Is it all right to play-wrestle?

[Gempress]

I was wondering, is it all right to play-wrestle with Zeus? I never worried about it before, but I read a few articles online that said it's a big no-no. It suppossedly fuels aggression and causes dominance problems.

Here's how we play:

I'll be sitting on the floor, and wrestle a bit with him. He'll be growling and snarling like it's the end of the world, but he will not lay a single tooth on me. I'll randomly interrupt the play to make him down or sit, and he'll do it instantly. When I tell him "that's enough," he will immediately stop. My thoughts on the wrestling is that it's good practice for him to always listen to me, and that I'm the one in charge, even in play. Besides that, Zeus loves it!

But is this bad? Should I stop playing like this? Another Internet article said that dogs should never, ever growl or snarl during play. Should I stop that too? He always growls during play, even during a simple "random zooming" session! Or do I read too many Internet articles from too many different trainers?

 

[SummerRiot]

honestly, I play WAY more rough with Riot lol

So, I personally think what your doing with your boy is teaching him self retraint and very good listening skills. It takes a lot for a dog thats intense into playing to just be able to stop when you ask them to!

When i play with Riot.. its rough, but he knows that "ouch" means to stop being really rough and "thats enough" means to stop entirely.
Riot gets growling, never barking when I play though, and he'll whine a bit if he can't catch the toy right away lol

 

[ToddPugLover]

I agree with summer riot. The fact that he quits instantly when you tell him to is great!

 

[RD]

Or do I read too many Internet articles from too many different trainers?

Bingo!

As long as he will stop when you tell him to, I don't see any problem in it. Some dogs are just vocal during play, which would explain Zeus' growling. Ripley will wail like a siren while he's doing his 'zoomies' and play this "attack the hand" game where he will pounce on my hand, growling as loud as he can. But his tail is wagging the entire time, and he'll cool it when I tell him to stop.

 

[oriondw]

I used to play wrestle with my guy when he was smaller.

And still now and then he'll roll for me in the grass trying to wrestle

Its good fun i think, but be careful to do it when he's full weight as he can hurt you with his nails, etc. accidentaly.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

I play wrestle with the girls all the time. They love it.

 

[PFC1]

I don't think that every rule applies in every situation. It seems that your dog is not suffering any ill temperment, so I wouldn't worry. If you have dominance problems, then I would avoid doing it. I don't play tug-o-war with dogs for this reason, but if I did it with my own, I doubt it would matter.

 

[Old Dog]

Zeus is a trained more or less adult who knows who the boss is. WE do not do this with young pups ever because once they start doing the growling and snarling then comes the biting because they get mad and people think it is cute to make puppies do this except after a fashion puppies don't realize its only play and then when puppy grows up and takes off someones arm then its the poor dogs fault.
Zeus knows its play and their is nothing wrong. Good session like Riot said for teaching restraint.

 

[filarotten]

We play with our dogs, we always have. I agree with SummerRiot and Rd.
I personally think, some people take things to extreme. Dogs growl,that is what they do when they play. We laugh,yell, whatever, they can't do that. A playful growl is much different from serious growl. The serious growl comes from deep in the throat. Should Zeus, ever have to come across a serious protection issue, you will see a different growl, you will know he means business.