# Would you stop this?



## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone else would stop their dogs from playing like we did in this video. They'd been in the house for two days because of the hurricane so they had some excess energy to burn off, (note the mess on the lawn) we were still without power. 

The noisy long stock is our female. Anyway, this is about as far as we let getting rough escalate, just wondered if others would stop it at this point too? (my husband called it vicious...he's a pacifist, lol) Most of the time they don't play quite like this although Annie is always real vocal. 

Dogs playing after hurricane Irene - YouTube


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Looks like they are both having a great time. I can even hear one of them laughing. (You can buy recordings of dogs laughing, that's why I know what is sounds like. Or maybe it was some internet video.)


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

my gosh your husband would have heart failure if he saw my aussie and shepherd when they really get rough))

I saw nothing wrong with it at all, altho when you (or the husband) said "enough" I probably would have to, just to diffuse it a tad at that point.

I tend to do that , give them a minute to collect themselves and then they are back at it )..not all the time mind you, just those big spurts of energy burn off. 

Glad you survived Irene!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I did not see anything viscious going on. Once dogs decide to fight there is no question, but I suppose rough play can escalate. Is there a reason you're worried?


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## jennyp (Jun 18, 2011)

I would have stopped it. The fluffier dog looked like it was trying to avoid for awhile and then seemed like it was trying to tell the female to back off. The vocal dog was being a bit of a bully so I would have separated them for a time out. If after a minute the fluffy dog came back for more, great. If not, then I would watch and not let the female be a bully.


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## Zisso (Mar 20, 2009)

My two play like that all the time. My boy is the vocal one, and he sounds much worse than your girl does. They would freak your husband out if he saw how they play and heard them. And while play can escalate, you will know for sure when it gets to that point. I rarely stop them unless it sounds like my boy is really getting mad. The rest of the time, I let them go and have fun  

Love how your boy spins about!!


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I would have stopped it, but only because I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to clean those shiny white coats after running and wrestling in all that wet mud. 

I can barely keep my white sneakers clean... Two all white dogs would be impossible.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

selzer said:


> I did not see anything viscious going on. Once dogs decide to fight there is no question, but I suppose rough play can escalate. Is there a reason you're worried?


No I'm not worried, there was a thread about two dogs playing and when the owner needs to intervene, (I think it was about a pup and an older dog) so I was just wondering if people would stop this kind of play like we did. (They were back at it a few minutes later)


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## Tammy GSD (Dec 26, 2010)

Oh my, no! I didn't see anything at all vicious there nor did I see any ill effect (fear, tail tucked, ears down, submissive roll). Just two dogs "feeling their Wheaties" (one more than the other, the little instigator, it appears, lol). My GSD and Chinese Crested do this. The Crested will bait Sheva like your smaller one was doing. He will pounce at her when she isn't paying attention, then run and turn. They play catch and end up rolling around. They sound like they are tearing each other apart but if you watch, they are tails-a-waggin' and having a good ol- time of it. 

As someone else said, when it's "for real", there is no mistaking it.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Tammy GSD said:


> Oh my, no! I didn't see anything at all vicious there nor did I see any ill effect (fear, tail tucked, ears down, submissive roll). Just two dogs "feeling their Wheaties" (one more than the other, the little instigator, it appears, lol).
> As someone else said, when it's "for real", there is no mistaking it.


We had so much rain and wind for a day and a half I didn't let them out much, I was afraid flying branches would hit them. Harley (our male, the smaller of the two) had cabin fever, he was ready to do some serious playing! (that's my boy, lol!)


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

If these dogs were strangers to each other I would give them a little break at that point in case things escalated, but if they were buddies I wouldn't worry about it.


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## nitemares (Dec 15, 2005)

I wouldn't stop it, it seems like they're both having fun. and this is nothing compared to what most dogs do when they're playing.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

look like play to me.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

You did a nice job of supervising. I might have paused it there only to prevent escalation but they were playing well .... and as you said they needed it. I would have
let them continue for at least twice as long as the film showed. They can get vocal and that can be unnerving to someone who is not used to it. They also take turns being the dominant, pesty one and the chaser and the one being chased. To me, that was a very brief exercise but a lot better than nothing.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

That was nothing!! 

