense of self preservation and they run too much. Every time the chiropractor sees him she says he is trashed and is doing too much... I can't imagine what it would be like if I actually left him to run free with the other dogs. He usually gets to go out with one or 2 of our dogs, never with the whole pack (7 others), and even then it is only for an hour or 2 a few times a week, if that. Just because they are happy to play doesn't mean that it is doing her any good. Delta has spondolosis through her spine which they suspect is from doing too much as a pup. Their joints are still growing and it doesn't take much to cause damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all creatures Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Midge shouldn't get tied up.You need to get/make a puppy pen for the pup to go into for time out & Midge can still do its normal things. You will need to follow that routine for quite awhile Midge very rarely tied up - only intermittently when the play gets out of hand, and only for 10 mins or so - so I can have my morning cuppa in peace. Daisy (pup) lives inside - and is my 7yr olds dog - Midge is an outside dog and always has been. I do not intend on have a puppy pen here. No offence - but I am really after information on the well being of the pup's body - not a behavioural science lesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all creatures Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Whip is 6 months old and still doesn't really get to run with the other guys because he has no sense of self preservation and they run too much. Every time the chiropractor sees him she says he is trashed and is doing too much... I can't imagine what it would be like if I actually left him to run free with the other dogs. He usually gets to go out with one or 2 of our dogs, never with the whole pack (7 others), and even then it is only for an hour or 2 a few times a week, if that.Just because they are happy to play doesn't mean that it is doing her any good. Delta has spondolosis through her spine which they suspect is from doing too much as a pup. Their joints are still growing and it doesn't take much to cause damage. Thanks DeltaCharlie - that's what I suspected and the info I was after. My best mate was a BC too - just lost him a month ago @ 12yrs One thing his breeder stressed to me was that puppies must always be able to rest whenever the need to - otherwise they can damage their growing joints. Midge was a pup with Loki and he was 10yrs and the boss - so there were no dramas (Midge also built like a tank) Trouble is - I have never had a Schipp before and she just doesn't seem to know when to quit (maybe a breed trait..?)- so I will have to intervene by the sounds of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Midge shouldn't get tied up.You need to get/make a puppy pen for the pup to go into for time out & Midge can still do its normal things. You will need to follow that routine for quite awhile Midge very rarely tied up - only intermittently when the play gets out of hand, and only for 10 mins or so - so I can have my morning cuppa in peace. Daisy (pup) lives inside - and is my 7yr olds dog - Midge is an outside dog and always has been. I do not intend on have a puppy pen here. No offence - but I am really after information on the well being of the pup's body - not a behavioural science lesson If you're not keen on a puppy pen would a crate be an option for some time out for your baby puppy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) but I am really after information on the well being of the pup's body And that is just what people are doing- suggesting you have a pen where pup can be confined to rest its body (and also to learn that it can be on its own happily) The puppy is very much a baby ..and I'm sure when your 7 yr old was a toddler she got put down for naps, etc during the day ? She was not just left to crawl around/run /be handled by older kids? Oh.. and if you have a dog tied up- AND a baby puppy free to still interact , please be aware that accidents can happen with rope/chain and baby puppy necks/legs. I have seen a puppy turn blue because it was playing with a tethered dog and got tangled. Edited January 26, 2011 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all creatures Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) but I am really after information on the well being of the pup's body And that is just what people are doing- suggesting you have a pen where pup can be confined to rest its body (and also to learn that it can be on its own happily) The puppy is very much a baby ..and I'm sure when your 7 yr old was a toddler she got put down for naps, etc during the day ? She was not just left to crawl around/run /be handled by older kids? Oh.. and if you have a dog tied up- AND a baby puppy free to still interact , please be aware that accidents can happen with rope/chain and baby puppy necks/legs. I have seen a puppy turn blue because it was playing with a tethered dog and got tangled. Umm - she flops down inside quite happily and sleeps whenever she wants. We respect her nap time. When she gets to carried away she gets ignored until she settles down. My only concern here is the interaction between the two dogs. Is 3 x 10 mins a day too much? Possibly. The dogs are fully supervised by me when they are together - so an accident not likely when I am 2 feet away. Daisy only goes outside for about 10 mins 3x a day for toileting and exploration. We have a 30 acre block which is a lot of space for a puppy to get lost in. We have lots of snakes also. We also have very large raptors - which could easily take her down. It's also extremely hot here for a pup relocated from cooler climate, that is black and double coated. I am quite happy with what we are doing. We only have one child who is a very gentle and mature girl - she is trustworthy around animals. I am happy with DeltaCharlies experience with this problem - so thanks for all the comments and advice (ps - here they are right now..... even a puppy can't compete with a DS sometimes!! ) Edited January 26, 2011 by all creatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I would let them be dogs. If they are both willing, why restrict them? My younger dog played with my older dog for hours every day when he was a baby. He eventually settled down and now they