dogs start fighting while playing

[sansian]

We have had a new puppy in the house for about 2 months now. WE already have two other dogs. The dogs we already have are a 14yo silky (m), who keeps to himself and a jack 3yo russell (f). The new dog is a 9month old american staffy cross (f).

All dogs generally get on really well. The jack russel and the staffy play really well together but every now and then one must go too far and they both start to get very growly snappy and try to bite each other. It is starting to sometimes very serious where we have to pull them apart with them both trying to still go to each other.

When it happens we pull them apart stick one outside and lock one in the laundry for a while.

We chatise both of them at the time.

I dont want them to stop playing together, but how do you teach them the limit of their playing??

The staffy has not yet been fixed, i was also thinking this might calm her down a bit.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[elegy]

mostly by being right there and stepping in and calling them off when things start to get too intense. i'd call them off before they get snappy. just break up the play, call them to you or ask them for some behavior, and then release them to play again. it's a good practice to get into anyway.

be very very careful, as once two bitches start fighting, it's often extremely difficult to keep them together safely. any kind of bully breed is already predisposed to dog-aggression, and jacks aren't exactly known for backing down.

 

[Boemy]

Aren't Jack Russell terriers often same-sex dog aggressive too? To echo Elegy, be very, very careful!

 

[Paige]

My boys some times get into squabbles over a toy or a spot to lay down in. I can call them off eachother and thats that but in the past Spanky did attack Bandit and ripped open his cheek a bit. Now I am just extra super careful and watch them like hawks when they are playing. I can tell if one is in a bad mood one day and I don't bring them out at the asme time. They also get seperated when I am not home because I do not trust them alone together. Just watch their body language and stop it before it gets started.

 

[bubbatd]

When Hunter and Ollie first got together , play over a toy would sometime escalate into war . Now I can tell when enough is enough and can tell them verbally to " cool it " and they do . Hunter now knows which toys of Ollie are off limits ..