Rowdy play in the Home

[Cherri]

I am not sure if this is a discipline problem or just something I should accept. My two dogs love to wrestle and play outside, but when they come inside they are so loud trying to dominate, wrestle, tug of war and fight that we cannot even hear each other. One is a puppy so I can't wear him out walking yet with 2 more shots left and the other one cannot be worn out even walking.
My Goldendoodle gets so aggressive after playing that sometime he growls and bites us. He gets put in time out in his kennel and repremaned by pulling on the skin on the back of his neck. I know dogs should be able to play, but is there some way to communicate what is acceptable in the house and out of the house? We have little ones in the home and don't ever want them to get in the middle of it. We have tried the water bottle and it seems to work on my older dog, but my puppy begs for more sprays by staring us down in his "sit" position. Any advice or is that something we should just get used to?

[Cherri]

Yes, between our two kids rowdiness and my two dogs rough play, it sounds a bit like a zoo in our home!!!

[Lynne B]

reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior, that's the basis of all dog training. No need to pull their neck or squirt water on them. They are probably playing more inside because you pay attention to it, dog's will do alot for attention, even if it's negative attention that they are getting.

[Adina P]

My opinion is that it is YOUR house and you get to decide the rules of indoor behavior. I feel the same as you about rowdy indoor play: not a fan of it. For one my house isn't huge and even our biggest open are is somewhat cramped when 2 big dogs start bouncing, wrestling, kangaroo kicking each other.

Can't say that I've been able to prevent this from starting between them...but in a loud firm voice I can usually stop it. Water bottle works too...but typically I direct my commands to Rosco who gets told to sit or down-stay. The stay is not punishment..it's just something he can obey that is incompatible with wrestling. He's more the instigator so if he's still...then Thule won't try to start anything.

Rosco is my biggest and youngest labradoodle (out of 2) and when he was a pup I simply crated him when I'd had enough. Again it doesn't have to be punishment...it's just a 'let's chill out zone'. It seems that dogs, just like kids, can get too hyped up and benefit from nap time or cool off time.

And sometimes if it seems my two really want to burn off energy I just shoo them outside and they can continue there. Funny, though, once they are outside they tend to just stand around cuz they've lost their audience :)

So really it is up to you to allow/not allow indoor wrestlemania. Dogs don't have to play every second they want to. With training the pup will be able to obey a down-stay to break him from wrestling. In the meantime...use that crate, send 'em outside, or tether pup to you to give him some cool off time.

[GBK]

Too rough play get's a time out. In the crate for a break, sit stay at your side, loss of indoor privileges and they both go outside. They will get the picture...... Mine don't go too crazy inside and I do love to watch them play, but outside Buddy can sometimes get jealous and bark at Kona and whoever she is nicely playing with or gang up on her with her playmate. He get's a couple minutes sit stay at my side, and he is good to go again playing nicely, and this is at the dogpark. I also don't thing you need to pull on him, all fun stopping is a big incentive to behave.

[Cherri]

These sound very good in putting him in a time-out or cool-off time. I am going to try this and let him go at it again. The reason we are tugging on the skin on the back of the neck is because he throws a huge temper tantrum and literally almost bit through my hand the other night. He does this when we take away something he has he shouldn't or if he is playing and does not want to quit. It is the only way we can get him calmed down enough to put him in his crate. I had read that it similates a mother redirecting its puppy, but if it is you think that is a negative thing than I better stop. We just don't know how to get him calmed down enough, redirect him, without him dominating the situation with his fits and biting and growling at us.

It is so funny that Adina mentioned that they stop wrestling when there is no audience because once I put them outside without us it is like someone shot them with a tranquilizer! I am more worried about his aggressiveness that comes with the fighting because he is so sweet and cuddly otherwise. I am hoping things will get better once we have him in more structured obedience and he does learn the commands.

[GBK]

A short leash might get tangled as they play, but they do have collars that are pretty cheap that have the "handle" that stretches. This way you can grab him by the collar instead of the skin, even a flat collar will work as you will hold it from behind his head. I know for my boy, the rougher I am with him, the worse he gets with me, that energy seems to feed off of each of us .
They are so smart, you might also want to say something like, "that's it, in your crate" and I bet pretty soon he instantly stops and behaves as he associates what you are saying to the time out he is about to get. The more obedience you do with him the better dog he will be, he will learn the boundaries and that you mean calm business when he misbehaves. When Buddy get's riled with my hubby, (who let's him get away with murder) all I have to say is "get in that crate" and in he goes! That does remind me that all adults in the house should be on board and treat him the same way, otherwise he will get to a point where he will listen to the strict one and totally ignore the other (my situation) Good luck Cherri and keep us posted!

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

Sorry I have to laugh too and of course cry. I have 2 doodle that do the same thing. No small children to get hurt but sometimes they just don't stop, if I put them out in the yard then they just sit quite on the porch. Go figure...