Hey everyone

Just a quick question if its OK :)

We have had our new puppy for 2 weeks now and he has gotten on so well with our 2 1/2 year old bitch.

Sometimes he can get quite nippy with her which she tolerates unless he nips too hard, the only thing we have a slight problem with is toys.
If Mitz gets her toy and starts to chew it happily, Turbo will go over and take it off her, Mitz being pretty libral will let him have it and choose another toy, Turbo will drop the toy he took off her previously and then try and take this one as well!! He doesnt even do it to chew sometimes, just to annoy her Im sure lol :-D
Should we intervene and stop him from taking every toy she tries to play with? Or let her sort it and get it back if she wants too? As toys to cause some mad moments sometimes, should we take them all up from time to time?
As their both staffs they do a little growling but if they have a game of tug together Mitz is so gentle with him.

The main thing is we dont want to take away Mitzs power so she feels like the puppy can walk all over her and she is a submissoive dog by nature anyway when outside with other mutts, does all this sond normal? Should we leave her to let him have her toys if shes happy to let them go?

Also he jumps on her and mouths (not bites or nips but mouths) all her scruff, neck and ears etc and she just lays there and takes it! If he nips a little hard she will jump up, is this normal as well that she is just sooo laid back with him and lets him sometimes take the michael?

Edited to add - Sometimes he will run over to her and just nip her for no reason! Why does he do it does anyone have any ideas as its so cheeky and often starts them having a mad moment which we dont want indoors! He is such a cheeky bugger but we love him so much :)

I would say it is pretty normal.

Our bitch is extremely tolerant, and her puppies exhibited all the behaviours you have mentioned, but also tugging hard on her tail, and she put up with unbelievable 'torture' from them. Now we have bought in a pup, now 14 weeks old, and she displays the same behaviours with both the older bitches. They are both extremely tolerant and will put up with most things, including her stealing their bones/toys etc. Puppy will really bark and get cross with them if they have something she wants and can seem very big for her boots!

BUT, a couple of times she must have crossed the line, as our adult bitch has told her off once or twice. The older girl felt she shouldn't really be telling pup off, I think, so I just reassured her she was allowed to correct her, and all seems well. Now I know pup will get corrected if the older girls feel she is out of line, I let them get on with it.

I think it is natural for older bitches to be rather accepting of silly puppy behaviour.

Thank you Jackson :)

Its good to know she is doing the right thing!
She does taunt him as well and entices him to chase her with a toy he wants sometimes so I suppose they are even in a way and she does get herself nipped sometimes by putting her face right next to his when he's chewing lol.
We are very careful who we tell off when things get a little crazy as well which I hope helps, I dont want the good one being told off for the others naughtyness.

She is a lovely girl and with puppies out on walks she displays the same gentle behaviour.
She has told him off a couple of times with her ball which he tried to nick and pinched her right on the chop lol He quickly learnt and left her alone so as long as she is telling him off when she needs to its all ok yeah?

We are starting his puppy classes on 16th June so he will learn he isnt the only puppy in the world soon lol :)

thank god its not just me who has this problem my two staffs are exactly the same bailey always steals things off kacey toys/food/balls/sticks lol and kacey just lets her have it she is a really placid dog but on the walks is a nightmare bailey spends all her time trying to get the stick kacey has and kacey has to spend all her time making sure bailey dont get it i think staffs especially puppies are really really competitive with each other or it may just be mine lol
but yeah once or twice kacey has snapped at bailey and she knows she has to leave her alone
pups aye

LOL Seems we are all slaves to the stafford!

You know when staffords have their mad minutes outside IE scarpering round the garden with their butt to the floor lol Do you let them play like that indoors? Our 2 will start getting to that point and we have to stop it, do you have the same thing?

If Mitz gets her toy and starts to chew it happily, Turbo will go over and take it off her, Mitz being pretty libral will let him have it and choose another toy, Turbo will drop the toy he took off her previously and then try and take this one as well!! He doesnt even do it to chew sometimes, just to annoy her Im sure lol

What you have to remember is that dogs and pups think completley differently to us, they don't do things for the same reasons that we would. :-)

The only reason the pup takes Mitz toy is because Mitz likes it so pup thinks........... it must be good, and pups copy what adult dogs do and want to be a part of the gang, so he takes the toy, to be just like her, chews it like he saw her do, but being a pup runs and plays with it too, when she then chooses a different toy, he thinks hold on, maybe this one isn't right I should do what Mitz does so then takes that toy instead.  Adult dogs understand this and understand that the pup is learning from them, not doing it to annoy. :-D

Some adults do get possessive of their toys and will tell a pup no, but most adults understand the pup is learning. If anything it is a complement that he is trusting her judgment on which toys are good to play with.

When pups are taken away from their litter mates they still have their pup instincts and littermates would play fight together, gradually getting more aggressive to test pecking orders etc for when fully grown, and pup can't switch this natural instinct off, so will continue with it's rough play with whatever is infront of it, dog, child or human adult.  You have to re-train that.  Mitz to be honest will be the best at teaching a pup, enough is enough, but will tolerate it for now.

It is all doggy politics and all very natural.

Nothing to worry about Rach. :-)

Carrington I would kiss you if I could! :)

That has explained exactly what we have been pondering, why he seems to never leave her alone and/or her toys!
Mitz sounds to be doing exactly what she should and Im so proud of my girl for being so good with him, must admit I feel sorry for him when she tells him off and he looks so sad he cant have it until shes done, but thats the power of being a puppy with those soppy looks they do lol

From now on, the only time I will intervene their play is when they start chasing each other round the room indoors and valuable stereo equipment is at stake!!! lol :-D

Thanks again Carrington, Im going to print this off and take it home to show my OH :)

If you have children, especially with a  fair age gap, the younger often her worships and follows the older about, hating to be left out of what they are doing, often the older one hates ti.  Same thing.

During this age your puppy has puppy License and the adults will allow an awful lot.  As they get older their attitude will gradually change and the youngsters will be expected to abide by a few rules.

Carrington you had hit the nail on the head there with your post.

My pup loves my eldest boy and he has been brilliant with her, giving her certain boundaries so she knows exactly what is allowed and what isnt.  If they are in the lounge together she watches him insistently and copies him, it is so sweet and absolutely fascinating.

I'd say absolutely new pup is doing exactly what she should be at that age.
The mad rushing around the garden, we call the zoomies :-D

Alf does exactly the same thing with Tess - him being the younger of the two, even now at almost 2 years of age, he still has to take the toy that she is playing with, and then she wanders off to get another one, so then he wants THAT one - all part of the annoying brother act I think! lol

I would say though that it is right to stop them at a certain point when / if you feel it is becoming too boisterous.
I don't do zoomies in the house.
I don't tend to let ball playing happen in the house either - I don't think I'd have a house left!
I'm also pretty wary of the toy 'swapping' business too, as it can become a bit territorial from time to time.

Glad you all agree they are being perfectly normal together :)

We have treats on the table ready so if things do get a little crazy we can get their individual attention with treats and it distracts them from their nutty minutes indoors! Or we just let them out and they run it out lol

Thanks again everyone, Turbo was cleaning Mitzs face and scruff last night, then she fell asleep while he was licking her, it was soooo sweet, think they are starting to really love each other now :)