Extinction Burst

[JMFS]

Caught this one yesterday.  Esther's (yellow pup) normally very quiet, but here she's having quite the tantrum.  Seconds after this she walked off and took a nap with that fast puppy breathing that sets new pet parents on edge.

 

[Adrienne]

Lovely jaw sparring... a dog's favorite way to play when feeling too tired to wrestle, but are still a bit in the 'mood.' Gertie seems OK with it, but at the very end seems like she got more serious to get pesky pupster to stop, I can't really see her facial expression, but it seems like that. Looks like the pup got the message and left.

I would, just as an extra precaution, keep a watchful eye on Gertie just in case she is giving signals of wanting to be left alone at times and new puppy not understanding/respecting them. A quick redirect and sending the pup to her own area to nap can prevent older dogs from feeling like "oh boy, I can't keep up with this pup and really would like to take a nap" which depending on the dog, may eventually turn into a more serious "don't come near my sleeping space or else...." 

 

[JMFS]

Agreed!  Gertie is far more tolerant than most, but even she has a limit.  I think.  Momo never found it, though he tried.  Esther was playing on top of Gertie today with a toy, got tired of the toy, left it on top of Gertie, moved to her own bed and took a nap.  Gertie never budged.  I only wish I could be so relaxed! 

I often can't see Gertie's face, and it's tough to see her expression because she's so dark in addition to me keeping the lights low to avoid migraines, but she at least gives definitive body language.  With Mo she would flatten herself down in the grass and tuck her tail to signal, "enough!"  He would try a couple nips to the ears or scruff and sometimes she'd get up, but most times she was content to stay there.  Until Esther learns that signal I'll be there to intervene.  Plus, they're so entertaining I can't help but to watch.

Yes, Esther got the idea.  18 seconds later when she couldn't entice Gertie to play any more she got up and went to her bed.  I'm taking that as a good sign!

[JMFS]

Keeping what you said in mind I got this one on camera.  I stopped the video to redirect Esther because Gertie seemed to have had enough.  I like how Gerts checks Esther's paws as though to ensure they're clean.  I know I'm projecting, lol, but that's what went through my head at the time.

Poor Abbi is behind that wall of "junk."  Her gate should be arriving Thursday, though that storage container makes a good out of the way spot for the water.  Until Esther can control her bladder better (a few more accidents have happened when I was less vigilant) she gets metered amounts.  Going by .5 - 1 oz per lb that's 16 - 32 oz per day and she gets 4 oz each outing with an outing every hour or less which I think should be penty of water (it's hot out so I figure she'll need closer to the 32 than not).

[Adrienne]

Looks like Esther is enjoying the game of "let me pester Gertie, when she's on her mat!" Most of the play here seems like Esther playing "bity monster" while Gertie has to dodge her. 

I can see she decided to finally leave, good that she had enough room to leave rather than being stuck. I think it might not be a coincidence that she left right when the pup had to lick. The lick may also not necessarily be a true need to lick, but can be just a pause (good play has pauses, the "pause that refreshes") or a displacement behavior, where the pup may have wanted to do something (like play more) but is suppressing the urge and redirects to licking. Of course, until dogs can talk, these are just assumptions.

When 'Saint Gertie' gets up to leave, pup of course is not happy and is trying to follow her around for more play. 

I am glad you intervened as these youngsters have so much energy. Draining some of the energy through walks, brain games and training in a separated area can help drain some of that, although trying to engage older dogs remains always a favorite past time. 

When in doubt whether Gertie is having a good time or is trying to say she had enough, it often helps to do what's known as a "Play consent test." Simply, the puppy is removed from the area (called away, or a leash tab is used to remove from the space) and one would watch how Gertie reacts. If Gertie acts as if she feels relief, the puppy was likely too much for her. If Gertie gets up to look for her new friend, then she was having a good time and wants the play to continue. 

In good plays we like to see role reversals and pauses. For example, the playful chaser shifts soon into being the one chased, the playful biter shifts into the one being bitten, dogs on top end up being on the bottom and so forth. Brief pauses help dogs think about the next move, longer pauses are just a way to reset and it's good if the other dog pauses as well. 

It's always good to step in if things may seem like getting too much. From a human perspective, we may love having people around, like even our family members but most of us may struggle if our friends or spouses would be bombarding us being in our face and invading our personal space the moment we come home from work and decide to sit down and relax a bit. Some dogs are very tolerant and will even tolerate for quite some time, but will eventually give those "I have had enough signals" unless a human sees it prior and intervenes. Puppies may not be very adept in understanding these signals and sometimes fights may break out this way. 

Of course, this may not be the case, but it's not a bad idea having pup redirected to a separated place where she can chew something when Gertie decides to go to her mat to relax. 

I am personally not a fan of metering water in pups during the day. I know there are many online general guidelines on how much water a dog needs in a day, but I feel there are too many variables like how much the pup plays, how dry the air is, indoor/outdoor temperature, stress, diet fed, etc.  Some vets though based on the pups 'health, may advise to remove water at a certain time in the evening to reduce night-ime accidents, but I suggest checking with a vet first. 

[JMFS]

I appreciate having your input because I'm going on instinct, what I've learned, logic, and winging it.  :)  I've been putting Esther in her crate with her Kong for about an hour each afternoon to give Gertie, and myself, a rest as well as to get her used to the idea that the crate is a place of relaxation and yummy tidings.  An hour is an arbitrary time I came up with based loosely on how long it takes to finish the Kong.

I do adjust the water based on how much they play and how hot it is.  Today it was 65º so it was an easy water day.  Yesterday it was 89º so she got quite a bit more.  I also factor in how much *I'm* drinking because humidity, or lack of, can affect thirst and need.  I'm thinking by the end of this weekend she'll have a good idea of where to go and we can be more willy nilly with water.  The last two days the accidents have been by the door on the puppy pads so I think she's catching on.  It's also only been pee so it's nice she has good bowel control - I feel like I won the lottery in that regard!  I have an appointment for her free vet visual Monday - no one had an appointment available within the 5-day time frame the shelter wanted.  I've been journaling the water / potty / sleep information so I'll be a font of information for him.  :)

They do tend to swap quite a bit except for chase - Gertie is simply too fast to be chased.  She's used to Momo speed not chubby, clumsy puppy legs.  They did a beautiful game of chase tonight and it was so much fun to watch.

From my human perspective, I need a Lot of recharging time after human interaction.  I'd rather hang out with the dogs!  For that reason I like the play contest test idea.  I may be projecting my own introversion onto their play, and I'm protective of Gertie, so I shall give this test a try.  Gertie has Gobs of patience and so can be difficult to read.  This test may be a powerful tool in my arsenal in ensuring peace!