When we introduced Theo to the other dog GSP bitch 1yr old they were absolutly madPLaying all the time. We would intervene when we had enough and make him lie down to calm down. They are much better now and still have a mad half hour but it is tolerable (mostly )
We still have a problem outside though, when he is on his own he is perfect, being a guarding type dog he tends to stick around anyway but when they are together, she whizzes off looking for good things to chase and he just chases her everywhere, it's getting better but still have lots of work to do..
Good luck with yours, as everyone has said, in time it be better but sometimes you have to set in and be the 'boring dad' !

sorry, just noticed I said 'the other dog' which sounds horrible We love her too !

Sorry for not replying sooner. I have been ill for a week

Sadly because I was ill, my wife did everything to keep things quiet which involved not really being that dominant with them both. This means we are almost back to stage 1 but hey its all fun and games

Polo seems to have settled in really well now. He is now testing us to see how much he can get away with, he is also a wind up merchant big time lol. He might look all sweet and innocent but I know

So, when dogs are not sleeping, eating or playing together, what do they do? Thats obviously where the problem lies. They have plenty of toys and a garden which is now getting redesigned as plants pots are clearly a no no with polo who likes to rip up the plants and chew the pots!! So I will be able to put them out more soon. They get 4-5 walks a day. Each for a minimum of 15 mins, 1 or 2 walks being let off the lead to burn off energy. Still they play, and play and play and play and play and play and play and play and play. You would think they would be tired by the walks!!!

Hopefully it is their ages, 12 months and 15 months. I am sure it will calm down, its just been a very hard week with me being ill and them 2 running riot. Its like boot camp now I am feeling abit better and they are not getting away with much in the house, I just havent got the energy yet to keep splitting them up and they wont listen when I shout NO lol grrrrrrrr

Thanks for all the great replies. One thing we are doing is consistency. They eat at the same time, sleep on a night at the same time, go walkies at the same time its all the same routine, but they feel the house is a play house which is the only thing we need to work on. Heres to a few fun months

If I were you I might vary the walk times. That way the consistency will be that they are walked at the time YOU choose. My father always walked my bitch when the Archers finished & after a short time she brought him the lead & nagged until he went as soon as she heard the music. My present walker varies the time she takes my lad so he waits to be told when he is going.

Thanks Sue. Since I have been ill for a week, my wife has actually walked them everytime, instead of me for half of their walks. I would normally take them down the track for a good run just before Lunchtime but she has had to do this in a morning instead, so I suppose the last week has been more of a change in walking routine more than anything. The walk lengths are the same, just different times. However, I will bare that it mind from now on. I never thought of it like that, if I take them at the same time everyday, they will expect it at that time which could be inconvenient on certain days! Thanks for the advice

I have cleared the garden and moved all of the pots which Polo kept pulling over and now the garden is tidy. I have let them both out there for a couple of hours this afternoon to play as I think the only way to do it is stop playing in the house completely! It seems to have worked because they are now both inside quiet If I keep working on it, I am sure it will fall in place. Like you all say Dogs need teaching, they dont just immediately know! If only lol

When I lived at my old place I had a massive garden and mine would go out and play for hours and then when in the house they were always very well behaved and quiet.

Unfortunately I had to move house as I was being harrassed by chavs, and living alone with my son so I have moved to my fathers temporarily, and he has a very small garden which is taken up by his shed, compost bins, planting area e.t.c and not very much room for play at all. Since being here the dogs have been nightmares indoors, especially Maddy my youngest (19 months).

Lots of playfighting indoors, general fussing and messing about.

All going well I should be moving into another property of my own (when I find one suitable ) this summer/autumn and all will be calm once again!

So maybe it will work for you too now they have more space outdoors to play, and they will gradually learn that indoors is for being good, and outdoors is for playing, and ask to go out when they need to let of some steam.

Good luck!

LOL this made me laugh (not that you was being harrassed obviously!)

I thought I would post a quick update as to how things are going.

Well, they dont play in the house anymore That was our choice. Zero Tolerance! As soon as they start playing its a swift NO and then I open the back door for them to run out and play! It is kind of like toilet training I suppose at the moment. It seems to be working as when they cant go out and play on a night in the garden, they are that tired from the day they just relax and sleep

After a while of playing outside when they can, I let them back in and if they settle they sleep for an hour, and if not and they start play fighting I just repeat the process and put them back in the garden to play. I just dont know what to do when it rains lol. Luckily it hasnt rained in the last few days since clearing the garden etc so I havent a clue what to do when it does! Should I still put them outside to play??

Anyway heres a few pics I took yesterday -









Thankyou again for all of the great advice on this thread it is as always so helpful

What gorgeous little doglets they are together, aren't you glad you took our advice now!!!!

When my rescue first came here, they played and played and played, non stop for weeks!!! I did what you did and if it started in the house, I would instantly say "out" and open the door, so they'd go out and play, then come in and sleep, and so on and so on!

This lasted for about a year, but it's now been 2 years, and they seldom play, except when I'm out in the garden with them for some strange reason? They still adore each other, but they have never played whilst out on a walk either, only at home. I suggest you will find it will all settle down soon, maybe it is them trying to test out the dominance thing, I don't know, all I can say is I had exactly the same here. Sometimes when they play now, it's so loud I really do wonder if they are instigating a fight, but then one of them always backs down immediately when it's getting out of hand.

Enjoy the fun your little doglets are having, it's lovely to hear they get on so very well together, and they look absolutely adorable.

Now it's time to get on with some of that work you've been meaning to do!!!! If ya can of course!!!!