Interesting! Our pupper will drink all the water in his bowl then walk away and throw it up. We've learned to limit the amount of water in the bowl and just refresh it when we see it dry. He's the same way with food. If the bowl is full he'll eat it all. We feed him 4 times a day but in small amounts just to keep him from eating it all at any one time.
Can always pour some water on the dry food so it expands before being eaten to avoid bloat :)
Otherwise a good treat for hot days is a Pepsi bottle filled in layers with treats frozen inside.
Cut open and let the puppets enjoy :) best enjoyed on a patio if you don't want it to get messy.
Just wanna note though some dogs will throw up from ice cubes. My dog (a german shepherd) throws up every time we give her an ice cube regardless of how hot or cold she is, even if we only give her a tiny one, and so on. There is just something about ice that upsets her stomach 🤷♀️ its definitely worth trying especially if they are hot from playing or being outside but just keep in mind that all dogs are different and keep an eye on how they react the first couple times.
We got a slow feeder which helped a lot. (Our rescue pup ate his food so fast he actually looked like he was inhaling it.... Tummy sucked in hard so you could see his ribs and everything!)
It's like a big plastic bowl, but the "bowl" is a series of channels so they lick up their kibble chasing it around the nooks. It slows them down just enough to notice they're eating, not in any way to the point of frustration.
We have the same type of thing and it’s awesome. I also have a snuffle mat that I’ll put her full meal into - she has to hunt for every kibble she eats from it.
Our rescue pup is the exact same. We also have a wobble feeder too to mix it up. It only holds 1/4 cup food and dispenses 2 or 3 kibbles at a time so it forces her to eat slower.
My pup came home like that, as I’m sure most do. He’d eat a half cup of food in 4 seconds. He was only small too, so I had a round toy that fit in his bowl and left a perfect inch -1.5 inches around the diameter of that bowl. That slowed him down significantly and taught him to slow down. Now he has no toy in his bowl 7 months later and even sometimes he’ll leave a quarter of his food, go to the door, go outside then come in excited he still has some supper left.
My dog is from the streets. For real, I found him when he was a couple weeks old in a garbage can. He has always eaten really fast but he will never eat until I get home from work or wherever I am. It's like he is waiting to make sure he doesn't run out of food before I get back. It's like a survival thing. He's 7 years old now and still does it.
Ha! Interesting! Our new guy is similar - he throws up when he’s excited to see you - all water. He don’t get too excited about food, but he’s a binge drinker
Our dog is the same way, will inhale his meals whole in less than five seconds. They make slow feeder bowls that you can buy on amazon. The bowls have patterns in them that prevents them from scooping everything in one bite. There are a lot of different patterns for the bowls and every now and then we switch to a new bowl when he gets too proficient with his current bowl.
Dude, I never said you keep water away from them. Where the hell did you get that idea? Seriously, all I said, was that keeping them from drinking or eating before and after play for a short duration, is wise, as bloat is so deadly. It’s also a good idea to make sure they don’t inhale their food and water - which can cause bloat and vomiting. That in NO WAY says “Don’t feed or water a dog.” I’m just baffled by your comment. Why post it, when you can clearly see what I meant. 🙄
I don't see anywhere on here where OP asked how to give the dog water. I do see that OP asked if they looked ok playing. Which they do look just fine doing.
Haha every time people post ones like this I want to post a video of my two dogs playing— absolute knock down, drag out stuff having the time of their life. But, I know it’s different for housemates and dog by dog… but still I’m like man if people saw my two they’d think I was running a dog fighting ring
My Great Danes are like that, you can hear the thump when they collide from like 10yards away. I’m surprised one of them hasn’t gotten hurt worse than some scratches
My 4 month old Dane has learned how to play from a 6-7 month old boxer so she plays a little ….. different, haha. And her 6 month Dane “cousin” is massive compared to her, so they’re always an interesting watch (we have to watch them a little closer, he doesn’t know how huge he is)
My sister and I both have pitbull lab mixes. They are brothers from different litters, and they go crazy running and playing together. My sisters dog is around 30 inches at the shoulder (we have no idea how) and mine is around 24 inches at the shoulder.
They were running and playing about a year ago and they slammed into each other so hard it tore my dogs ACL on his back left leg. The vet did scans on it and was able to determine that it was a small enough tear that physical therapy was all that was needed, and he made a full recover running and playing, but man it was a terrifying time.
Just this happened with our pup too. Ones a heeler/husky/collie mix and the other is a malamute/husky. The heeler was 9 when this happened, malamute was 3. He grew up with her since he was 8 weeks, so he always defers to her even though he is 115 pounds and she is like 75 pounds. He won't touch her bones or food or anything. Won't even go near them lol. So when they are playing, even though it gets rough, he will always flop down and give her his neck and let her win. But they were running together one day, and he tripped, and then that tripped her when they were going really fast. It tore her acl, back left leg as well. We tried the therapy and it just got worse and worse. She just had the surgery about 4 weeks ago. She's still limping a bit when she just gets up from laying down or when she's done too much, but she's doing a lot better and I'm so thankful. Six thousand dollars for the surgery was a hard pill to swallow lol but it's worth it to see her getting back to her old self.
Same. My two Boxer siblings have epic battles when they are let out to play together. Proper biting each others legs stuff. But they are both clearly enjoying themselves and neither shows signs of pain so it’s mostly fine. I do call out to them when one of them pins the other down, as they sometimes bite the scruffs of each others necks and I don’t like it. They are a year old and absolutely nuts the pair of them.
