Do you play fight your Dog ?
#31
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it's the thing i miss most and renewed our friendship every day like a sort of non aggression treaty, am certain i never would have got such love and unquestioning obedience without it.
#32
Glad its not just me, 90 percent seem to think its ok, I wouldnt do it if I felt it wrong, bad for him or encouraging him to be aggressive, like has been said they do it with each other, whats the difference.
The missus read somethign that your dogs teeth must NEVER touch your skin but I grew up with Dogs and play fighting was all part of the game, part of the bond with your dog, her family just had Labradors that nobody ever did anything with but walk, they relished a bit of a battle with me but didnt know what to do, just rolled over. Just because they never play fought their dogs it means its wrong
Her mate pissed me off, she has cats (Cats, plural, single, big clue) and has never had a dog and always has an opinion on everything regrdless of any experience or knowledge, used to play fight our old Ginger Tom actually, he was a big bugger and not so gentle, but he would come over looking for a rumble, ears back and grab your arm with his front legs and use the back ones to flail the skin.
Our Dog is pretty small, a real character, lazy but always up for activity but me and the kids always get told off whenever we have play with him like that, he never bites properly and laps it up, you can dangle him from a rubber Chicken like Pit Bull, proper Terrier where our old Dog, a Cocker Spaniel just used to slink off when there was anything like that, nice dog but really quiet compared to this one, wouldnt play fight her or any dog that didnt seem to want to or was getting stressed or agressive.
I play fight the missus sometimes, **** her off some way and then hold her at arms length and in my best Steve Irwin/Aussie accent say "Whoa, Shes a tetchy little blighter" but really that is quite dangerous as is whipping the duvet off her, I call this game "Angry Birds".
The missus read somethign that your dogs teeth must NEVER touch your skin but I grew up with Dogs and play fighting was all part of the game, part of the bond with your dog, her family just had Labradors that nobody ever did anything with but walk, they relished a bit of a battle with me but didnt know what to do, just rolled over. Just because they never play fought their dogs it means its wrong
Her mate pissed me off, she has cats (Cats, plural, single, big clue) and has never had a dog and always has an opinion on everything regrdless of any experience or knowledge, used to play fight our old Ginger Tom actually, he was a big bugger and not so gentle, but he would come over looking for a rumble, ears back and grab your arm with his front legs and use the back ones to flail the skin.
Our Dog is pretty small, a real character, lazy but always up for activity but me and the kids always get told off whenever we have play with him like that, he never bites properly and laps it up, you can dangle him from a rubber Chicken like Pit Bull, proper Terrier where our old Dog, a Cocker Spaniel just used to slink off when there was anything like that, nice dog but really quiet compared to this one, wouldnt play fight her or any dog that didnt seem to want to or was getting stressed or agressive.
I play fight the missus sometimes, **** her off some way and then hold her at arms length and in my best Steve Irwin/Aussie accent say "Whoa, Shes a tetchy little blighter" but really that is quite dangerous as is whipping the duvet off her, I call this game "Angry Birds".
#33
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I play fight the missus sometimes, **** her off some way and then hold her at arms length and in my best Steve Irwin/Aussie accent say "Whoa, Shes a tetchy little blighter" but really that is quite dangerous as is whipping the duvet off her, I call this game "Angry Birds".
#34
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Used to have a German shephard that we would play fight with all the time. He would bare his teeth and make all the right noises, jump at you but never gripped hard when he grabbed you. He would sometimes get a bit over excited but stopped right away if you told him to stop. He was very good with people in general, it was other dogs he hated
#35
Yep had play fights all the time with our dog. She was not aggressive to anyone or anything. She also seemed to know it was only me that she could play with and only when started by me. IE I'd start the game and she would do anything like that with my sister and Mum.
So I think it didn't encourage any particular bad behaviour in her, in fact I'd say it was a way to release some energy in a good way.
So I think it didn't encourage any particular bad behaviour in her, in fact I'd say it was a way to release some energy in a good way.
#36
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I love a good playfight with mine too. They stop when told, and seem to enjoy themselves. Play fight always ends by me winning, so there are no mixed signals lol.
Gets a bit hairy when one decides the other is playing too rough, and starts trying to protect me.
Nothing to worry about, not like they got the equipment to inflict injury
Gets a bit hairy when one decides the other is playing too rough, and starts trying to protect me.
