How much do you interfere in dog play/conflict?

[Slick]

How much do you interfere in dog play, particularly if one or both dogs are getting rough, or one corrects the other?
A possibly related question is also: Do you let your dog correct unfamiliar dogs?

At the dog park, I often see the two extremes: the needlessly overprotective mommy that jumps in at the smallest thing, even if the growl was a playgrowl, and the "Let them work it out" kind, no matter how many warning signs there are that it might escalate in a fight. Most people, naturally, are somewhere in the middle.

The reason I ask is because today I wasn't sure when/if to intervene when Leo was playing with a particular dog at the dog park. The dog in question was a young but big pitbull who didn't quite know his own strength and played a little too rough for Leo's taste, but otherwise listened to corrections/calming signals fairly well.
Because the pit bull was playing a little rough, Leo would sometimes correct him, but otherwise he seemed to be enjoying the play and Leo was often the one to initiate. I wasn't sure whether to let Leo correct the dog, or if I should remove him from the situation. The owner did not mind her dog being corrected, but that doesn't necessarily make it ok in my opinion.

The play went something like this:
1. Leo initiates play.
2. They happily play bitey face/wrestle for a while.
3. The pit bull breaks some rule by playing too rough (for instance bowling Leo over and then pinning him too hard) and Leo would snarl and snap (no contact)
4. They would take a play break.
5. Leo would again initiate play
6. They would happily play for a while, then rinse repeat.

The third time, I did see Leo nip (aka put the pit bulls skin in his mouth, there was no yelp). So at that point, I put an end to the play session and took him home.

I hope I reacted correctly to the situation and at the right time, but am not really sure. Basically, I let him make two corrections and continue on, but when I felt he crossed the line on the third, I ended the play session.


So...when do you interfere in dog play/conflict? With familiar dogs? With unfamiliar dogs?

 

[*blackrose]

It really depends on the dogs.

I'm so used to having dog reactive dogs that I tend to get a bit over the top about some things. Typically, I'll step in if a correction is being ignored OR if a correction is too over the top (using the other dogs body language to determine what is over the top and what isn't).

For example, Cynder's version of correcting Abrams is avoidance behaviors. *snorts* Yes, because that works, Cynder. So when they play, I really have to referee because she'll be done and fed up and he'll just keep on bouncing at her because she refuses to tell him to back the f*** off.

On the other hand, my/my mom's dog Chloe gives too harsh of corrections most of the time, and I would attempt to stop play before it got to that point in order to keep the dog on the receiving end from retaliating to a harsh correction.

In situations like yours, where a correction is given and then all is well, I let them "work it out". It's when escalation starts to happen (or bullying) that I interfere.

 

[Laurelin]

We don't do dog parks so....

But with my own dogs and friends' dogs etc I police some. Mia is a buttface especially around Beau. He can just look at her wrong and she goes off on him. Or playing puppies like we found out last weekend. She gets told to cool it down quite a bit.

She and Summer mostly just snark a little and I let them sort it out. But the other day a few weeks ago I let them outside and then heard an awful racket. Summer had Mia pinned up to the fence and the two of them were going at it. I figure Mia had run Summer over or bit her like usual and Summer had retaliated- the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. So yeah I broke them up and told them to cool the eff down.

 

[Fran101]

AT THE PARK (we don't do dog parks but we sometimes play off leash with people we knowish at the park) etc.. I don't allow corrections, warranted or not. If Merlin seems like another dog is getting rude (or is being rude), I call him off and take him home.

Merlin does a lot of avoidance behaviors that I've JUST learned recently, if another dog is rubbing him the wrong way some how...if I see him doing that, we exit the situation BEFORE he gets the chance to try to take matters into his own paws, or right after if I miss it.
When Merlin gets corrected (also warranted or not) we also leave. Don't want things to escalate, and I know Merlin can be a bit much so best to just leave before it becomes more than a correction.

I think within dogs in play groups or dogs in a households, corrections and them learning to deal with each other without people is important... but at the park, just too many variables, too many hot headed owners, too much room for misunderstanding...

WITHIN THE HOME/KNOWN PLAY GROUPS... corrections up to a point. I do believe that dogs need to learn to deal with each other, but I will step in if there is any fun policing or constant corrections going on and separate.

 

[Southpaw]

I will let my dog correct an unfamiliar dog, sure. I don't intervene unless one dog is not enjoying it. Like if they're playing well and one dog gets too rough, gets corrected and then they're fine again... I don't care. That's fine. But bullying I don't allow.