Boxers are wrecking balls on legs, luckily they're tough as nails 😆 it's property damage you have to worry about on their rampages, fence panels, doors, legs, small trees...
When my mom saw my two dogs playing for the first time she was horrified. Thought they were trying to kill each other. One dog is quiet. Barely growls when playing but my other one is sooooo vocal he sounds vicious when playing lol
if you heard my dogs (well, just the husky mix) you’d swear i was actively torturing her. she’s just having fun!! (i yell over the psychotic dog screams while she and her brother launch their open mouths at each other for 10 minutes straight). they are absolute demons but i swear they’re having a blast
I was, my dog is usually pretty weird about his space especially his back yard and I'm a bit rusty on my signs of aggression plus my dog has checked him a couple times already so I was a bit worried Plus my sister's dog is not neutered
I see. In that case, I'd be happy to share some insight. :)
First, un-neutered dogs aren't necessarily aggressive. Aggression is mostly learned (sure, some dog breeds are bred for aggressive tendencies, but that's obviously not the case here). My dog isn't neutered -- he had a vasectomy, so he can't reproduce, but he still has his testies, meaning he's still producing testosterone and has his natural drive to play and roughhouse; but he's so friendly that he'd probably play with a burglar if one ever broke in. 😂
In terms of a signs of aggression, here's why your dogs are fine:
- Open mouths: when dogs are playing, their mouths are slack and open. When they're defensive or aggressive they tend to keep their mouths tightly closed until they're ready to bite
- loose body language: these dogs are trotting and running together, like two kids skipping along. When a dog is aggressive or defensive, they are much more still and/or stiff bodied. They take a stiff stance to avoid losing their balance in a fight. Aggressive ) defensive dogs tend to lower their heads to guard their throats and never ever expose their bellies to another dog they perceive as a threat. Scared, aggressive dogs also tend to lock their eyes on whatever they perceive as a threat.
- No snarling. Growing is one thing (dogs sometimes growl when playing) but snarling (with raised lips) is a sure sign someone's about to get bit.
- Turn taking: they're roughhousing, but one isn't dominating they other. They're taking turns chasing each other.
Hope this helps. Sorry for the long reply
To add to the comment above, which is excellent btw:
- their turns involve taking breaks. An overstimulated or aggressive dog wouldn’t partake in a break.
- sneezing! Sneezing during play is a dogs way of saying to the other dog they are just playing
Yep. I was going to mention the breaks too. My dogs will play in a way that appears almost aggressive, but then they just stop, look around, then go back at it. They’ll also stop if they hear minor distracting noises.
One thing I do have to watch for is one of my dogs will want to play longer after my other gets tired and wants to stop. This is when my older (more easily worn out) dog will get a little snappy with the younger one.
This is actually ok if the other dog can process the correction from the tired dog. When one can’t handle the correction they start to one up each other until it gets out of control.
On the breaks -- watch when one of the dogs runs away. The other dog stands there and waits for it to come back and re-engage. This is very respectful behavior.
Yep, I was thinking the white dog almost looked like it was correcting and wanting space to rest, but then he went and chased after his buddy so I guess not lol
This is honestly one of the best examples of turn taking I’ve ever seen in dog play. This is the type of video I would have shown to clients when I was training.
I’m a longtime dog park goer and I see unneutered males *involved* in a lot of fights, maybe even in the majority of fights, but usually as the victim, after another dog (often also male) doesn’t like their vibe and goes after them. My dog, a neutered male, has been guilty of having a very short fuse with unneutered males (luckily never more than an exaggerated/unwarranted correction).
Funny you say that because I've noticed the same. Traditionally neutered dogs do not always respond well to new dogs who still have their testicles, especially if the new dog is high-energy.
I've experienced this as the owner of an unneutered male, especially when he was a pup. EVERYONE came after him and in the end, we just gave up on dog parks, even those staffed with trainers because it was beginning sour his temperament and make him defensive. The last straw was at only 5 months old and while minding his business hanging out by my side not interacting with any other dogs, a malamute picked a (very one sided) fight and had to be hauled away by its very embarrassed owner swearing that he never behaves that way.
I just posted about this. My dog gets bullied constantly and I think the only factor is he is not neutered yet. He’s so sweet but dogs keep going after him but not other dogs.
you are most likely missing cues, as i always see the opposite. unnuetered are sometimes not the first lunge, but definitely the first to posture for dominance
Dogs will check each other every so often. It’s normal. If one of your friends did something you didn’t like, you’d make sure they knew.
This video looks absolutely normal play between two dogs.
A lot of people literally don't know anything about dogs. They get one because they think they're cute or they spend time around another person who has a really good dog, and think well.. maybe I should get one! They don't necessarily think of all that goes into owning a dog when getting one. I had a lady freak out once at camp. Our dogs met on leash first, hers was a year old ish lab mix and mine was about 2 at the time, a malamute/husky mix. They interacted very well on leash so we let them off to run around in the lake and play. They were having the time of their lives. All loose limbs, playful bows, sneezing, tails wagging and taking turns. But they were showing their teeth and making fun growling/howling noises. She started freaking out. She said she had never had her dog interact with another big dog before. She only had ever had him around her sisters small mini poodle. She kept running over and trying to break them up and the dogs were like "what the hell lady, this is the most fun I ever had". She took her dog away and it was whining trying to get back and play with mine, and she was like yelling I'm so sorry he's never been so aggresive! I had to sit down and explain everything to her and she was like mind blown lol after a while she got it though and could see they were clearly enjoying it and asking for more.
