New Puppy behavior
What I'm wondering about is what to do to make sure we're not accidentally reinforcing aggressive behavior. My boyfriend likes to roll him around on the floor, get down on his hands and knees and but his head against him (at which point Theo usually grabs a bit of his hair and starts to chew on it), and just general horse-play. Will a little a rough-house foster aggressive behavior later? When Theo gets down on his front paws and sticks his butt in the air and yelps, do we respond playfully (rubbing him, copying him etc.) or should we do something else to discourage this? It seems like harmless puppy behavior to me, but we wanted to be sure because we'll be moving in several months and the landlord's only restriction on dogs is "no aggressive dogs." Thanks! |
|
|
As long as you are consistent in developing a start and stop time - on your terms - I don't think it will be an issue. My husband has played with Bingley this way since day one. However, just a word of warning: now that Bingley is changing coat those head butts from my husband turn into big tangly messes for ME to take out!!!  |
| I've been playing like that with my pup since before we brought him home (with the breeder's blessing).
To echo Emily's advice, it's all about how you choose to deal with that sort of play. The important part is that you choose when to start and when to finish. It's never too early to start teaching a pup when it's OK to play, and when it's time to stop. This becomes critical when your puppy is older and heavier and stronger. The butt-in-the-air-chin-on-the-ground-with-a-yelp move is classic puppy play behaviour. I hear they outgrow this sometime around their 12th birthdays. Sometimes, I choose to indulge. Generally, we start and stop playing on my terms, and he's learned that a much better way to get me to play is to bring me a toy. Playing like this (rough and tumble-like) when Barkley was a small puppy helped us to work on his bite inhibition (he's got an incredibly soft mouth now, even when we play rough and he starts to get carried away), to help him learn that play is good, but calming down after play is better, and that having a toy disappear isn't a bad thing. Basically, just about any play can be good or bad, dependent on your particular puppy, and how you approach it. If you choose to use it as a training tool in disguise, and to help you both learn your limits, I don't see any harm in it (not to mention that both puppy and human seem to enjoy it). |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|