# Puppy playtime...too rough?



## Denaligirl (Aug 28, 2012)

Hi all! I am a new member and a new Vizsla owner to Denali, who is almost 4 months old. This forum has helped me so much to realize that her nightly crazy moments are totally normal (I was a little freaked out at first!). Denali is such a love but does have her moments of course! 

My latest issue is how she plays with other dogs, especially other puppies. I am currently puppy sitting a chocolate Lab, also 4 months old. Denali & the lab cannot seem to get along for longer than 5 seconds! It is a constant battle for dominance, and even though the lab is much bigger than Denali, she continues to instigate and antagonize the lab. Is this normal? I know that puppies play rough but I worry that one or both will really get hurt. Denali does have several "battle scars" now, mostly on her legs where he keeps biting her. How should I handle the play time which I have recently decreased to keep my own sanity?! Thanks! ( I have attached a pic from a couple weeks ago)


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Welcome to the forum Denaligirl.

You don't say how old the lab is? Is it possible the lab is just fed up with the boistorous play of your pup and the sharp teeth :'(. Having watched my elderly Dane putting up with a young pup I can well imagine that some older dogs just won't put up with it, and actually why should they?

If I were you I would limit the time they are together, and perhaps keep the pup on the leash when they are together in an enclosed space. Maybe when you are out for a walk let the pup off the leash and keep the lab on the leash and tell your pup "off" or "leave" when it jumps or tries to bite the lab.

I should think you are pretty stressed with coping with the two of them. I am sure other, more experienced members will have some good suggestions for you.

Enjoy you pup while she is young, they grow so fast


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

I believe my first post was about my pup playing too rough at the puppy class I took him to. After reading tons and watching other V's, I've learned that V's play a bit more rough than other dogs. Is there any yelping while they are playing? I would let them work out the dominance issues. Just let them play for a little while, then break them up when YOU need a rest.  Oquirrh had a lot of knicks on his little body when he was a pup. I think the knicks just show so much easier on the short hair breeds.

BTW, welcome to the forums! I love the name, Denali! Named after the mountain? My pup is named after a mountain range in Utah.


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## Denaligirl (Aug 28, 2012)

@ Hotmischief, thanks! The lab I refer to is also a puppy, same age as Denali and boy do they give each other a run for the money! I have mostly been keeping them separated with a little play time, it is just too much for me to handle, especially watching them grab onto each others necks, yikes! Another member commented that this rough play is pretty typical so I feel a little better about it. Thanks again!

@Oquirrh the V, yes Denali was named after the mountain & national Park, which my fiance has been to & loved. It translates to "the great one" and she is definitely growing into her name. It is good to know that V's play a little rougher...how old is yours now and does he still play rough? I am wondering if this is something she will grow out of. I do give them some play time in the yard but I don't tend to let it last long since the growling, snapping and yelping begins pretty quickly usually. Thanks for your advice! The lab is leaving today so things will be going back to normal soon, phew!


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

I can agree that my two yo V and five month old play VERY rough and VERY loudly. I try not to interject but will if I see a real potential for injury as they seem to get carried away. Or if I see the younger one trying to escape. But for the most part they both always come back for more. And they both let up for a yelp. We're working on making them stop playing when we say so "settle" so that we don't have to listen to it later in the evening or during a movie or something. But I can't imagine two pups at once since neither of them know the rules yet.


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Hi Denaligirl,

I remember being very surprised how rough dog play was as well. We had Oso in "puppy playtime" at our nearest Petco 3-4 times a week. It was a half hour to an hour long and all the puppy parents watched as the dogs played with the supervision of a trainer who supervised, explained what was ok and what wasn't, etc. 

I do think Oso plays differently as an adult. I posted videos of him playing like crazy when he was a pup on youtube. I just went back and watched a video of him playing with his friend Momo. It is more aggressive than he plays now. Also, they stop biting ears and legs so much. 

It is a way for them to play though and it was pretty normal during puppy playtime for pups to yelp, as they are learning bite inhibition. The most important thing is that when the other dog yelp, the puppy who caused it backs up and stops. 

Here is a video of Oso and Momo when he was almost 4 months. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIWLQ6oJKHk&feature=plcp

I obviously thought it was ok play to let it go on. Momo was a month or two older, but didn't really start playing with other dogs until Oso (actually). Now watching it, I wished they took turns more. 

