9 week old & 1yr old play???

[jessnjames]

O.k finally our 2 additions of the family are home and have settled in nicely. It's been about 2 weeks now and the little has come a long way.

First the good: Well she's slowly learning to hold herself and to let us know when she has to go out to pee or poop. She can do stairs up & down. She has been leashed trained (1st walk), she can sit & almost lay down at times.
She's been great and is absolutely adorable.

The bad: They both like to play with each other. The little one likes to chase the older one around the yard and it's great to see. When they settled down and play, our little one gets really rough with our 1 yr old. She bites at his lips, face, legs, neck etc. I can see that at times it puppy play but there have times where i've had to step in and break it up because of growling and snarling by the puppy. The older one is still "a puppy" so plays rough back with her. What should we do about the rough play? How to teach to play nice? What should we do and not do?
Everything i've been reading has been about 1 single dog or 1 young and 1 older (over 4-5yrs), so i would like any feedback on how to deal with this situation would be great.

Thanks,
Andre

 

[OSCARS MUM]

Id like to know what to do also. I have a 11 wk old girl and a 20 mth old boy. The same thing happens with my 2, ROXY's the rough one growling and attacking poor OSCAR, i know its only playing but when we go to puppy school shes like it with the other puppys.....Poor OSCAR has sores all over his neck and jowles, hes such a beautiful boy, shes beautiful too.

 

[Putermom]

Oh boy can I relate BUT my little one is a little older than your little ones.

I have a 16 month old male Boxer, Otis and a 4 month old female Chow Chow, Sasha. Sasha has been with us for about a week and a half now and the two have settled in rather nicely (rough first few days). Anyway, I was worried about Otis (75 lbs) playing with Sasha (23 lbs) and being too rough with her. But in watching them play and keeping a close eye on them, I can see that Sasha will give as good as she gets. When things get too rowdy and rough, I step in and if necessary, it's time out in the crates. For the most part, they are playing but it can get rough and loud.

I would just watch and if the little one seems over-whelmed, then you should intervene. I will, when necessary, call out to Otis..."Easy!! Play Nice!" and they both look up at me and then continue on but not as roughly.

Don't forget, Boxers play loudly and rough and sometime it sounds like they are beating each other up! but they're just having fun! Even the little one is getting louder by the day!

I just listen for the subtle changes in their voices (growls and grunts) to know when to step in. If it doesn't sound right to you, then it's time to step in!
Good LUck!!

 

[mancin]

I just listen for the subtle changes in their voices (growls and grunts) to know when to step in. If it doesn't sound right to you, then it's time to step in!
Good LUck!!

This is what I do as well. Tyson is VERY vocal and tends to growl and bark when playing. When he's playing, he has more of a deep growl and it's intermittent (ie. growl, breath, growl, breath, etc). When he's getting to the point of getting agitated and wanting to fight, the growling/barking becomes constant, faster, and is more high pitched.

 

[kassa]

Growling and carrying on is pretty normal boxer-boxer play. If the older dog doesn't mind, I'd let it go as long as you can stand it. Feel free to distract them if you need a break from the ruckus, but it's probably completely normal.

Your 1 year old is still a baby himself, so he may want to continue to play past the point that the puppy needs to quit and rest. If the older dog is taking the "abuse" happily, leave it alone. Yes, there will be scars and you'll cringe at what the older dog tolerates. In coming months he'll start putting his foot down, though.

It would be helpful for your pup's socialization to get her some contact with dogs of other ages, starting with puppy kindergarten to continue playing with her peers, and then maybe some situations (daycare, supervised playgroup, friends' house) with older adult dogs who can provide an example of non-adolescent adulthood. At this age they'll tolerate a lot also, but probably less than her older brother, who hasn't acquired all his manly dignity yet. Most puppies can use a few smackdowns from an adult who has had enough!

 

[Poetic_thing]

I have a 7 year old minpin (Riley) and a 10 week old boxer (Kirra). I was pretty concerned at first, but after the first few days they are great together. Kirra loves to play in the morning and Riley is NOT a morning dog - but he will tolerate her for a bit and then crawls under his blanket when he has had enough. He lets her know when she has pushed his buttons. Sometimes she gets right in his face while he has a chew and he snaps at her - she'll back off for a bit and then back in his face barking again. LOL they are too funny. The only thing so far that I'm concerned about is his mounting her. I know it is a dominance thing, but I tell him to "stop" click and reward or just reward - he is getting really good about it. They both do the mouthing thing. She chews on his neck and he chews on her lips & ears - I just love watching them although I can't wait for Kirra to get to play with another boxer. Jessnjames - your pups will work it out

 

[BOXERMAX04]

We have the same thing going on in our house. We have a 9 month old male and have just added an 9 week old female to the clan. It is the craziest thing to watch the two of them together. My male is big, about 23" and 75 lbs, and the little one just woops up on him. We were kinda worried at first, because of the size difference. We would pull them apart when it got a little rough, until we saw the coolest thing. Our big one had turned into a big softy. The little one will bite his chops, ears, legs, and what ever else she can get those teeth around and sound like the devils reincarnate while she's doing it, and the big one just lays there and takes it. But when he's had enough, or she's being too rough, then he'll let here know. He'll growl and knock her away with his head, and that'll be it. When we are gone and crate them, they are in seperate crates (more to give the big one a break). I've yet to be worried when the two are together. It's amazing to see just how gentel they can be around something so small.

 

[jessnjames]

Well I'm glad to see that it's normal, I never saw little pups play before and didn't realize it was so rough. Our 1yr old takes so much from her but is so gentle it's amazing. The part that worries us is her growling. When she gets on top of him either on his back or on his stomach she growls really loudly and I understand it's a show of dominance but is it something to worry about if we let her do that, she will become aggressive with other dogs?
The other part that we are starting to have problems is with her biting. I've read that if she bites to yell 'ouch' or 'yelp' loudly and leave the room. Well she doesn't bite us when she's alone only when she's playing with the older boxer. When it's rough we step in to break it up she'll nip at us. I don't see yelling 'ouch' or 'yelp' will help when she'll go right back to playing with the older boxer and not learn that biting us is not acceptable. Am i right or wrong?
She's nipped us a few times on the nose and fingers when we've broken their play. Confused on that aspect or trying to get her to stop

Andre

 

[harley03]

When it's rough we step in to break it up she'll nip at us. I don't see yelling 'ouch' or 'yelp' will help when she'll go right back to playing with the older boxer and not learn that biting us is not acceptable. Am i right or wrong?

You are right. She's not learning the consequence of nipping at you, just that when she nips at you, you pull back and she can go right back to rough-housing her older brother.

Do you have an area where you could put her in time-out? A safe area where she can't get into any trouble? A crate/gated off room?

Giving her a time-out will teach her the consequence of nipping at you, and will also give her a chance to calm down. We all know how carried away little puppies can get when they play . Time-outs don't have to be long periods of time either, just a minute or two to calm her down and to teach her that nipping (or getting carried away with rough play) is going to land her in a time-out.

Good Luck.
Hope this helps, but remember...be consistant with the time-outs. It may take her a little while to realize what she is doing that is inappropriate.