Nothing to worry about, not like they got the equipment to inflict injury
#38
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I hope you wore chainmail gloves? The RAF MP dogs I had the pleasure of seeing were the most viscous dogs i've ever seen, and that was whilst they were in their enclosure! Strangers they did not take kindly to and we were warned not to stick hands anywhere near the mesh unless we wanted to lose our fingers.
#39
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Pay fight with my Bernese Mountain Dog all the time... he's 45kg+ yet one of the most gentle dogs I've ever met. He loves a good bit of rough and tumble and knows exactly when he should stop.
Play fighting is a hell of a lot different to encouraging your dog to be violent. Rough play is actually encouraging/repeating puppy like behaviour (hence why they stop if let out a yelp) - they're not trying to hurt you they just want to have fun.
Play fighting is a hell of a lot different to encouraging your dog to be violent. Rough play is actually encouraging/repeating puppy like behaviour (hence why they stop if let out a yelp) - they're not trying to hurt you they just want to have fun.
#41
As per the title, my missus goes mad when me or one of the kids has a bit of a battle with the Dog, he loves it but its just fun, he isn't aggressive, doesn't bite, just kind of holds your arm and bounds around, he knows when you are playing and stops straight away when told, The wife has read that his teeth should never touch your skin or clothes but blokes have had rough and tumble with their Dogs for ever, well we have. Her mate was over and she has an opinion on everything and bollocked me for playing with my Dog, I asked her how many Dogs she had owned and it was zero, she decided the Dog should be put down in case he does it to any children, er, he does ours and none of them have died.
He doesn't go into full on attack or bite down hard, have seen what he can do to a rubber chicken and got my finger in the way on a ball once and that did make me wince and made me realise the power even a small Dog has when they put their mind to it,
Are they right, is my small Terrier/Poodle dog now a potential angel of death ?
He doesn't go into full on attack or bite down hard, have seen what he can do to a rubber chicken and got my finger in the way on a ball once and that did make me wince and made me realise the power even a small Dog has when they put their mind to it,
Are they right, is my small Terrier/Poodle dog now a potential angel of death ?
The chance of injury to someone is negligible.
I would tell your wife's mate to wind her neck in and mind her own business.
Les
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I hope you wore chainmail gloves? The RAF MP dogs I had the pleasure of seeing were the most viscous dogs i've ever seen, and that was whilst they were in their enclosure! Strangers they did not take kindly to and we were warned not to stick hands anywhere near the mesh unless we wanted to lose our fingers.
#45
The one Dog I would never play fight was the Chihuahua we had when I still lived with my parents, my brother found him, we ended up keeping him after trying to get him back to his owner, suspect he got the boot by a family after an old person died, didnt even look like a Dog when my brother found him wandering up the main road all bedraggled and manky,
We cleaned him up and tried the Police, radio, ad in the paper to no avail, the local newsagents friend said she would have him for her daughter, arrived in a brand new Supra, took Dog, Dog went to the vet, got a new collar, lead, basket, checkup and injections at the vets, a nice haircut and the little **** bit the Daughter cue Supra woman arriving with him saying we either take him or he goes bye byes courtesy f the vet as he had drawn blood ! still she spent loads on him which we didnt have to.
He had a kneecap defect, a heart murmur, the start of cataracts and was a bit skinny, didnt think he would be with us long.
Anyway, we had him seven years, with a big Ginger Tom called Barney who wasn't all that impressed with the new boggly eyed addition and it took a while to establish a pecking order, it was funny how they had a truce and ignored each other, remember them being in front of the fire, one stretches and touches the other one and all hell breaks loose.
They used to nick each others food and fight for my mums lap, the Dog would only tolerate my dad, loved my mum and hated me and my brother, literally he would try and bite us as hard as he could, was dead funny, all snarling and bared teeth, was a great sport goading the Chihuahua, we loved him to bits but he was a right little ****, we used to make a game of stroking him when my mum had him so he thought it was her and he would be lapping up the attention until he realised and went mental, we used to do "his voice", kind of speedy Gonzalez generic Mexican and he would be saying "Get of a me you f*ckin homo, you touch ma ***, I keel you", guess you had to be there.
