# Our V plays with other dogs until exhaustion - help!



## LucyJ (Sep 30, 2019)

Our V is still a pup at 5 1/2 months. He loves other people and dogs a little too much but is very sociable while out on walks and when he meets dogs - never any signs of aggression. 

But if he is allowed to play with a dog or if he visits another dog’s house/we have a dog visit us, then he will play fight with them (wrestling, mouthing, jumping) continuously for 12 hours straight. He doesn’t acknowledge the other dog or his own body telling him that he or they are tired and need to stop.

He also doesn’t interact with other dogs in any way other than play. So he won’t lay next to another dog while awake, walk calmly next to them or be in the same house without jumping on them. On a couple of occasions now he has ended up limping due to over play and will be exhausted for days after an encounter. Sometimes collapsing down during the play and then immediately getting back up to play again despite obvious signs of severe exhaustion.

This means we can’t have him in day care if any other dogs will be present as he will literally play for 12hrs straight, drink lots of water to cope and then pee inside because he is too excited and is taking on too much water. It also means we can’t socialise with our friends who have other dogs as ours will not leave their dogs alone - even if warning barks are given/he has met them a million times. 

It is so important to us that he gets to a place where we can go away with other dogs and so he can go to day care with other dogs (our sitter has two so it is only ever a max of three dog’s at a time). We’re also so worried about him making himself ill so we really need help. 

We’ve tried taking him away for a few minutes to calm down but as soon as we release him he starts again. In the eve, we have to physically hold him away from the other dog to get him to go to sleep. I don’t want him to think he can’t interact with other dogs because I don’t want him to fear them but we need to get him to a place where he plays like a normal puppy, even if that’s for a couple of hours but he then calms down and learns to co-exist without constant play.


Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated! 

Thank you 

Lucy


----------



## LucyJ (Sep 30, 2019)

Here he is the little monster


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

A lot of puppies don't know when it's time to rest around other dogs .
That's why we choose it for them.
If you have crate trained him, mandatory rest is pretty easy.
Even most dog daycares have a nap time.
The dogs are separated for a couple of hours mid day to rest.


----------



## tegee26 (Apr 25, 2018)

I have to agree with TR. We're fairly new to V's (2-yr old male and 6-month out female). And after having Labs for 30+ years (three in total) we had to learn "when to force shutdown". Labs by nature know. From our limited experience of just two years, and from learning a TON of info here on the forum, you have to take proactive steps to shut down your V. Simple stop exciting them and/or "crate time". If not they will literally go & go & go & go. The only thing that we've experienced slows down of V's is 90F+ degree temps. For some reason that is their kryptonite.....lol.

And after just re-reading your post, some of what you are describing is "puppy syndrome". Our 6-month old female gives our 2-yr male V a run for his money. It's payback for what he did to our aging Lab before he passed at 13-yrs old in April. He tortured that poor guy for the 1-1/2 they were together.

Anyway, again, from our experience you have to tell these when to shut down. Just be firm and most importantly consistent.

HTH


----------



## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi Again, Lucy...

I just answered your other post, and it seems as if your expectations are in need of adjustment. Is this your first dog? A lot of what you're describing is fairly normal, pups interact by play "Fighting", and it's both good fun and good for them. Keep an eye out for bullying or when one has had enough....you can tell b/c the tone changes fairly dramatically, one or both will clearly seem very pissed off.

Also, at 5 months, he should be going on long, off lead hikes and adventures daily to burn of the energy. If he's crazed with other dogs it might be an indication that isn't happening.


----------



## Alw2020 (Oct 24, 2020)

LucyJ said:


> Our V is still a pup at 5 1/2 months. He loves other people and dogs a little too much but is very sociable while out on walks and when he meets dogs - never any signs of aggression.
> 
> But if he is allowed to play with a dog or if he visits another dog’s house/we have a dog visit us, then he will play fight with them (wrestling, mouthing, jumping) continuously for 12 hours straight. He doesn’t acknowledge the other dog or his own body telling him that he or they are tired and need to stop.
> 
> ...


I'd love to know how this worked out for you in the end, as my 9 month old V boy doesn't stop when tired or when he needs a wee, nothing stops him playing with one of his mates he is just relentless, regardless of exercise given beforehand. Did your boy grow out of this, and at what age? I'm basically wondering at what age he might become less interested in other dogs!


----------



## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Alw2020 said:


> I'd love to know how this worked out for you in the end, as my 9 month old V boy doesn't stop when tired or when he needs a wee, nothing stops him playing with one of his mates he is just relentless, regardless of exercise given beforehand. Did your boy grow out of this, and at what age? I'm basically wondering at what age he might become less interested in other dogs!


Alw2020
Will they "quit"? No, they won't. They aren't really designed to be that way. They do begin to moderate themselves as they get older, but this is a breed that doesn't really have an "off button'. They'll go until they drop, literally, so we have to be their moderators.
Yes, they can be relentless, which has through the years cost me a good sum of money at the Vet's office. The genetics to pursue a task to completion is strong in them. They are a hunting dog, and giving up easily would be a bad trait in a bird dog.
They do stop trying to go after every dog they see to play, but that takes time and maturity and each dog is a little different. Finn, at 20 months is just starting to ignore the distraction of other dogs and people. Still though, he'll go and instigate an run/wrestle session if not controlled. Dogs are social animals, they naturally want to interact.
Regardless of the breed lines any individual Vizsla has, the "hunt" component is genetically imprinted. Some stronger than others, but it will be there. The stronger the "Hunt Drive", the stronger the "Play Drive". 
These are special dogs.


----------



## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

One thing I noticed is with off-leash walks in the woods and we bring Ellie's best V friend, a female 3 y/o and her owner, if we keep walking it tends to calm things down far more than if we were stationary watching the dogs play. Keeping in motion seems to trigger something in Ellie, she pays more attention and will alternate between crazy dog play, searching, and checking in as us humans as we keep on the move. Even when I'm alone with Ellie on a hike and if I stand still too long, she'll start looking for things to mess with like pulling up roots, grazing on things she shouldnt eat, and other things she knows kinda gets my attention while not really being super "bad". All that being said, yea, there is no self regulating off button and is always up to me to pause or end the play time getting on the leash back into "go for a walk" mode home. The 3 y/o V has far more self control and for the most part wants to go check out the woods instead of ruffhousing with my 8mos old. Her owner said she was just like Ellie at that age.


----------