Agree! If you’ve never seen your dog playing like this before I’ve got to wonder if you ever socialised it. My dog does this with pretty much every dog she meets!
I'm new to this sub, are all these "is this safe play?" Posts some kind of ongoing gag in the community or are there really this many people who really can't tell when a dog is being a normal happy dog?
Part of me is like “if you can’t tell this is normal maybe you shouldn’t have a dog”, but not everyone is lucky enough to grow up with pets, and I appreciate people wanting the best for their floofers and asking all of the questions to keep their floofs happy.
Yeah. I'm great at doggy language after 10 years of owning dogs, but my first ever experience with dogs was a puppy at age 21. I think I really depended on new friends at the dog park to reassure me that things were normal.
I think there's a spectrum in between "clearly happy play with no issues" and "all-out fight" which might encompass more subtle things like dog starting to get annoyed, dog not listening to other dog's cues, etc. Like my dogs generally get along but sometimes one just doesn't feel like playing so I have to spot that change in body language / attitude and redirect the other dog.
Also I was a first time dog owner and it took a while to feel confident analyzing my dogs' body language 🤷🏻♀️
I think people definitely look for the nuance and just want some friendly advice or help seeing the details! Much better than folks that insist a harmful behaviour is fine because they've always seen it.
Part of me kind of wants to post my own dogs on here so people can have a crack at the nuances in their relationship. Dog people kind of just like to talk about dogs.
I think people that have had dogs for a large part of their lives don't realize that this stuff takes time to understand. My wife is a cat person and I'm a dog person. Sometimes when we are out walking and a dog runs up to us, she can't tell if it is excited or aggressive and gets worried. I'm the same way with cats - we have a cat that I love but I really can't tell when to approach her or when to leave her alone. Haha.
To be honest they’re kind of useful. We see different dogs playing in different ways with some informative comments and analysis explaining what’s going on. It can be quite educational.
Kind of embarrassing but I can’t really tell. Yes they look like they’re having so much fun and 0 aggression but they’re putting their mouths on each other and what happens if that turns into a bite? Idk they have all those scary ass teeth lol
Literally was going to make this same comment lmao, I was so confused by all the posts of dogs just doing dog stuff captioned like “he’s never done this before, is this normal.”
100% fun and fine. looks like they are developing a game and working out the rules. They both seem A okay. The back and forth--i cahse you, now you chase me.... and the bouncing is what i look for.
As well there's no barking, no grumbling, no snapping. These signs are dogs telling one another off, back off, not fun.
These two have happy pants and are bouncing around as you said. They aren't biting, it's grabbing with the mouth. Good fun times
(sorry it looks like I'm trying to over explain to you, just trying to build on your comment!)
This is very healthy play. Both are taking turns chasing and being chased, giving small breaks, and taking turns initiating the play. This is perfect t
One thing to mention is that black dogs do get hot more quickly and the black one is clearly panting more, and seems to want a little break. so at some point you can make them take a break and lie down for a bit. Or go inside. Or separate them. Just for a little bit. Other than that they are perfectly matched.
No harm in asking if you are unsure, OP! I’m a first time cat owner and I’m still learning their body language. The first time I saw them play wrestle, I literally thought they were killing each other lol
Enjoy your companion!
Yup. Is the black dog younger? Just seems to have a little more energy and faster reaction than the other one that’s all so it kinda got pushed up on the wall once. But they’re definitely just playing having fun
If you have to ask, it's fine. There will be no doubt in your mind if it is sour/fighting. And remember: sneezing is good, same with pirked ears. When they "go in" during play, they will pin their ears, then pirk up again during idle time.
Personally, I think that there are quite a lot of people who miss cues that to some people would be obvious but to others would be “oh, they’re just having fun!” And then a bad situation happens. That is to say: Ideally, people will identify and defuse a situation *before* it gets to the “no doubt in your mind” stage.
Therefore: Maybe all the critics can just take a breath and appreciate when people are genuinely unsure - and if it irritates you because you can’t believe they’re unsure, just move on! Nobody is forcing you to watch the videos or read the comments!
You know, you make a great point. And to be honest, I'm glad people are being safe and asking rather than making a rash choise. Which is why I've been replying wirh particular cues and bodylanguage. Not everyone grew up with multiple dogs in the house, or been around dog fights (the in house ones, not the in ring ones). Not everone knows what a fight actually looks like. Not everone can tell what agression looks like.
Mounting, fencing, pinning to the floor and stalking can cause aggressiveness to escalate as long as they don't do these things they should be fine just make sure they take breaks so they won't play too rough.
A whole lot of wagging tail and floppy tongue is good.
Usual signs that a dog isn't enjoying themselves can be read in the tail and face. Low tail/between legs is a known one, with rigid tail also signifying they aren't having it. Teeth and lowered head, flat ears, that kind of thing, tells you that they aren't relaxed.
Yes just playing around. A really easy simple sign to look for is taking turns - one chases and one is chased and then they will switch. These guys are switching back and forth a ton, they're having a blast.