Cajun is a bully to Juno and so I find myself really micromanaging her. Generally I will intervene even if she's doing something that normally I wouldn't mind, like bitey face or anything too physical really.

 

[sassafras]

At the dog park, I allow Pip to correct a rude dog, but I will usually try to avoid the situation where a dog is rude to him in the first place. We generally keep moving and stay away from anywhere that people and dogs are congregating. The exception is that he has a tendency to correct puppies a bit harshly, he doesn't hurt them but he will pin them and it tends to freak the bejeebers out of people. So if I see a puppy and we can't avoid it I will body block or briefly leash him up to control their interactions the best I can. (The last time a puppy wouldn't leave us alone I had Pip on my left and the puppy on my right and we were all turning in a circle so I could maintain those positions, I'm sure I looked like an idiot.)

I've never seen Squash correct another dog, known or unknown. But there is a tone to his play vocalizations that gets a little strident when he is reaching Overstimulated Land, and I usually redirect him when I start to hear it.

Maisy can't go to the dog park. But she will get over the top with Squash when they are wrestling hard and I will redirect her if I hear or see that shift in tone. (And vice versa).

 

[LostAndConfused]

Hudson is a very 'in your face' type dog and has a very physical play style. I don't mind other dogs correcting him, because he does take it fairly well, but in general, if I think he is being too much for that dog I'll remove him.

 

[BostonBanker]

After initially being trained by a trainer who was very much the "let them work it out" type, I've changed myself almost all the way over to the other end of the spectrum.

Obviously situations vary some, but for the most part, if my dogs need to correct another dog, I consider it a failure on my part. I should have intervened before the situation reached that point. I want my dogs to trust that I won't put them in a situation where they need to be worried about issuing corrections.

With each other - I allowed it to a small extent between the two of them when Gusto was younger. As his puppy license expired, there were a few times I'd let Meg growl to let him know that she wanted him to back off. It is completely a non-issue with them at this point. He reads her well, she tolerates him well because he's respectful - there's really never a point where either of them corrects the other.

With known dogs in play - Again, it is pretty much a non-issue. Gusto will adjust his play to the dog in question nicely, and I don't allow him to play with dogs that I don't trust to be nice and respectful. I can't think of a planned play session where he's had to correct a dog, or be corrected. Meg doesn't do play sessions, but hikes with known dogs. Same deal - I'm not going to hike her with a dog that is going to push her to the point where she needs to correct them. Our regular hiking buddies are well-socialized, polite dogs. If they run up to greet her, she may growl, and they back off and leave her alone. It's gotten to the point where she is so comfortable with them that I've seen her playing chase games on hikes with young retrievers - usually her biggest trigger!

With unknown dogs - I try not to ever let it happen. We don't do dog parks, and I don't do play dates with people/dogs I don't know a bit already. If it is inevitable (dog running at my dogs without being under owner control) I do the best I can to prevent the dog from getting close enough to need a correction. If I really can't chase the dog off, I will allow Meg to correct the dog with a growl. I consider it a failure on my part, because, as I said, I don't want her to feel like she needs to protect her space, but she can get the point across better than I can sometimes.

Gusto, raised on this philosophy, is perhaps the most dog-appropriate dog I've ever dealt with. He's gentle in play with puppies, he will wrestle and run with any dog that wants to, he will give space to dogs requesting it, and will stand confidently when rushed without being reactive. He blows me away. I have no idea how much that is natural and how much it is nurtured - but I love it about him. Meg's reactivity decreased enormously once I decided that she shouldn't have to correct dogs.

 

[Maxy24]

At daycare I will allow dogs to correct one another. I will intervene if that correction is ignored. I will also intervene sooner if I know one of the dogs does not play (lots of daycare dogs hate daycare) and will get scared or nasty if I let the other dog keep pestering him. I will also end play if the whole tempo of the game is getting a little too over the top, especially if other dogs are starting to chase/poke/bark at them. I make them take a break and cool down for a minute. Also of course some dogs don't correct even though they are obviously uncomfortable, so I have to pay attention and stop that dog from getting bullied. So I just make sure both dogs seem interested in continuing the game. Sometimes I'll stop one of the dogs and pet him and see if the other dog walks away (yay I'm free from the obnoxious dog!) or if he comes over or waits until I stop petting and tries to get the dog I'm petting back. I will also stop dogs if one has the other on the ground and will not let him up after he's tried a few times. The dog on the ground can sometimes go from having fun to panicking about being stuck on the ground and bite. Plus it's not fair play. Then of course there are some dogs I know are serious over correctors so I will step in the second they start looking irritated, before they correct.

