# Why is my dog the fun police?



## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

I recently decided to foster a dog. Him and my male aren't getting along, but that's actually not really relevant to my dog's problem. The female I'm taking care of was trying very, very hard to initiate play with the foster. Whenever the foster would respond and they would begin play, Chrono would intervene and break them up by either putting his body in between them and physically separating them, or barking in the face of one of them. He would also hover around them waiting to intervene, and mostly his presence alone prevented them from playing.

He does this at the dog park too, which isn't usually a problem because our dog parks are more like hiking trails so the dogs usually sniff and continue on and there actually isn't much playing. If a dog tries to play with him he tends to ignore them and it takes quite a bit of coercion before he'll play with them. If they try to play with my female he usually objects to it and immediately stops the play, or he hovers around waiting to intervene.

Sometimes he does this with other dogs that are playing with each other that he doesn't even know. Normal play he's okay with but if they are vocalizing like growling or barking, or if it's extremely physical and sort of resembles fighting, he'll make them stop playing with each other.

What kind of behavior is this?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

German.


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## Faelan (Jun 25, 2012)

I know it's not helpful for me to say this.... but I find this very funny. Sorry.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I don't know. 

I do know that the young dogs that will bark and carry on in class when a dog gets too excited, are doing it out of insecurity. What your dog is doing may be out of insecurity, but it can also be resource guarding. He may see the new foster as not a pack member and is denying access to pack members.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

One of my dogs does this exact same thing, nobody can have any fun with him around. He is not a GSD though he is a spitz dog.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Carriesue said:


> One of my dogs does this exact same thing, nobody can have any fun with him around. He is not a GSD though he is a spitz dog.


Still German. :rofl:


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

Sunflowers said:


> Still German. :rofl:


LOL touche


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I used to have a dog like that (Ordnung must sein!) and I put him on a down stay since I am the one deciding who plays when and with whom.


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## LoveOscar (Feb 4, 2013)

Sounds like your male is being dominant, and like previously stated, denying access to pack members. Not unusual, my last GSD ignored my Lab and his antics, but when a female pup was introduced he was suddenly very dominant and would often roll her over and put her in a submissive position. Either you let them work it out like dogs will (assuming it wont get violent or aggressive) or you step in as alpha and correct your males behavior. I am of the mind to let them work it out under supervision, but they need to listen to me as well. You should work with both your male and the foster until the foster finds his place within the pack heirarchy.

LO


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

My boy does this, mostly just with my other dogs though. And the cats. I don't tolerate it. I will say 'hey', lean forward and make eye contact when I see him starting to posture towards the other dogs, if that doesn't stop him I will make him move away and if he still won't stop he gets put in a downstay. He's usually pretty good about stopping right away though. I have two unneutered males living together, a dominant border collie x and an american pit bull terrier. I do not allow them to choose who gets to do what, that is my choice to make. 3 of my dogs could do major damage in a fight and I don't ever want a little jealousy to cause my dogs getting hurt.
Very much a german thing hahaha. I find herding dogs in general like to control what is going on around them. If any body is acting what they feel is 'out of control', they feel the need to control it. I understand what motivates them to do it, but I did not ask my dogs to control each other, I will control them so it is not a behaviour I allow in my house. If I had sheep, he could go out there and make them stand still and have no fun all day if he wanted to. But I don't, and the other dogs aren't sheep, so he can't lol.


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## Moshamoon (Jan 10, 2013)

I am new to the german shepherd forum. Please enlighten me to what the phrase "german" means, as it is referenced a few times.

I do have questions about in-tact males and situations that arise. Many posts talk about this. I have no problem with this decision, however, do these males have opportunity to mate? If not, how aweful to live a life with no release. The female in this scenario should not be subject to stresses, if the male is stressed. Just a thought.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Interesting responses, and pretty much what I figured. Something interesting he was doing was it was okay if my female played with the foster, like pawing at him or jumping on him or bouncing around him while he was standing still, but if the foster reciprocated play then he'd make them stop. It seemed like he didn't trust the foster and while he understood that my female was playing, he didn't understand that the foster was playing.

Sometimes he seems like he doesn't understand dog body language very well unless he's been around the dog a lot. When dogs try to play with him, he seems like he's really confused and doesn't know what they want from him, and it takes _a lot_ of play bowing and zooming around before he gets that they want to play. And then when the dog wants to stop playing, Chrono doesn't understand that they want him to stop and he continues to bother them until I make him stop. It's kind of like when you meet someone new and they don't understand when you are joking or using sarcasm because they don't know your mannerisms or your style of speaking.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

some dogs that use to like my female use to do this when another male tried to play with her or do anything with her

looked like they saw my female as their mate or something, even tho the male was intact


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

maybe he is the wet-blanket back


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark is like this when the two littles ones (Zefra and her BFF Hunter) get carried away. If they are wrestling and acting silly and just having fun with one another Stark will run in between them and get all chest puffy and the two will settle down really quick. He has never done anything more than bark at them when they are like this but it sends a message really quick to the young hooligans.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

carmspack said:


> maybe he is the wet-blanket back


lmao! :rofl:


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## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

> put him on a down stay since I am the one deciding who plays when and with whom.


Winner.


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