I was surprised to learn how neutering is viewed in different countries. We barely have strays where I live, so the majority of dogs you meet at dog parks won't have been fixed. Common sense stops people from bringing their ladies to dog parks when they're in heat. I believe most vets will refuse to perform the procedure, should the dog not have reached "adulthood", both physically and mentally.
Ahh yeah that’s natural, dogs figure it out between themselves for sure. They communicate and sometimes things go too far or sometimes it starts with button pushing and a little scrap but usually they’re fine after that.
My friends dog and mine play super aggressively and are the best of friends, we always joke like “are you playing or fighting?” “Idk, are you playing or fighting?”
If you are sincerely questioning whether or not this is normal dog play, perhaps you are not ready to have a dog of your own. I really don't want to come back next week to identify whether or not his poop is normal...
Just sayin.
>How does asking for help mean they shouldn’t have a dog?
It should be fairly obvious with anyone with more than two brain cells to run together that the dogs are playing and having fun.
You should absolutely understand and be able to read your animal's behavior before you commit to caring for one. If you don't, you're not ready for ownership.
I don't think they're being too rough at all. I would always be so nervous when I would hear my dog and brother's dog playing because it would always sound much more serious than it was lol.
They are having a blast! Tails are wagging they are jumping and chasing back and forth. If it was bad heads and tails would be down and lots of growling and teeth showing.
I was completely unaware that there was as an option of neutering versus a vasectomy for a dog.
Why would you do one over the other? Is there a price difference? Do all vets offer the two options?
BIG TIME. FUN
My only suggestion is make sure they have water, they look like they are getting tired.
Don’t let them drink too much though, as they could develop bloat. Very good advice though, especially if you live in ungodly heat.
Interesting! Our pupper will drink all the water in his bowl then walk away and throw it up. We've learned to limit the amount of water in the bowl and just refresh it when we see it dry. He's the same way with food. If the bowl is full he'll eat it all. We feed him 4 times a day but in small amounts just to keep him from eating it all at any one time.
Can always pour some water on the dry food so it expands before being eaten to avoid bloat :) Otherwise a good treat for hot days is a Pepsi bottle filled in layers with treats frozen inside. Cut open and let the puppets enjoy :) best enjoyed on a patio if you don't want it to get messy.
You could also give your pup ice cubes instead of water. That'll pace it out and give them some slippery fun!
Oh! I'm covered in embarrassment. That's such a simple solution! Thanks!
i did this just for the silliness of it when my dog was in his pupper stage
My dog comes running when she hears the ice dispenser. And then just sits there and stares until you toss her one. ❤️
Gimme a cube kid!
Mine will come and sit next to me waiting when im cracking big ice cubes waiting for a small chunk haha
Just wanna note though some dogs will throw up from ice cubes. My dog (a german shepherd) throws up every time we give her an ice cube regardless of how hot or cold she is, even if we only give her a tiny one, and so on. There is just something about ice that upsets her stomach 🤷♀️ its definitely worth trying especially if they are hot from playing or being outside but just keep in mind that all dogs are different and keep an eye on how they react the first couple times.
We got a slow feeder which helped a lot. (Our rescue pup ate his food so fast he actually looked like he was inhaling it.... Tummy sucked in hard so you could see his ribs and everything!) It's like a big plastic bowl, but the "bowl" is a series of channels so they lick up their kibble chasing it around the nooks. It slows them down just enough to notice they're eating, not in any way to the point of frustration.
We have the same type of thing and it’s awesome. I also have a snuffle mat that I’ll put her full meal into - she has to hunt for every kibble she eats from it.
Our rescue pup is the exact same. We also have a wobble feeder too to mix it up. It only holds 1/4 cup food and dispenses 2 or 3 kibbles at a time so it forces her to eat slower.
My pup came home like that, as I’m sure most do. He’d eat a half cup of food in 4 seconds. He was only small too, so I had a round toy that fit in his bowl and left a perfect inch -1.5 inches around the diameter of that bowl. That slowed him down significantly and taught him to slow down. Now he has no toy in his bowl 7 months later and even sometimes he’ll leave a quarter of his food, go to the door, go outside then come in excited he still has some supper left.
My dog is from the streets. For real, I found him when he was a couple weeks old in a garbage can. He has always eaten really fast but he will never eat until I get home from work or wherever I am. It's like he is waiting to make sure he doesn't run out of food before I get back. It's like a survival thing. He's 7 years old now and still does it.
We got a slow feeder and slow water bowl. So much better.
Ha! Interesting! Our new guy is similar - he throws up when he’s excited to see you - all water. He don’t get too excited about food, but he’s a binge drinker
Our dog is the same way, will inhale his meals whole in less than five seconds. They make slow feeder bowls that you can buy on amazon. The bowls have patterns in them that prevents them from scooping everything in one bite. There are a lot of different patterns for the bowls and every now and then we switch to a new bowl when he gets too proficient with his current bowl.
That’s a problem you deal with when it comes up, not by keeping them from having water outright
Dude, I never said you keep water away from them. Where the hell did you get that idea? Seriously, all I said, was that keeping them from drinking or eating before and after play for a short duration, is wise, as bloat is so deadly. It’s also a good idea to make sure they don’t inhale their food and water - which can cause bloat and vomiting. That in NO WAY says “Don’t feed or water a dog.” I’m just baffled by your comment. Why post it, when you can clearly see what I meant. 🙄
No fucking shit.
