Some trainers advocate this and I know most here do not support this view of dog training.  I don't do it, at least I don't think I do.  But puppy-boy, who will be six months next week, and I play wrestle on the floor sometimes.  I tickle his tummy, shake his legs, tweak his toes, blow in his ear (he'll follow me anywhere, LOL), hug him and yes, grab his head and shake it.  I believe he knows it is play.  He doesn't bite but he will start to mouth and then I examine his nice, new, big white teeth, all the while exclaiming what nice "toofs" he has.  The OH thinks I am too rough with him sometimes.  Does it sound as if I am inadvertently giving all the bad signals associated with pinning?

Hi JJ,

well if you are I am too :-D :-D :-D  I think our dogs, whatever age, have the sense to know the difference between playful rough housing and us "pinning" them :)  I always play on the floor with mine - sometimes they'll roll over onto their backs other times they're pretty much pinning me down LOL.  Just fun!

regards, Teri

I do this too. My girl loves it, she gets really excited, and so do all the pups when they come to stay/visit.

They absolutely know it is play, have good bite inhibition, so if they do mouth me there is no pressure, (they only mouth if invited to do so!) and they all stop instantly when I ask them too, so I really can't see anything but benefits to it.

Don't know about your dogs, but this is how mine play, especially as youngsters :)  when they're not playing tug or chasing about.   They love it when we do it too, their favourite game is when OH gets on the floor and curls up, they spend ages trying to uncurl him and get underneath him, giving him a good earwashing at the same time :-D

Ours have brilliant bite inhibition too and I can't help thinking that all the messing around helps to keep it that way :)

We call it 'doing the mess around'

I play the same but that is totally different to "pinning a puppy down" that in my eyes is when you force a dog into a down position and use extreme force to keep it there, like a certain well know celebrity dog trainer seems to enjoy.  This I would never do and is totally different to what you are explaining.

nothing strange about this play form, we've always done it... the dogs wrestle each other and it teaches gentleness and manners i think. we do get pretty rough sometimes playing with the bullies but thats cause they like it, lol roughty toughty beasts, i usually walk away with a few bumps! lol since big boy is moving in with the bf and i  i was teaching bf how to do this kind of play, what kind of moves the breed uses (mostly head bashes and shoulder pushes etc, not a mouthy breed), they ended up wrapped round each other having a massive exhausted cuddle (so sweet!)

definitely not to be pinned though! thats just asking for an injury with my lot- not a bite but they would freak out i think and cause some bumps trying to get up. i just don't see the need.

Our girl loves this sort of on the floor play :)