He was a funny looking creature, biggish for a Chihuahua, long brown hair, kind of a seventies look, big boggly eyes and due to his wonky knees his legs were a bit bendy, he looked like he was running a lot of negative camber, he thought he was the Dogs bollocks, real ponce, very arrogant air about him, puffed up little **** he was and I still have a couple of scars from getting too close.
He was still a little sod as he got old, wasnt as bad as he lost a couple of teeth and was pretty much blind so would accept being stroked if you kept your mouth shut, the minute he heard your voice he would still go for you, invariably got my mum and then was all mortified and sorry.
He was a truly horrible Dog but so endearing despite it, still miss the nasty little ******* !
We cleaned him up and tried the Police, radio, ad in the paper to no avail, the local newsagents friend said she would have him for her daughter, arrived in a brand new Supra, took Dog, Dog went to the vet, got a new collar, lead, basket, checkup and injections at the vets, a nice haircut and the little **** bit the Daughter cue Supra woman arriving with him saying we either take him or he goes bye byes courtesy f the vet as he had drawn blood ! still she spent loads on him which we didnt have to.
He had a kneecap defect, a heart murmur, the start of cataracts and was a bit skinny, didnt think he would be with us long.
Anyway, we had him seven years, with a big Ginger Tom called Barney who wasn't all that impressed with the new boggly eyed addition and it took a while to establish a pecking order, it was funny how they had a truce and ignored each other, remember them being in front of the fire, one stretches and touches the other one and all hell breaks loose.
They used to nick each others food and fight for my mums lap, the Dog would only tolerate my dad, loved my mum and hated me and my brother, literally he would try and bite us as hard as he could, was dead funny, all snarling and bared teeth, was a great sport goading the Chihuahua, we loved him to bits but he was a right little ****, we used to make a game of stroking him when my mum had him so he thought it was her and he would be lapping up the attention until he realised and went mental, we used to do "his voice", kind of speedy Gonzalez generic Mexican and he would be saying "Get of a me you f*ckin homo, you touch ma ***, I keel you", guess you had to be there.
He was a funny looking creature, biggish for a Chihuahua, long brown hair, kind of a seventies look, big boggly eyes and due to his wonky knees his legs were a bit bendy, he looked like he was running a lot of negative camber, he thought he was the Dogs bollocks, real ponce, very arrogant air about him, puffed up little **** he was and I still have a couple of scars from getting too close.
He was still a little sod as he got old, wasnt as bad as he lost a couple of teeth and was pretty much blind so would accept being stroked if you kept your mouth shut, the minute he heard your voice he would still go for you, invariably got my mum and then was all mortified and sorry.
He was a truly horrible Dog but so endearing despite it, still miss the nasty little ******* !
Last edited by J4CKO; 12 November 2011 at 09:05 AM.
#47
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Get you ball sack out and tell the stupid bint to suck on it! She blond?
We have two beagles and play time is brilliant - until Lucy goes on the lick attack!
In your house hold you are a pack, the dog is part of the pack and it's natural for them to play with each other.
Like above my dogs hold but have never hurt / broke the skin. Infect lucy's claw has scratched me ! lol.
I have always pushed both of our beagles by biting them, pulling them and even being slightly heavy handed - reason is is that one day we will have children and although I would never lead a dog in a room with a baby alone you can't really stop a kid from pulling and yanking... Luckily jack &lucy know the rules and just ***** out... I am the alpha male... Well Vic is top then I like to think I'm second
We have two beagles and play time is brilliant - until Lucy goes on the lick attack!
In your house hold you are a pack, the dog is part of the pack and it's natural for them to play with each other.
Like above my dogs hold but have never hurt / broke the skin. Infect lucy's claw has scratched me ! lol.
I have always pushed both of our beagles by biting them, pulling them and even being slightly heavy handed - reason is is that one day we will have children and although I would never lead a dog in a room with a baby alone you can't really stop a kid from pulling and yanking... Luckily jack &lucy know the rules and just ***** out... I am the alpha male... Well Vic is top then I like to think I'm second
#48
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I have a mixed view on this one for two reasons. I had two dogs a springer and a weimaraner. The springer was very frinedly but not very playful, he liked a good run in the field and was happiest when carrying something in his mouth.
My weimaraner however was a nut case - and always up for a good scrap. She was never allowed in the house, most of our playtime altercations took place in the back garden. As many have said, her biting was never with any force, the only injuries ever inflicted was from the odd stray dew claw.