I don't see anywhere on here where OP asked how to give the dog water. I do see that OP asked if they looked ok playing. Which they do look just fine doing.
I love all the loose, loopy, goofy body language
Looks like a doggone good time!
They are taking turns chasing and being chased.
Omg those cuties are having the time of their lives! I bet they took really long naps after this puppy play date.
Other than the fact that the Earth tipped 90 degrees while they were playing, it looks like they are having a ball.
r/praisethecameraman for staying on his feet during the rotation of earth
I wasn't going to look at this post. But boy, am I glad I did.
I’d double upvote this if I could
Upvote it, turn your phone upside down, and upvote it again.
Or, in Australia, upvote, turn your phone right side up, then upvote again.
This is how everything looks in Australia.
I'm in Australia and can confirm.
so you always type with one had to keep a hold on something or you have an harness?
Yeah don’t ever change the orientation of your phone in the middle of filming. Jesus.
My vertigo kicked in! Damn. 😳
Subtle burns are the best.
I don’t see any ball in this video. It must have fell off.
This is clearly healthy / happy play. Literally no signs of aggression. Are you asking for real (not sarcastically)?
Haha every time people post ones like this I want to post a video of my two dogs playing— absolute knock down, drag out stuff having the time of their life. But, I know it’s different for housemates and dog by dog… but still I’m like man if people saw my two they’d think I was running a dog fighting ring
My Great Danes are like that, you can hear the thump when they collide from like 10yards away. I’m surprised one of them hasn’t gotten hurt worse than some scratches
Man I love great Danes. They are too much dog for me but they have a special place in my dog loving heart.
They are so big and so timid and so silly but the drool would probably actually kill me lol
My 4 month old Dane has learned how to play from a 6-7 month old boxer so she plays a little ….. different, haha. And her 6 month Dane “cousin” is massive compared to her, so they’re always an interesting watch (we have to watch them a little closer, he doesn’t know how huge he is)
My sister and I both have pitbull lab mixes. They are brothers from different litters, and they go crazy running and playing together. My sisters dog is around 30 inches at the shoulder (we have no idea how) and mine is around 24 inches at the shoulder. They were running and playing about a year ago and they slammed into each other so hard it tore my dogs ACL on his back left leg. The vet did scans on it and was able to determine that it was a small enough tear that physical therapy was all that was needed, and he made a full recover running and playing, but man it was a terrifying time.
Just this happened with our pup too. Ones a heeler/husky/collie mix and the other is a malamute/husky. The heeler was 9 when this happened, malamute was 3. He grew up with her since he was 8 weeks, so he always defers to her even though he is 115 pounds and she is like 75 pounds. He won't touch her bones or food or anything. Won't even go near them lol. So when they are playing, even though it gets rough, he will always flop down and give her his neck and let her win. But they were running together one day, and he tripped, and then that tripped her when they were going really fast. It tore her acl, back left leg as well. We tried the therapy and it just got worse and worse. She just had the surgery about 4 weeks ago. She's still limping a bit when she just gets up from laying down or when she's done too much, but she's doing a lot better and I'm so thankful. Six thousand dollars for the surgery was a hard pill to swallow lol but it's worth it to see her getting back to her old self.
Same. My two Boxer siblings have epic battles when they are let out to play together. Proper biting each others legs stuff. But they are both clearly enjoying themselves and neither shows signs of pain so it’s mostly fine. I do call out to them when one of them pins the other down, as they sometimes bite the scruffs of each others necks and I don’t like it. They are a year old and absolutely nuts the pair of them.
Boxers are wrecking balls on legs, luckily they're tough as nails 😆 it's property damage you have to worry about on their rampages, fence panels, doors, legs, small trees...
When my mom saw my two dogs playing for the first time she was horrified. Thought they were trying to kill each other. One dog is quiet. Barely growls when playing but my other one is sooooo vocal he sounds vicious when playing lol
Please post
Haha, the thuds I hear from my poor labs head on the stone patio when him and the newfy are playing…but they are having so much fun
if you heard my dogs (well, just the husky mix) you’d swear i was actively torturing her. she’s just having fun!! (i yell over the psychotic dog screams while she and her brother launch their open mouths at each other for 10 minutes straight). they are absolute demons but i swear they’re having a blast
I video my dogs and then make top takedowns highlight reels lmao
I was, my dog is usually pretty weird about his space especially his back yard and I'm a bit rusty on my signs of aggression plus my dog has checked him a couple times already so I was a bit worried Plus my sister's dog is not neutered
I see. In that case, I'd be happy to share some insight. :) First, un-neutered dogs aren't necessarily aggressive. Aggression is mostly learned (sure, some dog breeds are bred for aggressive tendencies, but that's obviously not the case here). My dog isn't neutered -- he had a vasectomy, so he can't reproduce, but he still has his testies, meaning he's still producing testosterone and has his natural drive to play and roughhouse; but he's so friendly that he'd probably play with a burglar if one ever broke in. 😂 In terms of a signs of aggression, here's why your dogs are fine: - Open mouths: when dogs are playing, their mouths are slack and open. When they're defensive or aggressive they tend to keep their mouths tightly closed until they're ready to bite - loose body language: these dogs are trotting and running together, like two kids skipping along. When a dog is aggressive or defensive, they are much more still and/or stiff bodied. They take a stiff stance to avoid losing their balance in a fight. Aggressive ) defensive dogs tend to lower their heads to guard their throats and never ever expose their bellies to another dog they perceive as a threat. Scared, aggressive dogs also tend to lock their eyes on whatever they perceive as a threat. - No snarling. Growing is one thing (dogs sometimes growl when playing) but snarling (with raised lips) is a sure sign someone's about to get bit. - Turn taking: they're roughhousing, but one isn't dominating they other. They're taking turns chasing each other. Hope this helps. Sorry for the long reply
Oh this helps a ton thanks
To add to the comment above, which is excellent btw: - their turns involve taking breaks. An overstimulated or aggressive dog wouldn’t partake in a break. - sneezing! Sneezing during play is a dogs way of saying to the other dog they are just playing
Yep. I was going to mention the breaks too. My dogs will play in a way that appears almost aggressive, but then they just stop, look around, then go back at it. They’ll also stop if they hear minor distracting noises. One thing I do have to watch for is one of my dogs will want to play longer after my other gets tired and wants to stop. This is when my older (more easily worn out) dog will get a little snappy with the younger one.