But if the dogs are listening to each others corrections, are not trying to get away/get the other dog away during play, and both are happy to re-engage in play the next time around I'd let them continue. The only exceptions would be if one or both dogs is getting over aroused/the tempo of the game is getting too frantic. In that case I'd make them take a break.

 

[Ozfozz]

Typically Cobain rules and can dole out as many corrections as he sees fit - EXCEPT when he wants to wreck other dogs having fun with each other.
Being his miserable Border Collie self, he likes to break up any sort of rough-housing by circling and nipping, which I don't allow.

At parks, when he feels the need to correct a dog, it's because they are being rude (ie humping, pushing, or harassing Rigby in any way). If the dog is not taking his warning signals or corrections, or there's indication that it will escalate to a fight, I will remove him from the situation to a more pleasant area. Usually this doesn't happen as we keep a pretty constant state of movement, but anything is possible.

At home, Rigby is a total ass and will drop toys on his head and play-chew on his face. He can correct that as he sees fit. I'm honestly surprised at what he puts up with from her.

In the event that Rigby is playing with another dog, and something happens that warrants a correction, but they go back to playing fine after, I wont intervene.
But if it gets excessive, or if the fun has stopped, I remove her from the situation.

 

[JacksonsMom]

It really depends. Jackson is pretty good with properly correcting a dog, or knowing when to ignore/walk away. We don't do dog parks like we did when he was younger, but back then, I was kind of an in-the-middle view. If he was constantly feeling the need to correct, we would leave, as he was obviously not having fun. He's never been a dog that's been corrected by others TOO much (but it has happened and I didn't mind) because he tends to be fairly good at changing play style and/or ignoring, like I said.

But with our 3 dogs (my dads two and mine), I know when to intervene before anything escalates. For the most part, the 3 little dogs don't 'play', they merely interact with each other by barking and running outside at the same things. But they all 3 have very different personalities. Lilly the JRT mix is a bitch plain and simple. And then add in my terrier, sometimes after bath zoomies for example, I can tell when they're getting TOO amped up and a fight might happen. So I will remove them from the situation or let them go run outside, not in tight spaces. But Buddy the Dachshund mix, I don't worry about at all, he and Jackson can run around like crazy dudes and I know they won't fight... Buddy's very laid back, they even each other out.

 

[Shakou]

Neither of my dogs will do dog parks anymore, but on the rare occasion I allow them to interact with other dogs...

Charlotte I have to really watch. Her own corrections can be kind of harsh (she likes to pin dogs to the ground) and if another dog corrects her in the same manner, she wouldn't handle it well and a fight would most likely break out. Once in a while, if introduced correctly and Ma'ii isn't around (she's SUPER possessive of him with other dogs), she can and has played well with strange dogs, but I have to really read her body language and be ready. If things start getting a little to rough, I have to step in and end it.

Ma'ii is better at giving corrections when dogs **** him off, as well as receiving them, but he doesn't always back off. He's a bully, and if a dog corrects him, he might back off for 20 seconds, but will be right back to harassing the other dog after. If it's just a few corrections here and there, I don't worry about it with Ma'ii, but if the other dog has to constantly be correcting him, I'll step in and remove him.

 

[Oko]

Between Wesley and Feist, it used to be a lot and it's slowly going down. Wesley is very bad at correcting Feist, and Feist likes to ignore Wesley's calming signals (she's fine at listening to *other* dogs, even if they're discreet). Now it's to the point that it's rare that they will not self-regulate their play and take breaks if they get too rough. The real problem before was Feist would not stop and cool off, if Wesley tried to walk away/sniff/lay down and chill she'd still be all over him and I'd have to physically take her away from him. Now she takes the hint and waits for him to initiate play again.

With Feist and other dogs, I'm pretty careful. Feist rarely, if ever, does anything inappropriate with other dogs but she will make snarky faces and correct them if they do something she doesn't like. It's warranted, though. If the dog won't take the hint after that, we move on.

 

[Upendi&Mina]

It all depends on the dogs and what exactly is going on. Snitch is growing into his big boy britches and has decided that all the things are belong to him. So he now gets corrected for correcting Cara over things like who's going to get attention.