I was tidying up the garden on a summer evening, both dogs were out in the back garden while I worked. My girlfriend at that time thought it would be funny to soak me with the hose, as she tried to run off, I caught her by her arms, tripped her up, knocking her off balance before lowering her onto the grass. As I tried to get the hose to soak her while she was down, she pulled me to the ground which resulted in both of us behaving as though we were half our age, wrestling with each other on the lawn, we were both laughing at our own foolishness, as we fought with each other, my weimaraner thought she should join in, which didn't worry me because I had frequently scrapped with her in the same way. My girlfriend encouraged the dog to help her to get back at me, however she bit down hard on my girlfriends hand leaving a number of puncture wounds on her hand which led to a trip to A&E. The bruising to her hand the following day was horrendous. I don't know if my dog thought she was defending me, the dog had lived with us for about 4 years at this stage, we would have walked it together, either of us would have fed it, my girlfriend treated the dog like a family member, where as I treated it like a mate. She certainly was not a stranger in the dogs eyes. Did the dog think it was defending me - I think the dog was clever enough to know I was in no real danger, and there was no anger or aggression in the exchanges between my girlfriend and I. Still I dont know why she reacted in the way she did.
my second reason for having a mixed view on this was seeing another side to what I would describe as an otherwise placid, friendly, obedient and intelligent dog, when a small cat belonging to a neighbour fell off the fence at the same time as I opened the gate of the dog run. My weimaraner chased and caught the cat, which ended in the worst possible outcome for the cat. In those few minutes, she did not respond to any command I gave her, and even when I had a good grip on her collar, she was intent on not releasing that cat from her jaws.
I still play-fought with her, but after those event's I would typically have stopped proceedings much sooner than I would have before. As soon as teeth were used, however gently - the game ended.
My weimaraner however was a nut case - and always up for a good scrap. She was never allowed in the house, most of our playtime altercations took place in the back garden. As many have said, her biting was never with any force, the only injuries ever inflicted was from the odd stray dew claw.
I was tidying up the garden on a summer evening, both dogs were out in the back garden while I worked. My girlfriend at that time thought it would be funny to soak me with the hose, as she tried to run off, I caught her by her arms, tripped her up, knocking her off balance before lowering her onto the grass. As I tried to get the hose to soak her while she was down, she pulled me to the ground which resulted in both of us behaving as though we were half our age, wrestling with each other on the lawn, we were both laughing at our own foolishness, as we fought with each other, my weimaraner thought she should join in, which didn't worry me because I had frequently scrapped with her in the same way. My girlfriend encouraged the dog to help her to get back at me, however she bit down hard on my girlfriends hand leaving a number of puncture wounds on her hand which led to a trip to A&E. The bruising to her hand the following day was horrendous. I don't know if my dog thought she was defending me, the dog had lived with us for about 4 years at this stage, we would have walked it together, either of us would have fed it, my girlfriend treated the dog like a family member, where as I treated it like a mate. She certainly was not a stranger in the dogs eyes. Did the dog think it was defending me - I think the dog was clever enough to know I was in no real danger, and there was no anger or aggression in the exchanges between my girlfriend and I. Still I dont know why she reacted in the way she did.
my second reason for having a mixed view on this was seeing another side to what I would describe as an otherwise placid, friendly, obedient and intelligent dog, when a small cat belonging to a neighbour fell off the fence at the same time as I opened the gate of the dog run. My weimaraner chased and caught the cat, which ended in the worst possible outcome for the cat. In those few minutes, she did not respond to any command I gave her, and even when I had a good grip on her collar, she was intent on not releasing that cat from her jaws.
I still play-fought with her, but after those event's I would typically have stopped proceedings much sooner than I would have before. As soon as teeth were used, however gently - the game ended.
#51
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I hope you wore chainmail gloves? The RAF MP dogs I had the pleasure of seeing were the most viscous dogs i've ever seen, and that was whilst they were in their enclosure! Strangers they did not take kindly to and we were warned not to stick hands anywhere near the mesh unless we wanted to lose our fingers.
Play fighting is great fun and fine. Mine are trained to hit a sleeve and bitesuit but they wouldn't dream of behaving in the same way if not in 'work' mode.
Dogs that bite with aggression will do so whether or not you're play fighting or watching a **** film minding your own business.