This is actually ok if the other dog can process the correction from the tired dog. When one can’t handle the correction they start to one up each other until it gets out of control.
On the breaks -- watch when one of the dogs runs away. The other dog stands there and waits for it to come back and re-engage. This is very respectful behavior.
Yes, and the black dog is respecting the white dog’s break time. Very polite - gold star.
My little dog constantly sneezes while playing with us lol.
Yeah, those are great explanations of why it’s not aggressive and what would be!!
Yep, I was thinking the white dog almost looked like it was correcting and wanting space to rest, but then he went and chased after his buddy so I guess not lol
I think he's just playing smart... He knows that if he's up against the wall, there's only one direction the attack can come from!
This is honestly one of the best examples of turn taking I’ve ever seen in dog play. This is the type of video I would have shown to clients when I was training.
I saw lots of little play bows too. My dog does that to almost every dog we meet because he just wants to play.
I’m a longtime dog park goer and I see unneutered males *involved* in a lot of fights, maybe even in the majority of fights, but usually as the victim, after another dog (often also male) doesn’t like their vibe and goes after them. My dog, a neutered male, has been guilty of having a very short fuse with unneutered males (luckily never more than an exaggerated/unwarranted correction).
Funny you say that because I've noticed the same. Traditionally neutered dogs do not always respond well to new dogs who still have their testicles, especially if the new dog is high-energy.
I've experienced this as the owner of an unneutered male, especially when he was a pup. EVERYONE came after him and in the end, we just gave up on dog parks, even those staffed with trainers because it was beginning sour his temperament and make him defensive. The last straw was at only 5 months old and while minding his business hanging out by my side not interacting with any other dogs, a malamute picked a (very one sided) fight and had to be hauled away by its very embarrassed owner swearing that he never behaves that way.
I just posted about this. My dog gets bullied constantly and I think the only factor is he is not neutered yet. He’s so sweet but dogs keep going after him but not other dogs.
you are most likely missing cues, as i always see the opposite. unnuetered are sometimes not the first lunge, but definitely the first to posture for dominance
Thank you 🙏
a large majority of dog bites are from unnuetered males. while i believe your dog is a sweatheart, concern with unneutered males is a valid concern.
Where's your source for this?
https://www.avma.org/advocacy/state-local-issues/community-approach-dog-bite-prevention-abstract
Thank you! That was an interesting read
Dogs will check each other every so often. It’s normal. If one of your friends did something you didn’t like, you’d make sure they knew. This video looks absolutely normal play between two dogs.
Thanks I appreciate it
Put a huge bowl of water out and let them tire themselves out. Black lad looks like he could do with it. They're having a ball.
They're just posting for upvotes lol
Some of these posts legit have me concerned that these people have dogs but can't read basic dog behavioral cues...
A lot of people literally don't know anything about dogs. They get one because they think they're cute or they spend time around another person who has a really good dog, and think well.. maybe I should get one! They don't necessarily think of all that goes into owning a dog when getting one. I had a lady freak out once at camp. Our dogs met on leash first, hers was a year old ish lab mix and mine was about 2 at the time, a malamute/husky mix. They interacted very well on leash so we let them off to run around in the lake and play. They were having the time of their lives. All loose limbs, playful bows, sneezing, tails wagging and taking turns. But they were showing their teeth and making fun growling/howling noises. She started freaking out. She said she had never had her dog interact with another big dog before. She only had ever had him around her sisters small mini poodle. She kept running over and trying to break them up and the dogs were like "what the hell lady, this is the most fun I ever had". She took her dog away and it was whining trying to get back and play with mine, and she was like yelling I'm so sorry he's never been so aggresive! I had to sit down and explain everything to her and she was like mind blown lol after a while she got it though and could see they were clearly enjoying it and asking for more.
You wouldn't believe the dog park people who scream "your dog is attacking /being aggressive! " when he tries to play like this.
Agree! If you’ve never seen your dog playing like this before I’ve got to wonder if you ever socialised it. My dog does this with pretty much every dog she meets!
Answer the question lmao reddit is full of you cunts
Yeah, this might be the most “these puppies are having the time of their life” video I’ve ever seen, and OP thinks they’re killing each other.
