Do Adult Dogs Know A Puppy Is A Puppy?

[Guest donatella]

OT but she is GORGEOUS don, she looks like a wee soft toy what's her name?

Shes going through what's called the uglies at the moment and losing all her puppy coat before getting her big adult coat so looks gangly at the moment :laugh:

Her name is Bonnie so I have a Bonnie and Lucy, aren't they the cutest names ever?

I'm awaiting a swarovki crystal harness, collar and leash set to arrive from America for my little gorgeousness! Crazy dog lady right here :laugh:

:laugh: adorable. You're making me want one but my

Boofer would probably step on her

Pics of her in her Swarovski best when you get them mandatory!

whats 2kgs more of dog, you wouldn't even notice one hahaah. Her wees are soooo tiny, mind you she goes a lot more then a larger breed.

pics of course. i wish i could post more in the Pom thread but its barren land there these days

[Kobi'sDaisy]

I think most dogs do realise they are pups, the acti differently, play differently and even smell different.

Personally my dog, who is almost 2 has always struggled with basic dog language regardless of meeting a lot of different dogs throughout his first year. He is especially bad with puppies, like Snook was saying, who are not small dog puppies and just doesn't let them off for their puppy behaviour.

But I think this is not the norm and generally dogs are pretty understanding when it comes to the puppy variety!!

[Little Gifts]

As a foster carer with 2 adult dogs I find if the foster is under 1 year our dogs treat them very differently. They go into monitoring and teaching mode. I've just had 2 pups here from 11 week of age and my dogs understood straight away if they were being too rough with the puppies in their play and one would always lie in guard when the pups took one of their many naps throughout the day. They have even accepted a bit of nipple nudging and tail chewing. We don't normally have foster dogs this young and our two just seemed to know and adjust themselves accordingly, even at food and treat time.

[Brookestar]

Puppies are born with what is often referred to as a puppy license. Put simply it allows them to act like puppies. Like we accept that babies will cry adult dogs accept that puppies will be puppies. BUT the license expires somewhere between 16-18 weeks. They start to smell differently. They will still have some puppy smell for a while after that, but gradually adult dogs will become less and less tolerant, in what they will accept. Much like we become less and less tolerant of what we will allow children to do.

There are rude older dogs, just like there are rude people. If dogs have not been well socialised with other dogs as young puppies they will not learn well. This does not simply mean taking the dog to dog park and allowing anything to happen. It does mean creating lots of opportunties for the dog to play off lead with healthy, well socialised adult dogs. Good puppy preschools do this. I would not take a puppy to a dog park until they are at least 6 months, but I do ensure they have lots of off lead play with other dogs of my choosing, and of a variety of breeds.

They also have to learn to speak dog. They are born in effect knowing how to speak there breed, not dog in general. They have to learn what stuck up and what floppy ears mean they have to learn a whole range of different types of tails as all breeds hold them differently, etc. If they do not have different puppies and adult dogs to play with at a young age, they will struggle much more.

[Little Gifts]

Brookestar that was really interesting to know as the adult dogs we own are both very different breeds, as are the dogs we foster, so ears and tails all do very different things on all of them. I remember one young foster boy we had here was a pushy thing and I had to take him back to the rescuer's place after about a week to where there are loads of other dogs to be 'pushy' with. There were no rumbles upon his arrival and she said he'd learnt some manners while he'd been with me and I was so proud because he was surrendered for his dominance behaviours. Really it is our two dogs that do all the hard work there though! It makes me love them even more when I realise that!

[The Spotted Devil]

Confident, strong male vs new puppy:

Last week Ziggy had a run with a 9 month old entire male GSP who looks like a (gangly) adult and behaves like a loony puppy still. Not quite so tolerant!!!

Edited October 8, 2012 by The Spotted Devil

[Maddy]

Judging by how incredibly tolerant my adult dogs are of our grey puppy, I'd have to say yes.

I put the puppy out with the foster boy (the Doug) and then stood back, expecting to see the puppy at least get told off a few times (which was sort fo the point of it, his dog manners are pretty bad) but even as Bosley was ripping and chewing at Doug's neck, Doug just stood there, tail wagging in a relaxed way and his body language sort of "meh, whatever".

