Is this play fighting too much?

I know its hard for you to know without seeing it but after a bit of advice!

Blue (greyhound) bless his cotton socks, has got his feet well under the table now and we've had him for four and a half months!

He has really started to enjoying playing, which he never did before. He loves his toys and joins in with my other two.
For the most part i am really pleased as he has become such a happy chap and i adore him!!
But ...!
When playing with my other two he will grab Honey by the scruff of the neck, gently at first but then he gets rougher!!
He has never drawn blood and she doesnt yelp, but then she is a tough cookie
It looks quite rough to me, but not sure when to intervene...i dont want him to be told off for playing...

What i am really asking is when to say no more.
Should i wait for there to be a show of pain or upset from H and let them play or should i nip it in the bud completly and not let him do it?

He doesnt do it to my other one as she is the boss i think, so its only H who is the bottom of the pack who gets it!!
H always goes back for more so she cant be too bothered!
He doesnt mean it nasty, but is it too rough a play do you think??

Thanks in advance xx

My Terra suffers the same treatment and she just lies back and takes it, being dragged around by ears, scruff of neck, legs without so much as a whimper! However, she does come running to me if it gets too much. If Honey is fine with it and not getting upset then let it be, just keep an eye on them.
Becky

That's the way whippets play too , if Honey has no problem with it I would just let them get on with it . She will soon tell him off herself if he is too rough

Beau is my first hound and this is how he plays too but aims for Lula's harness, then they swap round and Lula chases him,
I let them do it without interfering but I keep an eye on them and would step in if I though someone was getting hurt. Hopefully Honey will decide if she has had enough

Hi guys, thanks for the replises.

The thing is i dont know if H would do anything untill she was really hurt!!
She doesnt bark or growl EVER.
She is the most submissive dog i have ever had or known.
I think your right that its just rough play and let em get on with it! But just dont want H to be hurt!!

If you think it's all getting too rough you could always stop the game by way of a distraction rather than by telling them not to play

My 2 always play fight, Bess is 12 years old and Flint is almost 6months. Flint starts it, then Bess keeps going back for more! They grab each others neck, ears, legs and flubbery skin. Unless you can see one really isnt enjoying the game, or snarling/snapping starts then id just leave them too it =]

Oh this sounds just like the treatment my poor old Georgie is enduring from Zena! She grabs the scruff of his neck and shakes him like he's a rabbit!!! The noise sometimes is incredible, but, somehow you just know when to stop them, you will hear a distinct "change" in that play noise. Sometimes when Georgie's had enough he does tell her in no uncertain terms, and then she gets really annoyed with him and barks and leaps all around him barking, soooo funny, and then she lays down and licks inside his mouth, which is telling him she understands I suppose. I've sometimes stopped it, and then Georgie's gone back for more, so I'm assuming he would tell her if and when he's had enough just like your H will, and don't forget my Georgie is always the underdog too, a very submissive type, and yet he knows when and how to put a stop to it without causing any friction or injury. I'd let them carry on, like I say, you'll certainly "hear" that distinct change in all that racket when things are going wrong. I love it when they play like this, I'm sure they're very happy so why stop it?!

Is Honey playing with him or being passive and allowing him to rough her up? If they are playing together I wouldnt worry but if she is just standing still while he is abusing her I would stop it.

You should see my Benson and his two other Boxer friends when they start playing rough.

No word of a lie, but a local resident reported me once as he thought that I was allowing my dogs to fight without stopping them.

A typical 'play' session involves an incredible amount of what people perceive as growling, various legs in various mouths, various ears in various mouths, dogs on their backs...often I cannot tell which body part belongs to which Boxer!

I would say that as long as there isn't any sign of aggression or pain there isn't a problem.