(playfully) biting other dogs

[R AJODHIA]

Hello,

 

I've got a 1.5 year old german shepperd. While playing with other dogs, she has the tendency to bite them in the neck. Not to a degree that the other dog is in pain, I assume it's just playfully. It only happened a few times, where the other dog yelps, but not to a point that they stop playing with each other. I however understand that some owners don't like it, and was wondering if there's anything I can do. It's a bit hard to interfere when she's playing with other dogs.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums!

If the other dog yelps, she's likely being too rough with her teeth, however, if the other dog keeps playing after the yelp, there won't be much teaching going on for your German shepherd. 

If we look at young puppies when they are still in the litter with their siblings, the most effective type of feedback for when a puppy nips too hard, is that the other puppy yelps and stops playing. In older dogs, they may yelp and even get angry. When dogs yelp and continue to play instead, they are telling your dog all is good and this ends up reinforcing your dog's rough play. However, maybe there is something going on that we may not see?

For example, can it be that, when the other dog yelps, your dog softens the bite or let's go? Let's imagine two kids playing, one kid tugs on another kid's hair, and the kids says "ouch, that hurts!" so the rough child lets go of the hair and then all is good again. 

In these cases, what can help at times is involving an older dog who likes to play and who can act as a "teacher dog" to let your dog know in a clear, not harmful way that this rough biting is not OK, however, these dogs aren't easy to come by. Some dog trainers may have access to them. These dogs are very good in communicating, but always using ritualistic displays ( by using vocalizations, showing teeth, delivering timeouts). However, we don't know how your dog may react to this, while the older dog may be capable of defusing the situation, there is always a risk for a fight, so I am not a big fan of this approach. 

You are right that's it's difficult to interfere when dogs are playing with other dogs. Arousal level are high when dogs play and it's not easy to grab their attention. It may be worth teaching an interrupting cue at a fluent level such as an "off!" or a whistle, or smacking sound, starting in a quiet area of the home, then in the yard and then gradually adding distractions such as the presence of another dog and then in low-arousal play before asking it in aroused play. It's important to generously reward responsiveness because you'll be competing over highly aroused states. Great care is needed to maintain this cue's evocative properties, and if it doesn't work in a play context, the cue risks weakening and eventually losing its evocative power. 

Another option is calling your dogs to give them a break before  play escalates and reaches a too aroused state. Many times, rough biting starts when dog play is reaching a too aroused level. As dogs get more and more aroused, they lose their bite inhibition, so preventing them from reaching this boiling point can be helpful. 

I would be watchful over this behavior, because should a dog decide to correct your dog for being rough, this can turn into a nasty fight. At 1.5 your dog is at the social maturity stage, a time when they may start bullying other dogs and not back off from a challenge. Dog fights, in dogs frequenting dog parks for some time, often start around this stage. 

[R AJODHIA]

Thank you for your reply,

 

There's one older German Shepherd (he's more dominant) she plays with sometimes, who put's her in her place by barking, sometimes the older dog doesn't have interest in her at all. She doesn't bite him at all during play. With other dogs (usually more submissive or younger) however she likes to play a bit rough.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

This male GSD sounds like a potentially good teacher dog, as long as your dog doesn't appear too emotionally impacted by his corrections and she accepts the "lectures" without trying to fight back. As with children, sometimes it helps moving some children to a class with older well-mannered children so they learn to practice less rowdy behaviors. It's important to always monitor the interactions to ensure they stay positive and controlled with both parties having fun. His lack of interest may be his way of showing her that he is in control of when and how play happens or he may be giving her some cutoff signals. 

If there is ever doubt over whether a dog is being bullied, removing the dog from the area can provide some insights on the dog's emotional state. If the dog appears relieved, the interaction was just too much, if the dog gives sign of readily wanting to return to play, most likely the dog was actually having a good time. 

It's important to have a stead fast response to cues when dogs engage in play so as to prevent/redirect any behaviors that may escalate or turn problematic. Active supervision is always paramount.