Is Cooper a bully?

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Okay! Time for my weekly(ish) request for help and guidance. For the most part, Cooper is a super calm and friendly dog that people consistently comment on 'Oh what a nice, sweet boy!'. He has NEVER shown any signs of aggression towards people or even dogs on the street. He doesn't growl at me and has never tried to guard food/toys.

This story changes when we get to the dog park. Cooper has become a bit of a bully and has started playing pretty rough. It started a few weeks back where he would bark a lot to try to get bigger dogs to play with him. Now it's escalated to him jumping, growling and wrestling with the other dogs (and I'm talking a LOT of growling). Some of them play at the same level which seems to be fine (though, I must admit that the growling does make me feel nervous). However, there are some REALLY submissive big dogs at the park that literally roll over when they see him coming and then Cooper thinks he's 'the man' and almost gets even more worked up because I think he's trying to get a reaction from them. It's gotten to the point where the owners of the submissive dogs are like 'Um... does your puppy always play like that?'.

I don't think it's true 'aggressive' behavior as he's definitely not trying to harm the dogs but he's definitely rough and dominant and it often leaves me feeling a bit awful (which I know doesn't help the situation as I'm sure he's reading my energy). When he gets worked up I take him out of play and work on getting him to calm down but it's taking the fun out of the dog park and stresses me out.

I look around at the other dogs his age and they seem so calm and docile and then big bulldozer Cooper (who is now 26 lbs at 14 weeks) comes in and starts his antics.

Is this normal puppy play or should I be concerned? It would break my heart if it got to a point where we couldn't go to the park and socialize with other dogs! Any stories you could share or tips for how I can help manage this would be amazing.

[Dianne Medaris]

Is it in the name?  My Cooper is now 4 years old and like your baby Cooper was a sweet and docile pup until I started at the dog park.  He was a little over a year old when I started going.  He decided that when he had a ball, it was his ball and he growled at every dog, large and small, that tried to invade his space.  Without a ball, he was a doll.  I finally gave up the dog park, because there were always tennis balls there and ONE of them became Cooper's.  I often wonder if he would have been this way had I not taken him to the dog park.  Now we have Cassie who is 5 months old and loves her big brother.  The only problem is the babe cannot have a ball, think about a ball or look at a ball.  Cooper is not possessive of his food, or even me that much.  It is that darn ball thing.  He is still a big lover and quite a character, but do not mess with his ball(s)!!!

 

[Camus]

My former dog was the same way. And I think there is nothing to be ashamed of.

There is a dog at our dog park who stalks us and don't let Camus to play with the ball b/c she thinks that every ball in the park is hers. I am not kidding. She doesn't even let me pick up the ball from the ground. Moreover, she runs after Camus and don't let him drink from the fountain although she doesn't drink herself. The owner usually prefers not to see that, when I ask to call his dog away, he shouts me back: 'her name is Chloe!". 

There is a Rottweiler also, who puts his front paws in the bucket with water so no other dog can drink. :)))) And stays like that. hahaha.

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Ha! Maybe it IS the name. There are a few dogs at the park like your Cooper where the owners have said to me 'I wish I never gave him a ball!'. Cooper isn't possessive over anything at the park, be it a toy or me, he just gets REALLY into his play. It's like he just loses his head and I have to bring him back to earth.

[Bonne Bouche]

Is there any way to give him a good solid one-on-one play with a good dog who you can use to 'teach' proper behavior? BB was never like this, but we let him socialize with VERY early on with our neighbor dog (GSD!) who I think taught him really great play. She was a perfect degree of gentile with him, but still they "roughhoused" plenty. We always stopped it when it escalated into anything we weren't comefortable with.

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

That's a really good idea. I know that getting him socialized was really important to me so he's been playing with other dogs for a while now but perhaps it's a bit too much and I should try to focus on just a couple dogs that he's good with. He does start school on the 26th which will hopefully be good. I just have these fears of him becoming a barking mess in class. He's so sweet and so smart but this is the one area that is really stressing me out!

[Dianne Medaris]

My solution is to have Cooper play with "friends" that he respects and has fun with.  I could not handle the growling over the ball.  After this discussion, I believe I may take all of his round objects and put them away for awhile.  Then perhaps he will be the sweet boy he has always been when he has other toys.  Your Cooper is young enugh Elizabeth that I think you will be able to modify his behaviour.  I think mine is set in his ways, so I shall have to use different measures.  Good luck!!!

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

you are braver than I am, I haven't let Lilly around many dogs, but then copper is over twice what Lilly is. If you haven't already, post this in the training area. I don't know what to tell you.. reminds me of my son that bit everyone when he was two. I had a shirt made that said "Beware this kid bites" but he only bit kids that couldn't read. Noone wanted to play with him at day care. Thank goodness he got over it.Now at 34 he is pretty well adjusted..so there is hope for Cooper:)

[Helen & Kirby]

The problem (and possibly the remedy) is that one day a more aggresive dog will take a stance with your Cooper, and that could get nasty.  Often adult dogs let things go because he is a puppy, but one day he will cross the wrong dog.  Its not to early to learn the words "Go play"  and then also " be gentle."  In puppy class they also show you things to look for, and ways to stop your dog from playing too rough, or have them "check in" with you frequently.  Does someone at your house roughhouse with him, or play tug of war? 

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Thanks, Helen. I really hope that those things get covered in puppy class. I'm also learning to read the body language a lot more too. Yesterday I noticed that, while he was being snarly with his girlfriend 'Maggie' (a sheppadoodle about the same size and similar play styles) both tails were up and wagging. I don't ever play tug of war with him as I was worried it may cause more aggression and I don't roughhouse with him (it's just me and friends play with him but nothing rough). Should I be???? There was one instance at the dog park where an adult golden got possessive over a ball and went after Cooper (chased him and he was crying until he ran to me). I felt AWFUL and made sure that I calmed him down and comforted him but he got right back into playing with other dogs. I wonder if this triggered something. I have the trainer that teaches the dog class that he'll be starting coming tonight so I'm going to see what she has to say. Thanks for the tips everyone.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Hi Elizabeth, Cooper would love playing with Sophie. She is really rambunctious and bouncy and nothing seems to phase her. She has a friend named Kaz who is a total toy guarder and his growling and barking and threataning behaviour doesn't phase her one bit. She'd be a good match for Cooper I think. Everyone comments on how tough she is. I can't wait to schedule a play date. I really want to meet this cute guy!