# How rough is too rough.....???



## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

Just wondering how rough is too rough when 2 dogs are playing? My 2 yr old female GSD plays with my son's 8 month old male English Mastiff almost every day. She was very gentle when he was younger but has gotten rougher lately. In fairness, he has gotten rougher too. They like to chase each other and play "keep away" with toys or whatever. What concerns me is when they "wrestle" with each other. They bite each other and bump each other around. One of them generally will lay down and then the other one will grab the other one's neck. I know they are just playing, but I worry about the neck biting play.... I usually have them stop when things seem to be getting too rough. Am I being overly worried....they are both strong breeds and can take quite a bit of rough and tumble, but this just looks scary.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

GSD's do play rough and sound like they are murdering each other. Generally, if I pay attention and start being able to pick up on 'normal' and 'over the top'. It can quickly get too much, especially at that young age when they are testing the waters. 

If I start feeling uneasy, I'll break it up with a quick run for treats or petting and some loving just to break the possible tension.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If you are uncomfortable with the heavy play, than tell them to knock it off. 

But, they do play rough. Play is very different than fighting. Fighting will entail biting, blood, growling, shaking while holding, and possibly one dog screaming and trying to quit. You don't want to be anywhere near this level. Play often has some verbal aspect to it. The thing is, once you experience fighting, you probably will not want to allow any physical playing between two dogs. 

Do you want to prevent them from getting good play and exercise because you are afraid that it will turn into fighting? 

They are both large rough and tumble dogs. Roughhousing in the house is probably not a good idea anyway. I would train them that doing that in the house is not acceptable, and then I would limit the amount of time I let them run and roughhouse outside, quitting when you feel uncomfortable with it.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

In the house??!!!! NO WAY! That ended a while ago when furniture started being rearranged by them...lol. My son lives down the road with his family and it is outdoor play. I don't mind the rough and tumble, I just worry that it could escalate into something serious. I remember this happening with kids...starts out as play and then someone winds up really getting mad..etc
I just don't like the neck biting thing I guess. (Especially now that the mastiff is bigger than my GSD...lol) 
I do redirect them when I start feeling uncomfortable. And they both generally settle down for a bit....until the next round of play...
Is neck biting, or rather throat biting/grabbing normal?


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

The neck biting, My GSD will do that to his play buddies too. He will put his entire mouth around their neck, he does not appear to bite down. I always supervise my dogs playing and when Max neck bites I redirect them to something else, a toy, chase or something. I think the other dog may get mad. ( I would!)

I have seen plenty of dog fights as a kid-do not want any playing to get to that level!


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## TAR HEEL MOM (Mar 22, 2013)

My GSD and my Lab both neck bite during play. But they don't actually break skin. I always say that if anyone who didn't know them walked by they would think I was letting them kill each other. I can hear in my Labs voice when she has had enough and pick up a toy to throw and the moment is over. Then they come in and lay down beside each other on "their bed" and go to sleep. I would just say to learn the signal when one of them is "over it."


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

If I don't like the style of play I redirect or call it off, they learn the limit of what they're allowed to do


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Maybe you should exercise each separately THEN let them play with each other. It will maybe take the edge off their play and they will also quit sooner.


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## Claire3487 (Nov 11, 2013)

*Help biting dogs*

I just got a new dog the other day its a kelpie cross named lucky and my gsd named xena has been neck biting/throat biting her a lot! They seem to be playing but in a way it looks like my shepherds bullying the kelpie as she's a lot bigger then her. I don't know if this is acceptable play behaviour as it looks very rough and dangerous for lucky. Lucky does hold her own against xena sometimes by biting her legs and snapping at her face but xena's a lot bigger I do worry lucky will get hurt. Lucky always drops onto her back straight away when xena's trying to bite her. What should I do?


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