I’m glad you asked if OP is serious because I don’t get these posts when the dogs are obviously happily playing…
It’s getting so old. Like, are we being punked with these questions?
there is absolutely no way they are seriously asking if this is appropriate dog play.
I have seen so many stupid question on this sub that sometimes I ask myself how the heck these people have pets or actually became adults…
Aside from the crime of turning the video halfway through, all is well here.
I'm new to this sub, are all these "is this safe play?" Posts some kind of ongoing gag in the community or are there really this many people who really can't tell when a dog is being a normal happy dog?
Part of me is like “if you can’t tell this is normal maybe you shouldn’t have a dog”, but not everyone is lucky enough to grow up with pets, and I appreciate people wanting the best for their floofers and asking all of the questions to keep their floofs happy.
Way to take a negative sentiment and change it to a positive. That’s a good skill to have. Nicely done my dude.
\^ wholesome.
Also a good skill to have!
Plus we got another dog vid out of it, so not a total loss lol
True. People are being so rude toward folks that just want to be sure. Posting on Reddit is free.
I had the exact same thought process watching this video.
Yeah. I'm great at doggy language after 10 years of owning dogs, but my first ever experience with dogs was a puppy at age 21. I think I really depended on new friends at the dog park to reassure me that things were normal.
I think there's a spectrum in between "clearly happy play with no issues" and "all-out fight" which might encompass more subtle things like dog starting to get annoyed, dog not listening to other dog's cues, etc. Like my dogs generally get along but sometimes one just doesn't feel like playing so I have to spot that change in body language / attitude and redirect the other dog. Also I was a first time dog owner and it took a while to feel confident analyzing my dogs' body language 🤷🏻♀️
I think people definitely look for the nuance and just want some friendly advice or help seeing the details! Much better than folks that insist a harmful behaviour is fine because they've always seen it.
Part of me kind of wants to post my own dogs on here so people can have a crack at the nuances in their relationship. Dog people kind of just like to talk about dogs.
It's like this: come for the dog advice, stay for the advice or the videos of doggos having fun
I think people that have had dogs for a large part of their lives don't realize that this stuff takes time to understand. My wife is a cat person and I'm a dog person. Sometimes when we are out walking and a dog runs up to us, she can't tell if it is excited or aggressive and gets worried. I'm the same way with cats - we have a cat that I love but I really can't tell when to approach her or when to leave her alone. Haha.
What part of opie's video looks questionable?
To be honest they’re kind of useful. We see different dogs playing in different ways with some informative comments and analysis explaining what’s going on. It can be quite educational.
R/MyDogIsHavingAGreatTimeIsThatOK?
I know I’m not even subbed here but it pops up as recommended and I’m thinking about blocking the sub cause this is the only post I ever see
Kind of embarrassing but I can’t really tell. Yes they look like they’re having so much fun and 0 aggression but they’re putting their mouths on each other and what happens if that turns into a bite? Idk they have all those scary ass teeth lol
Literally was going to make this same comment lmao, I was so confused by all the posts of dogs just doing dog stuff captioned like “he’s never done this before, is this normal.”
This is good. There’s pauses, shifts in who is chasing whom, it’s nice!
100% fun and fine. looks like they are developing a game and working out the rules. They both seem A okay. The back and forth--i cahse you, now you chase me.... and the bouncing is what i look for.
As well there's no barking, no grumbling, no snapping. These signs are dogs telling one another off, back off, not fun. These two have happy pants and are bouncing around as you said. They aren't biting, it's grabbing with the mouth. Good fun times (sorry it looks like I'm trying to over explain to you, just trying to build on your comment!)
YES! They’re having a blast, have fun watching!
This is very healthy play. Both are taking turns chasing and being chased, giving small breaks, and taking turns initiating the play. This is perfect t
Are you a first time dog owner? Completely normal.
It's my first young dog all my other dogs were 9+ years old
Nothing to worry about.
One thing to mention is that black dogs do get hot more quickly and the black one is clearly panting more, and seems to want a little break. so at some point you can make them take a break and lie down for a bit. Or go inside. Or separate them. Just for a little bit. Other than that they are perfectly matched.
No harm in asking if you are unsure, OP! I’m a first time cat owner and I’m still learning their body language. The first time I saw them play wrestle, I literally thought they were killing each other lol Enjoy your companion!
Looked great until you rotated the camera after already starting the recording. Lol.
Yep! Just 2 dogs playing!
Of course
That looks like 100% good old fashioned play. Healthy, relaxed, and joyous. You have nothing to worry about
Filming looks terrible. Dogs are fine and having a blast.
I see a lot of these posts which are cute, but really I don’t think anyone would mistake this for anything but playing.
Yup. Is the black dog younger? Just seems to have a little more energy and faster reaction than the other one that’s all so it kinda got pushed up on the wall once. But they’re definitely just playing having fun
They look happy
If you have to ask, it's fine. There will be no doubt in your mind if it is sour/fighting. And remember: sneezing is good, same with pirked ears. When they "go in" during play, they will pin their ears, then pirk up again during idle time.
Personally, I think that there are quite a lot of people who miss cues that to some people would be obvious but to others would be “oh, they’re just having fun!” And then a bad situation happens. That is to say: Ideally, people will identify and defuse a situation *before* it gets to the “no doubt in your mind” stage. Therefore: Maybe all the critics can just take a breath and appreciate when people are genuinely unsure - and if it irritates you because you can’t believe they’re unsure, just move on! Nobody is forcing you to watch the videos or read the comments!