only play for about one hour every day. It's good body conditioning IMO. My dogs are lean and toned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all creatures Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 I would let them be dogs. If they are both willing, why restrict them? My younger dog played with my older dog for hours every day when he was a baby. He eventually settled down and now they only play for about one hour every day. It's good body conditioning IMO. My dogs are lean and toned! Thanks corvus - Midge (SBT) and Loki (BC) were fine and raised together straight off - but they were a different personality combo....and their bodies more evenly matched in strength and endurance - if that makes sense....Midge was a tough little brick straight off. When she matured and became stronger than the 10yr BC - he just flopped on his bed and ignored her when he had enough. Daisy the Schipp is different again - she is no physical match for the staffy nor ever will be. We have to keep my Mum's Sheltie away from Midge now - simply because Midge is too rough and the Sheltie ends up going home limping - not good. Prevention better than cure seems sensible in this example.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Woofs Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I made the mistake of letting my pup play freely with my 2 adult dogs. When she was 16 weeks she got body slammed in play by my adult amstaff and rolled down the hill in my backyard. She tore the muscle in her shoulder really badly and had to be kept quiet and away from the other two for 3 months and have weekly sessions at the chiro. At 8 months she still hasn't healed completly. She has muscle wastage and I now need to start hydrotherapy to built that shoulder up. All this is on a show pup that we have high hopes for.... if we ever get the shoulder right Please be very careful with a young growing puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamieson Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Hi, I have a six month old desexed lab pup and he plays very hard but not as hard as our older dogs. If I tied the older dogs up they would get jealous I think. I separate them reguarly for everyones sake. Our puppy has an area he goes to be alone and he loves the rest and sleeps the whole time. He is a very good dog at night and is used to this routine. I would recommend taking the pup away rather than isolating the older dogs. Our older dogs actually get tired of our puppy as he bites them and jumps all over them continuously when he is excited! He is learning some social skills now but i have noticed if i leave him with the older dogs too long he is very exhausted and this cant be good for joints etc. Good luck but I do advise a puppy pen or room or area for quiet times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Dogs can hurt themselves in play just as easily as in any other activity. As in everything, monitor and use common sense. My older dog rarely body slams or anything like that. He plays rough with his little brother, but Erik is the one that has to have chill out time here and there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Considering the size difference and the chunky build of Staffies I would carefully supervise their interaction and take care. My GSD as a 6 month old pup was running and playing with my Kelpie X and a collision happened when they were playing, which resulted in the GSD breaking a hind leg so accidents with rough play can happen with horrible outcomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all creatures Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Hey - thanks heaps everyone - that's all good info (sorry about your dogs injuries though - but that's exactly what I am trying to fathom/avoid. I felt really guilty about holding Midge back - as she is missing Loki very badly - and is way too thrilled to have a new dog around. Poor love - she means well but she is very much like a spring loaded wrecking ball... I have grown up with sheep dogs, working farm dogs, gun dogs. So a Staffy (my husbands dog, in truth) is a whole new experience for me - and she is a whole lot of dog! A desperate question I know - but I don't suppose there is anyway I can train a Staffy to play more gently...??? It's a shame that other family members have to exclude their dogs - as they love coming up here to run amok on the block and it means I can't dog-sit for them anymore when they go on holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 A desperate question I know - but I don't suppose there is anyway I can train a Staffy to play more gently...??? Are you ready for that behaviour science lesson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esky the husky Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 A desperate question I know - but I don't suppose there is anyway I can train a Staffy to play more gently...??? Are you ready for that behaviour science lesson? Corvus I would like the answer to that question Just replace 'staffy' with 'husky' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest english.ivy Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I had a Pointer pup with my adult Belgian, they played really rough and I keep it to short bursts when the Pointer was still a little pup. But when I went back to work, he would have been nine weeks by then, they were left alone in the yard together while I wasn't home. He's grown up fine and dandy. I'd just give the pup some frequent time out in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Well below is how it works in our house but i am clueless QUOTE (showdog @ 26th Jan 2011 - 12:14 PM) * Midge shouldn't get tied up. You need to get/make a puppy pen for the pup to go into for time out & Midge can still do its normal things. You will need to follow that routine for quite awhile Midge very rarely tied up - only intermittently when the play gets out of hand, and only for 10 mins or so - so I can have my morning cuppa in peace. Daisy (pup) lives inside - and is my 7yr olds dog - Midge is an outside dog and always has been. I do not intend on have a puppy pen here. No offence - but I am really after information on the well being of the pup's body - not a behavioural science lesson wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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