one of the ways I play with my dogs is to “wrestle” or “roughhouse” with them.
I would get down on my hands and knees and growl at Ace, often grabbing at his legs or shoving him away. He would come charging back for more, play growling and bowing. Tail wagging.
We did this every day.
I know this is not the wisest way to interact with a dog, but I’m being sincere here, and this is one of the ways I’ve always played with my dogs.
I think I learned it from my dad, although the majority of the male pet dog lovers I know also play fight with their dogs.
The dogs love it!
But other than myself, I don’t know any women who “wrestle” with their dogs. Gjør du?
And while my current pup Remy seems to think this type of play is “oh so much fun!” there are evident risks involved, and smart trainers know to alert their clients against “roughhousing” with dogs.
Here’s why you shouldn’t wrestle with your dog:
1. Play battling in dogs leads to high excitement levels.
2. High excitement levels in dogs can cause fights.
3. Play battling encourages dogs to mouth and bite people.
Most of us have seen play battling escalate into a fight between two dogs.
You’ve probably been at the pet dog park when two dogs start out running and chasing, maybe wrestling and barking a bit. and then all of the sudden the “play” escalates to an actual fight, and the dogs need to be separated.
These same dogs will often go back to being friends seconds later, even though they seemed to hate each other moments before. It’s normally just “talk.”
But this is why people, especially kids, need to be extra careful when “play fighting” with dogs. It can get out of hand easily and quickly. (And guess who’s going to get hurt?)
This is why I know I must not play fight with my weimaraner Remy. He simply gets way too ecstatic and ends up biting too hard. But, we play this way anyway.
What about tug of war with dogs?
Even non-wresting games like tug of war or fetch can cause high excitement levels in dogs.
While tug is nothing to worry about for gentle dogs like Roxy (the shepherd, pictured), some dogs really get severe about tug of war.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had my hands inadvertently nipped a few times while playing tug. I’ve also seen dogs break into severe fights over rope toys, even though it all started out as play.
Playing fetch is another example, not because it leads to aggression but because it gets some dogs so hyped up that they can’t quit. Ace was very much this way, and being obsessed over a ball not a healthy state of mind.
For this reason, it’s always crucial to set limits no matter what type of “game” or “work” the pet dog is doing.
I recommend making the pet dog take a break from intense play every couple of minutes. Some dogs won’t clear up down on their own, and that’s when problems occur. If it’s not a nip or a fight, it’s obsessive behavior or just remaining in a hyper state of mind.
If you insist on play battling with your dog, here are my suggestions:
1. know that play battling with dogs is risky.
I do not recommend play battling with your dog, but I know people will do it anyway (as I do).
For evident reasons, you must never roughhouse with someone else’s dog. The pet dog may not know you very well, and this could scare, hurt or threaten the dog.
2. Do not play fight with a pet dog that is overly dominant.
I know “dominant” is a naughty word in the pet dog world, so call it whateer you want. how about “impressed with himself”?
Du vet hva jeg mener. If your pet dog is always seeking “status,” or trying to push his limits with you, then you’re probably better off avoiding wrestling games with your dog. Tug of war may not be a good choice either.
3. pause the game often so the dog’s excitement doesn’t escalate.
If you’re roughhousing with your dog, make sure to be aware of his arousal levels and to pause every minute or so to help him settle.
This is a good time to practice and reward a sit or a down command. You want your pet dog to be able to calm down and obey you, even in “exciting” scenarios such as intense play.
You must also end the game by asking your pet dog to sit or lie down for a minute or so and then reward the calm behavior.
4. keep the dog’s play sessions short.
Just five minutes or so is enough for a lot of dogs, no matter what the game is – disc dog, agility, tug, fetch, wrestling, etc.
If your pet dog is extra hyped up, panting heavily and starting to get a bit obsessive or wild, it’s a good time to work on a a lot more calming exercise like “down” and then end the play session or take a break.
5. If you play tug or fetch with your dog, show him “Drop.”
Alle hunder må lære å adlyde “drop” -kommandoen, selv under en intens økt med slepebåten.
Øv også på å si “ouch!” Hvis hundens tenner til og med så mye som forsiktig berører huden din. Kjæledyrhunden må lære å slippe leketøyet øyeblikkelig når du sier “Ouch.”
Jeg anbefaler at du snur deg og forsømmer kjæledyrhunden din i omtrent et minutt etterpå, så han lærer moroa slutter hvis tennene hans berører deg.
OK, hva er tankene dine. Bryter du med hundene dine som jeg gjør?
Gi meg beskjed om din mening om alt dette! Jeg er nysgjerrig på om det er andre kvinner der ute som “kjemper” med hundene sine.
*Av tydelige grunner er mange trenere imot grovhousing med hunder, og jeg tror vi alle må vurdere det rådet. Jeg er heldig som har en alvorlig avslappet, underdanig, høflig hund, så jeg tar sannsynligvis hans mildhet for gitt.