 

[SpringerLover]

I try not to let my dog correct other dogs on a regular basis. Because things like Gabby not liking Boxers is now a thing. My co-worker's Boxer is well, a Boxer... an adolescent one. The few times Gabby has been at work when June is there, Gabby's had to correct her. June doesn't take a hint so Gabby's REALLY corrected her the last couple times. I try to be very careful not to bring Gabby if I know June will be there. But, Gabby now thinks that ALL Boxers need to be corrected, even if they're not being asswipes.

However, Gabby won't correct Siri for climbing into her mouth (which, to be honest, really hasn't happened lately).

 

[Elrohwen]

I do interfere, but mostly for the sake of the other dog. Watson has very rarely corrected another dog, but he can be too much, and hasn't always been good about taking correction (he will back off, but then come back 30sec later and ask to play again). So if another dog snarks at him I get him out of there. After about 18 months he started to take corrections a bit too personally as well - if a dog snarks he might bark back, or hide under a chair, or do something else entirely too dramatic. I think he approaches in a friendly way, even if he's actually obnoxious, and gets startled when other dogs react in a non-friendly way. It's not with all dogs, but I try to avoid situations where he will be snarked at and try to make it positive for him if he is. He can also be obsessive about play with a new dog and doesn't know when to quit, so I will separate them if necessary.

The one time he did correct another dog was a 4 month old puppy - they had been playing for *hours* and he was tired and snarked when the puppy didn't leave him alone. The puppy didn't understand after two corrections, so I broke them up and play was over because Watson was obviously done. If the puppy had listened to the correction I would have let them work it out.

Otherwise, I don't care how rough things get and he can handle himself in rough play.

 

[Georgygirl]

With Lucy I do have to interfere sometimes. She's a little bossy britches and tends to over correct Walter when she's mad at him. I usually don't have to interfere with Walter. If he gets corrected or humped at the dog park he just runs off to find someone else to play with. He's very tolerant of other dogs so he hardly ever corrects. Joey prefers to sleep rather than play so he's pretty much a nonissue.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

I never intervene between Smalls and Shambles or Magpie and Shambles. The girls are pretty good at telling him when they've had enough and one of my favorite things about him is how good he is listening to other dogs. He never pushes any thing and would rather curl up and die than fight 99.9% of the time. Shambles and Jack or Shambles and Jonas would never dream of playing, and they have basically no tolerance for shenanigans.

I'm a bit more hands on with Elsa and Shambles. Like I said, Sham is a great sport with other dogs. Elsa tends to go over the top very quickly and the minute I hear that shift in the play I redirect them to something else.

I compare every one to Shambles because he's pretty much the only one into playing actively every day.

 

[SpaceMutt]

I do keep a close eye on Astro and interfere if necessary. I don't think he actually even knows how to to give corrections - the times he's had enough (one instance was getting herded/fun policed, another was getting tagteamed by two larger, older dogs who were rough players) he literally just runs away. Tail tucked, eyes big. He never growls or snaps or snarks, it's either 100% play or 100% I'm-scared-and-I'm-leaving-ok-bye!

I also have to take him away sometimes because he's still very much a big galumph puppy in his approach to playing, and he can be too much for some dogs. One of his best doggy friends just sits there with a dopey expression no matter how much Astro is battering him, so I take Astro away when I and the other dog owner feel that break is warranted. I try to make sure that Astro has a range of different playmates, and I really love that one of them is a Border Collie/lab mix who absolutely will snark at him when he's being too much for too long - he's gradually learned just to cool his jets for a few minutes, and then she'll be back for more (because she really does love his shenanigans most of the time, she's just older and needs more breaks). I've always let her in particular correct him, because she's so appropriate and measured about it

And I'm sure that whenever I get a second dog, I'm going to be running loooooooooots of interference at first.

 

[MrsBoats]

I don't do dog parks or put the boys in the position where they would have to correct another dog. Having a breed that I have...I'm protective of them and I don't ever want them to have to defend themselves from a rude dog. Or put them in the situation of a dog starting something...and my dogs finishing it (which they could easily.) They have a very small group of dogs who I know very well that they have off leash play in our yards. I watch them closely...but rarely do I or my friends have to step in and intervene.

Between the two dogs...if they do give each other "the eye" over something like a ball or a high value toy, we shut that down immediately. They have gotten into some scuffles with each other that we have been able to verbally shut down. There have been a couple of face scrapes from those in the past. Luckily, we have not had an all out brawl between the two dogs...that's my worst fear with them and then me not being able to break them up by myself. So, I'm a little hyper-vigilant about them bossing each other around.