Dog Plays Too Rough with Me: A Guide to Safe Play

Playing with your dog can be a wonderful way to bond and get exercise, but it's not always easy. Dogs, especially puppies, can get overexcited and play too rough.

Dogs often play too rough because they're still learning what's acceptable behavior. According to research, puppies between 3-6 months old are most likely to engage in rough play due to their high energy levels and lack of impulse control.

A good rule of thumb is to intervene early and gently when your dog starts playing too rough. This can help prevent injuries and teach your dog what's acceptable behavior.

Dogs can be unpredictable, but understanding their play behavior can make all the difference. If your dog is playing too rough, it's essential to recognize the signs that they're just having fun.

Dogs often display a big, silly, open-mouthed grin when they're playing, and their movements become exaggerated, with bouncy movements and even exaggerated growling. They may also do the "play bow", where their front end is down and their back end is in the air.

To determine if your dog is playing or not, pay attention to their behavior. If they're voluntarily making themselves vulnerable, such as "falling" down or exposing their bellies, they're probably playing. They'll also keep circling back for more, even if they end up "losing" the play-fight and end up on their backs.

Here are some signs that your dog is playing safely:

When interacting with a puppy, children should be closely monitored to prevent them from pushing the puppy away with their hands and arms, or running and making noise, which can escalate the puppy's nipping and mouthing behavior.

Dogs should never be left alone with children, and it's essential to supervise all interactions between them.

Offering a puppy a chew bone or toy, such as a rawhide chew bone or other type of chew toy, can redirect their chewing behavior and keep them occupied while being petted.

If a child wants to pet a puppy, it's best to have them do so gently, behind the ears, and not over the head.

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So, you're wondering how to tell if your puppy is biting too hard? It's actually quite simple. If your puppy gives you a level 5 bite, it's time for a time-out. Stop play and leave her alone or put her in a time-out area for about one minute.

To determine the level of your puppy's bite, you can use a simple system. For example, a level 1 bite is soft, a level 2 bite is gentle, and a level 5 bite is hard.

You can also use this opportunity to redirect your puppy's biting onto acceptable objects, like a chew bone or toy. Offer her a chew bone whenever you pet her, and alternate hands to pet and offer the chew bone.

If your puppy nips at your hands, yell "OUCH" and ignore her until she's calm. Then, offer the chew bone and petting method again. This will help her understand that nipping results in unpleasant consequences.

Broaden your view: Dog Bite

Here's a simple way to remember the levels of biting:

As your puppy gets older, you can gradually phase out play biting by timing her out for all bites. But for now, it's essential to establish a clear understanding of what's acceptable and what's not.

Some dogs are quicker to take offense when playing, and one wrong move could upset them. This is especially true if they're not familiar with the other dogs.

Always watch your dog to make sure they're not being "ganged up" by a group of other dogs. This can be a bad socialization experience, even if your dog doesn't get hurt.

Not all dogs understand their size in comparison to other dogs, so it's essential to monitor dog wrestling, especially if a larger breed is playing with a smaller one.

Keep food and toys out of the picture when playing, as many dogs are possessive of their belongings and may fight for them.

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If your puppy is nipping at you, it's essential to redirect their chewing onto acceptable objects. Offer them a small rawhide chew bone or other type of chew toy whenever you pet them.

This technique can be especially effective when children want to pet her. As you or the child reach out to scratch her behind the ears with one hand, offer the chew bone with the other. This will not only help your puppy learn that people and petting are wonderful, but will also keep her mouth busy while she's being petted.

Alternate which hand does the petting and which one has the chew bone. At first, you may need to pet or scratch your puppy for short periods of time, since the longer she's petted, the more likely she is to get excited and start to nip.

To make this method even more effective, you can teach your puppy to be gentle with hands and that nipping results in unpleasant consequences for her. After a nip, yell "OUCH" as though you've been wounded, then ignore her until she's calm. Then offer the chew bone and petting method again.

Curious to learn more? Check out: My Puppy Plays Too Rough with Small Dogs

Here's a simple way to gauge your puppy's biting level:

By consistently offering your puppy acceptable chew toys and gently discouraging nipping, you can help them learn to play rough without being too rough.

If your dog nips your hands, it's essential to teach them that nipping results in unpleasant consequences. After a nip, look your puppy right in the eye, and yell, “Ouch!” as though you’ve been mortally wounded, then ignore her. Leave the room if you must, but ignore her until she’s calm.

You can also discourage nipping by loosely holding your puppy’s lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger after she’s taken your hand in her mouth. Don’t hurt her by squeezing too hard, just gently hang on so that wherever her mouth goes, your hand hangs on.

There are three alternative methods to discourage nipping: wearing cotton gloves coated with a substance with an unpleasant taste such as Bitter Apple, loosely holding your puppy’s lower jaw, or ignoring her after a nip and leaving the room until she’s calm. However, these methods may have disadvantages, such as your puppy becoming afraid of you or your hands.

Here are three methods to discourage nipping:

Remember, any of these methods will probably not be effective unless you work hard to teach your puppy the right behavior by offering her an acceptable chew toy.

Some dogs aren't meant for public spaces like dog parks, and that's okay. They might be quicker to take offense when playing, and one wrong move could upset them.

Watching your dog's behavior is crucial, especially if they're playing with a larger breed. Not all dogs understand their size in comparison to other dogs.

It's essential to keep an eye out for signs of ganging up, even if it's not done with malicious intent. This can be a bad socialization experience that may lead to fearfulness.

Food and toys can be a major trigger for possessive behavior in dogs. It's best to keep them out of the picture when playing to avoid any conflicts.

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