This is Oso and a doggy named Scrappy at Puppy Playtime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAXYfQ4xGHk&feature=relmfu

This type of play is what puppies do. It took me awhile to figure out dog play. A lot of people say V's play harder and maybe that's true. But, my experience is that pitbulls and huskies both play harder than V's and we have a lot of mixes around who do as well. As Oso has grown though, we modify what is ok. At this point, "biting" another doggy in play is not ok, as a puppy it's a big part of learning bite inhibition and is healthy for them.


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

My V'x play really rough with each other and it gets loud. I think their favorite game is "I'm going to try to bite your face". But, no one ever gets hurt. If they're both engaged and neither one retreats or ties to "get away", then I figure they're having fun.


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Our 2 v's play like 2 "freight trains". They body slam each other with such a force, you might think a couple of bones will be broken!
Skyy is very vocal, she makes funny growling noises, Max is the quiet one.
The outcome is always the same - Skyy wins


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## AKGInspiration (Aug 23, 2012)

It all comes down to the dynamic of the two together. I used to work for a daycare and every dog had their own style of play. Some dogs are better at learning to modify for each dog they play with, some have to be taught. 

The key is to watch how they react to _eachother_ when they are playing. If nobody is getting overly bullied by the other I would say that they are just ruff players together. If it appears one is telling the other off for certain moves, then try and get the pup who is "not getting the message" to settle down and respect those signals from the other puppy.

If your vizsla tries the same style with another dog who requires less hard play I would curb your puppy when it reaches that level that is "too much" for _that_ other dog. take them down a notch, a leash or water bottle can break it up a bit to give a break. Get the puppy in a calmer state then allow them back at them.

I always address the one that seems more the aggressor (not aggressive... but the more assertive of the two in play)... There will always come a point where one puppy is just done and needs a break.. signals of this are when they just get snappy snappy... they are on their mouth and are all mouth. there is not the body engaging play like before. Chances are it's just going to go downhill from there as they are tired. So put them up for a break.

We often had to do breaks during play for some pups who just got too into it and didn't shut off well. We would pull them aside and have them sit for a while till they relaxed then we would let them go again. Make sure you keep the other dog back too while doing these breaks as it should not be allowed to take advantage of these moments and taunt. 

Adding more room/space for play really helps too, as they don't have to wrestle the whole time but can actually run it out a bit too. Sometimes toys will help distract those sharp teeth too. Get some nice fleece and braid it tightly. Throw it too them and watch them tug and drag eachother around. 

Now on a more specific note, when Luna wants to play she plays hard. It usually is a lot of talk and moves not so much actual contact... when she makes mouth contact it usually is short and she is off to another part. Which really helps engage the dogs in play not just biting. So just keep an eye on the actual dynamic. Some dogs she will play ruff with, others she just wants to run with. Every relationship is different... it's about finding _their_ norm


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## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

Denaligirl said:


> It is good to know that V's play a little rougher...how old is yours now and does he still play rough?


My boy is 18 months now. He has calmed down a bunch since about 14 months or so. From 8 - 14 months he played very rough. Especially, with younger, smaller dogs. They would get him worked up and he is so quick, and pure muscle that he would pummel over them when they were running. His type of play has changed now. There are very few dogs that he will wrestle with, the game he likes most is chase. And he is very good with the puppies now. He let's them just bounce off him, I love to watch it.


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## Denaligirl (Aug 28, 2012)

Wow, thanks for all the great tips & advice everyone! @Luv2laugh, loving the videos you posted, it looked very familiar!! The lab has gone home and things are back to normal and I can breathe a sigh of relief. Now that Denali is 4 months old, she is old enough for the local dog park, which we're going to test out this week. I'm hoping she can learn some things about play if there are some bigger, more mature dogs there. But of course I will keeping a very close eye. Wish me luck!


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## AKGInspiration (Aug 23, 2012)

Denaligirl said:


> Wow, thanks for all the great tips & advice everyone! @Luv2laugh, loving the videos you posted, it looked very familiar!! The lab has gone home and things are back to normal and I can breathe a sigh of relief. Now that Denali is 4 months old, she is old enough for the local dog park, which we're going to test out this week. I'm hoping she can learn some things about play if there are some bigger, more mature dogs there. But of course I will keeping a very close eye. Wish me luck!


Try as best you can to make the first couple introductions to the park on slow days... or when there groups are very small so it is more easily controlled. I am not a huge fan of dog parks overall but we did make some buddies there too sometimes. And usually it was the owners who were actively controlling and keeping an eye on their dog. It can be both a blessing and a curse, just depends how you go about things.


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