Our older bitch was a little less tolerant and told him off once or twice but still very gently compared to how she would react to an adult dog doing the same thing. Generally, the adults are very mindful of him and probably more tolerant than I'd actually like -because, as mentioned, his dog manners are crap and I'd hoped time with adult dogs would help him learn what the boundaries are.

[W Sibs]

With Charlie and Emmy.. yep. They definitely know the difference.

With puppies, they are tolerant, firm and patient. When we got Skeeter (my now 5 months old Samoyed) home at 8 weeks... both of them put up with a lot. They teach him manners and Skeeter use to get told off everyday but the things Skeeter gets away with, an older dog will never get away with (especially from Charlie).

[Lady Flying Furball]

My toy obsessed older girl I have to watch with other dogs and her toys but she let's the pup play with hers no worries

And they always sit facing each other, I'm sure they're conspiring against me

That's interesting how they sit facing one another... So cute both of them :)

[Sayreovi]

Most definately! All mine are very tolerant with young puppies. I have photos of both my boys playing with Jovi when she was younger much like TSD's video of Ziggy and Em.

It was interesting today though, my brothers girlfriend brought around their Stafford pup (4 months old I think now) for a play date. I used to take Jovi to their house alot when he was 8-12 weeks of age and she would lay down while he climbed over her, basically let him get away with murder. Today he lost a little of his license as he is getting huge and pushy so was very promtly told off by all three dogs when he over stepped their boundaries whereas before he was allowed to do it. He still has heaps more leeway then an adult dog but it was interesting watching them all interacting and how tolerant some adult dogs can be towards puppies especially seeing as I have a lovely mix of entire male, desexed male who thinks he is entire and an entire bitch.

Edited October 8, 2012 by tollersowned

[Simply Grand]

Today at the park there was a lovely male Husky, who I believed was an adult, although youngish, based on his size, appearance and behaviour with the other dogs - he was very calm and controlled with a variety of ages and sizes.

Weirdly though, Riley did his "I'm so tough" act a couple of times with this Husky (snapping and growling at a dog that really hasn't been problematic at all, bullying really - this is a problem behaviour of his that we work on and is improving dramatically).

He only ever does it to male dogs younger than him (I always ask as I've been working to figure out the triggers) and he's 18 months old so I was confused about why he was doing it to a much larger dog his age or older. Asked the owners, the Husky is 8 months old. So I couldn't tell, but Riley definitely could!

Edited October 9, 2012 by Simply Grand

[Danois]

Yes. My 4.5 year old went from this:

Where he was so gentle to full on aerial play (both with front legs off the ground) with an 18 month old Dane within a few minutes.

[Loving my Oldies]

Most do, by their own understood doggy body language. Some, like people dont care that it's a child, and will hurt it anyway but I would think the majority understand it's a pup and adjust their play accordingly. It's lovely to watch isn't it.

It is lovely and it makes me think about how important are good pareting skills and appropriate discipline.

And they always sit facing each other, I'm sure they're conspiring against me

:laugh: I reckon Bonnie is looking at Lucy and thinking: Wow aren't we just so beautiful !!

I think they do. My girl is very gentle with very newish puppies, then when they start to get to the naughty stage she will give them a warning growl ( but that has been when they bite her tail or face) but even then that's all she does.

Again - good parenting and confidence.

As a foster carer with 2 adult dogs I find if the foster is under 1 year our dogs treat them very differently. They go into monitoring and teaching mode. I've just had 2 pups here from 11 week of age and my dogs understood straight away if they were being too rough with the puppies in their play and one would always lie in guard when the pups took one of their many naps throughout the day. They have even accepted a bit of nipple nudging and tail chewing. We don't normally have foster dogs this young and our two just seemed to know and adjust themselves accordingly, even at food and treat time.

That's lovely, P_S.

With Charlie and Emmy.. yep. They definitely know the difference.

With puppies, they are tolerant, firm and patient. When we got Skeeter (my now 5 months old Samoyed) home at 8 weeks... both of them put up with a lot. They teach him manners and Skeeter use to get told off everyday but the things Skeeter gets away with, an older dog will never get away with (especially from Charlie).

Gosh,Vi. I remember you bringing Charlie as a puppy to one of DABS sausage sizzles and now you have three .

One of my fondest memories from being a volunteer walker at a pound many years ago was when we were joined by a couple who used to bring their very very large Malamute. We had a mixed breed (Staffy type) puppy and the Malamute used to lie on the ground so the puppy could play with him.