#52
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I used to have a Boxer who enjoyed a bit of rough and tumble - he has sadly passed on now. It was always a game between us
I have two Greyhounds now - they just roll over and give up when I try to get them into a wrestle - unless the can run off
I have two Greyhounds now - they just roll over and give up when I try to get them into a wrestle - unless the can run off
#53
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If MrsD and me start messing around, there's never any confusion, our hound joins straight in on her side, even though I do all feeding and half the walking. Bloody females
I've had a 'play' fight with my cat today by the way, both my hands and lower arms are shredded
I've had a 'play' fight with my cat today by the way, both my hands and lower arms are shredded
#55
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I love a good playfight with mine too. They stop when told, and seem to enjoy themselves. Play fight always ends by me winning, so there are no mixed signals lol.
Gets a bit hairy when one decides the other is playing too rough, and starts trying to protect me.
Nothing to worry about, not like they got the equipment to inflict injury
Gets a bit hairy when one decides the other is playing too rough, and starts trying to protect me.
Nothing to worry about, not like they got the equipment to inflict injury
#56
I think they can get confused if you and another family member are fighting, ours will defend my youngest if I make out I am hurting him but h kind of tries to pull me away rather than bite, it isnt such a big deal with a small Dog but I wouldn't chance it with a big powerful one, ours can give a good bite but isnt liable to kill you.
Dogs are hard wired to seek prey, ours has a proper Terrier type disposition and attitude, if its smaller than me, chase it and try to kill it, if its bigger than me, f*ck it, might as well chase it and try to kill it, have to be careful with him as he will chase sheep, horses, cows, cats or anything the daft ****, that can end very badly for him at the hands of an angry farmer or one kick from a horse so we have to be on high alert if somewhere new where he is off the lead, bunnies and Squirells are ok as he doesnt catch them, have seen him tear down the garden after a wood Pigeon and leap 5 ft in the air with his mouth snapping at its tail feathers, millimetres off, comes back all pleased with himself, bristling with excitement.
We have to watch him with Benny the neighbours cat as he will tear across the road to get at him, the cat walks round when he is on the lead all cocky, the time he got out he did the cocky thing and then did a double take as he was getting close, never seen a Cat move so fast, not sure what would have happened as he was going in for the kill, I think Cats do better in a standoff with the hissing and claws combo but not sure when a Dog is intent on attack, he is a bit bigger than the cat, say 1.5 times but he is a big fat moggy, never want to find out, have seen how he shakes stuff when he gets hold of it, properly violent, amazing amount of force for a smallish dog.
Missus wants a Wolfhound, maybe one day but would need to be more geared up for one.
Dogs are hard wired to seek prey, ours has a proper Terrier type disposition and attitude, if its smaller than me, chase it and try to kill it, if its bigger than me, f*ck it, might as well chase it and try to kill it, have to be careful with him as he will chase sheep, horses, cows, cats or anything the daft ****, that can end very badly for him at the hands of an angry farmer or one kick from a horse so we have to be on high alert if somewhere new where he is off the lead, bunnies and Squirells are ok as he doesnt catch them, have seen him tear down the garden after a wood Pigeon and leap 5 ft in the air with his mouth snapping at its tail feathers, millimetres off, comes back all pleased with himself, bristling with excitement.
We have to watch him with Benny the neighbours cat as he will tear across the road to get at him, the cat walks round when he is on the lead all cocky, the time he got out he did the cocky thing and then did a double take as he was getting close, never seen a Cat move so fast, not sure what would have happened as he was going in for the kill, I think Cats do better in a standoff with the hissing and claws combo but not sure when a Dog is intent on attack, he is a bit bigger than the cat, say 1.5 times but he is a big fat moggy, never want to find out, have seen how he shakes stuff when he gets hold of it, properly violent, amazing amount of force for a smallish dog.
Missus wants a Wolfhound, maybe one day but would need to be more geared up for one.
Last edited by J4CKO; 13 November 2011 at 10:57 AM.
#58
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My rescued GSD is way too OCD for a play-fight, he's also intact (in the dangle department) he (unlike some on here) just doesn't "get it" so his stimulation is restricted to walking (massive walks) and playing, which is enough to tire and stimulate him...
#59
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I play fight with our 2 male British Bulldogs , I always end it with me pinning them down on their backs , I always win and they know I'm the boss and we have a great relationship .