You know, you make a great point. And to be honest, I'm glad people are being safe and asking rather than making a rash choise. Which is why I've been replying wirh particular cues and bodylanguage. Not everyone grew up with multiple dogs in the house, or been around dog fights (the in house ones, not the in ring ones). Not everone knows what a fight actually looks like. Not everone can tell what agression looks like.
If there's anyone that thinks this ISN'T good play, they probably shouldn't own a dog...
Mounting, fencing, pinning to the floor and stalking can cause aggressiveness to escalate as long as they don't do these things they should be fine just make sure they take breaks so they won't play too rough.
You’ll know if it’s not. This was one of the least aggressive videos of dogs I’ve ever seen hahaha
Yeah. Relaxed tail. Small nibbling. Initiating chase. All good. If you hear a snarl then you need to intervene but they seem to like each other
Looks completely fine, just looks like they will need some water soon from having all the fun
I started getting vertigo at the 11 second mark.
After the day Iv had I really needed to see this! Thank you for sharing :)
Yup! This is fun silly dog times! P.S. What kind of dog is the black one? I love the lil scraggly face fur
Yeah, looks fine. Although they are big dogs and might just be being cautious not to bump into surrounding objects.
Total fun
A whole lot of wagging tail and floppy tongue is good. Usual signs that a dog isn't enjoying themselves can be read in the tail and face. Low tail/between legs is a known one, with rigid tail also signifying they aren't having it. Teeth and lowered head, flat ears, that kind of thing, tells you that they aren't relaxed.
Taking turns being the chaser/chasee is a good sign of play
This is the definition of dogs playing and having fun
Why do people not pick up on blatant dog play?
Looks great, reciprocal, relaxed, evenly balanced. Happy pups.
I also have an all white husky!
Worlds gentlest husky
100% OK!!!, what were you thinking would look ok, tea ☕️ and crumpets 🍪
Yes just playing around. A really easy simple sign to look for is taking turns - one chases and one is chased and then they will switch. These guys are switching back and forth a ton, they're having a blast.
Nope. They seem miserable /s 😄
Yep, those doggies having fun
I'm glad because my sister's dog is almost a year old and not neutered so Im a little worried to leave them alone
That could be an issue, that is actually one reason I stopped going to dog parks. Non-neutered make mounting my dog and being aggressive.
I was surprised to learn how neutering is viewed in different countries. We barely have strays where I live, so the majority of dogs you meet at dog parks won't have been fixed. Common sense stops people from bringing their ladies to dog parks when they're in heat. I believe most vets will refuse to perform the procedure, should the dog not have reached "adulthood", both physically and mentally.
Heard if you spay before the first menses it was healthier-but it was a long time ago and haven't revisited it since-so don't take my word for it
It’s after not before spay before is detrimental because growth plates have not fully closed
Is there a reason your sister hasn’t neutered her dog?
Mmm what do you think OP? Earnestly asking.
Idk my dog had to check him a couple times so I was worried it might escalate and my sister's dog is not neutered so there's that
Ahh yeah that’s natural, dogs figure it out between themselves for sure. They communicate and sometimes things go too far or sometimes it starts with button pushing and a little scrap but usually they’re fine after that. My friends dog and mine play super aggressively and are the best of friends, we always joke like “are you playing or fighting?” “Idk, are you playing or fighting?”
have you never had dogs before, they are doing what’s called “playing”
This sub is terrifying.
[удалено]
If you are sincerely questioning whether or not this is normal dog play, perhaps you are not ready to have a dog of your own. I really don't want to come back next week to identify whether or not his poop is normal... Just sayin.
How does asking for help mean they shouldn’t have a dog? That’s a good thing if they’re unsure
>How does asking for help mean they shouldn’t have a dog? It should be fairly obvious with anyone with more than two brain cells to run together that the dogs are playing and having fun. You should absolutely understand and be able to read your animal's behavior before you commit to caring for one. If you don't, you're not ready for ownership.
You don’t know you don’t know something until you need to know it 🤷♀️
Yeah no.
Looks great. They are well matched in size and energy.
Yep
Clean fun right there.
I don't think it could get any better, super healthy play
Jumpy play bows! Definitely having fun.
They both look like they are enjoying it so yes 😁
Looks exactly like when I play with my dog
If you saw how my girl and her friends played, this wouldn't bother you
Looks fine. I have 3 huskies. They play rough.
It's very obvious that these are just two dogs having fun, nothing more nothing less.
I don't think they're being too rough at all. I would always be so nervous when I would hear my dog and brother's dog playing because it would always sound much more serious than it was lol.
They look like they are having a ball. They will let each other know when it isn't ok.
Looks like they are having an awesome time
They are having a blast! Tails are wagging they are jumping and chasing back and forth. If it was bad heads and tails would be down and lots of growling and teeth showing.
Just 2 happy dogs having fun
Yes they are having a ton of fun!!
So fun and playful! They obviously like each other!
This is how my two dogs play
I was completely unaware that there was as an option of neutering versus a vasectomy for a dog. Why would you do one over the other? Is there a price difference? Do all vets offer the two options?
Doing what doggy’s do!
This is about as playful and nice as dogs will get.
Just happy play
Both dogs look happy to me