I tend to intervene with my two because they get pretty violent with each other. They do the fun chase, but neither of them stop and oen of them usually ends up yelping as one body slams the other and the other goes somersaulting around the yard. 

I also don't let them play much in the house...too mmany things to break.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

GSDElsa said:


> I also don't let them play much in the house...too mmany things to break.


I have found it amazing that Abby can race around the house, through rooms, up and down the stairs but she has never knocked anything over in 2 years.


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## DonP (Apr 13, 2009)

Looks like good fun to me. Neither trying to get away and neither getting hurt. Good way to burn off some energy after being cooped up for the storm. That's the great thing about having two dogs close in age. They can tire each other out and it's fun to watch them have such a good time.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

PaddyD said:


> I have found it amazing that Abby can race around the house, through rooms, up and down the stairs but she has never knocked anything over in 2 years.


Wish I was that lucky. There is a reason why we call Medo either "the tornado" or "the hurricane." :rofl:


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## Danielle609 (Jun 18, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> I would have stopped it, but only because I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to clean those shiny white coats after running and wrestling in all that wet mud.
> 
> I can barely keep my white sneakers clean... Two all white dogs would be impossible.


LOL, I was thinking the same thing...although, sorry OP...but I may have secretly wanted them to get down and dirty...just to see what a muddy White Shepherd looks like


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Danielle609 said:


> LOL, I was thinking the same thing...although, sorry OP...but I may have secretly wanted them to get down and dirty...just to see what a muddy White Shepherd looks like


Yup, same here. Those are amazingly clean dogs.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

jennyp said:


> I would have stopped it. *The fluffier dog looked like it was trying to avoid for awhile and then seemed like it was trying to tell the female to back off. The vocal dog was being a bit of a bully so I would have separated them* for a time out. If after a minute the fluffy dog came back for more, great. If not, then I would watch and not let the female be a bully.


The bold is exactly what I have to say. The long coat went behind the bbq to avoid and you guys made him/her get out, thats when it happened. 
I wouldnt necessarily separate like in two different rooms or something. But I would put in an obedience stay for a little bit then release and let them play again. Things need to settle. Long coat was getting overstimulated and shorter coat was getting to be a bully. 

Otherwise before then very good play


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## schatzi14 (Sep 29, 2005)

Looks like they were having alot of fun together...but, like you and your husband...I always did watch out for anything getting out of hand.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

4TheDawgies said:


> The bold is exactly what I have to say. The long coat went behind the bbq to avoid and you guys made him/her get out, thats when it happened.
> 
> Long coat was getting overstimulated and shorter coat was getting to be a bully.


The grill had a charcoal fire going in it and the space between the grill and house isn't very big, I didn't want them to get burned or knock it over so they couldn't stay back there, but you're right about Annie, (the long coat) she was really wound up. They had been playing for a few minutes before I grabbed the camera. She has a shorter fuse than our male for sure. 

To those who want to see the dogs dirty :rofl:....I have pictures somewhere and but aren't pretty. Honest, they aren't hard to keep clean if you keep them brushed, I only bathe these guys a few times a year. All that mud dries and falls off on the floor.


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## juliejujubean (May 4, 2011)

the only reason i would stop that type of play is beacause both of your dogs are white and that ground is muddy  that would be one messy dog... my little girl loves playing like that with her "uncle blitz" they have such a great time... as long as it does not become violent... but you know your dogs better than anyone else, so dont forget that.


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

I probably would have let it go a bit longer. Sometimes when I'm at work and I have two dogs (usually younger ones) that will escalate the play; I'll just walk up and stand in their "space" maybe nudge a rear paw with my toe.
I don't usually have to say anything, but make my presence felt and they regulate. Littermates can be the worst....sometimes we'll separate them because their play will escalate into a fight...especially females.
GSDs and especially terriers are very vocal when they play. I'll gauge by the motion and the pitch of the vocalizations whether I have to seriously have to manage it or not. If the vocalizations are corrected they'll still get rowdy (play escalating) they just are quieter about it...which can be really scary.

Beautiful dogs though....how long did they stay white?


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