What counts as TOO rough?

When dogs play - when do you think it gets too rough and you feel you have to step in?

I only ask as a general question, but for me usually when a tail goes under, or my dog, or the dog my dogs are playing with are on the floor too long and looking unhappy is when I step in.

With Louie - it is obvious when he is unhappy, with Sadie - she can handle her own and rarely plays unless in the house or is stood around too long. Benjie - well when he plays with another dog - it will be a surprise.

Mine only get rough with each other, and if they start getting too silly I do step in and put the silly one on the lead for a bit. They wouldn't get wound up to the stage of actually fighting or anything, it isn't in them, but due to the size difference there is risk of injury.

When I can`t hear the TV even though I`ve turned it up.

I let my two get as rough with each other as they like because I know they'll announce it when they've had enough (usually Kiki gets fed up first and tells Casper off, then she waits until he goes to wander off and she starts another fight )
With other dogs, I judge it on the situation. For example, on GSD walks, loads of the GSDs have a big game of chase, which Casper loves. I allow the chasing as long as the others dogs are joining in, and the chasee is happy, but I know that when the other dogs call it a day, Casper can try to rag the chasee on to run off again and I don't allow this - if necessary, he goes back on-lead until he calms down. I won't allow him to jump on other dogs like he does Kiki, either, as this is bad manners. Funnily the only dog he really does it to lately is Cain, but since Amanda is trying to get Cain calm around dogs, we tend to keep the pair of them on leads and I'll call/pull Casper away. Kiki doesn't really 'do' play with other dogs but I know on the very odd occasion she does, she will keep fairly restrained and won't pester the dog.

I think it is the same as when you have children. They get to the point of being silly and then someone is at risk of getting accidently hurt. For me it is when the growling gets a bit too loud, or changes tone, maybe when one dog is trying to get away but the other is following. I think it is harder with 2 puppies as neither have fully learnt playing etiquette and things can go a bit too far.

When Ludi and Lola play I tend to stop it as soon as Lola starts pining Ludi with her enormous paws, she is very big and he is very tiny and accidents can easily happen so would rather stop it before it gets too silly.

This is usually my stepping in point too -

Great question.


I have twice stepped in.

1 - someone in the park asked if Dexter could play with her incredibly bouncy Lurcher. Within a few minutes Dex was looking unhappy and the Lurcher was growling and seemed to be going for his neck. His owner laughed and said 'Oh, he has this habit of going for other dogs' collars.'

There was no mutual chasing going on - my dog was just running and looking over his shoulder and he seemed unhappy. I stepped in and broke them up. I later found out that this woman has a very hard time finding any other owner who will let their dog play with her Lurcher.




2 - last week Dexter had a wonderful time romping around with a 7 month old GDS. Gorgeous dog and they were playing beautifully together. Chasing, mock bowing, pouncing, the works.

For a good half hour we all trekked through the 'forest' part of our local park and the dogs were inseparable.

Then I noticed that the GSD was nipping at Dexter a lot and Dex in return was gnashing his teeth. I've never seen him look like that - never.

The other owner told me it was all fine and that they were just playing. But Dexter was starting to really gnash his teeth and his top lip was curled back - he looked seriously nasty!

So I separated them and explained that I felt they were both 'over excited' and hopefully they could play again soon.


I don't know if I did the right thing but I think we all know our own dogs and we have to go on a gut feeling.

Lily and Alfie do wrestle and I agree with Claire. The noise coming out of Alfie sounds like some kind of hideous battle is going on but it is all noise. I only step in if I'm fed up with the noise but I will send them out to the garden where they tend to chase each other rather than wrestle. Alfie is bigger than her but if he pushes his luck, she tells him and he backs off straight away. Neither of them play with other dogs the way they play together though.

Haha sounds like the right point

Depends on the dogs really
Mia and Ben are at the point now that they stop themselves if it gets too rough - and they trust each other and forgive if a nip gets too hard


I keep a close eye on Mia with other dogs, if she is leading a game of chase then all is good, if it starts to turn into a boxing match, unless she really knows and trusts the dog, I will tend to distract them because if the other dogs nips her a bit too hard she will overreact and start a scrap

Ben tends to be fine with other dogs, the only time I step in is if another dog is sniffing him too much, about to try and mount him or is totaly bugging him to play when he is clearly saying no - amazing the number of young dogs who will still keep barging at a dog when he has froze, given the hard stare, yawned, turned away, crinkled his lips and is finally SNARLING and the dog is still trying to play

Sad to say I once watched that in a training class with other dogs, the young dog was doing everything to make the other dog play, she was doing everything to say she didnt want to - but because one of her 'calming signals' was a play bow the trainer and the other owners were joking about what amazing bodylanguage the pestering dog had, how friendly he was and everything they couldnt see how stressed the other dog was

So true. And I'll put my hand up and admit my dog is one of those young dogs