I have just got two 8 week old cocker spaniels. They have been so good, however, I would like some advice on their playfighting with one another. I realise that this is just them practising their skills and sorting out their position in the pack but is it something I should be trying to put a stop to as they get older or just leave them to it and eventually it will die down a bit? I don't want them thinking that they can go and play-fight with any dog they meet, once they are old enough to go out walking on the lead. Apart from that they have been great - hard work but good fun with it. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Elaine

Hi Elaine

A lot of breeders will not sell 2 littermates together to the same home because of the possibility that normal playfighting can become more serious as they get older & also because of the sheer hard work that training 2 pups involve! However, as long as you're prepared for this, 2 sisters together can work out very well. I would not suggest you stop the playfighting - this is perfectly normal & is how young pups learn bite inhibition & how to interact with other dogs (even though it sometimes sounds quite ferocious doesn't it?) I would suggest that you don't allow your pups to spend all their time together as there is a risk that they will bond more with each other than with you - it's a good idea as they get older to take them out separately sometimes & also to do separate training sessions with them. Taking them out separately will also help prevent your pups becoming over-dependent on each other, specially if you have one that is a stronger character than the other (I have seen pups behave very timidly if they are temporarily separated from a litter mate they normally spend all their time with - they are used to relying on the litter mate too much & have never developed their own confidence).

Good luck!

Jane

Hi Elaine

You are very brave to get two pups together. I presume they are litter siblings? You are going to have to watch that you don't allow the bond they already have to continue to be stronger than the bond they should have with you. It's why most breeders won't sell siblings together, but encourage you to wait until one is adult and then get another. The risk as that the pups don't recognize you as the boss or that they actually need you. However as you now have your two - you'll need to deal with them carefully.

They will play fight - it is important that's how they learn what to do - but you are right to have to watch that they don't see that as the acceptable way to deal with all dogs. Try to see if there are any puppy socialisation classes in your area. That will help. If they only see each other they will not know what to do with other dogs and could put themselves at risk of injury or possibly being scared if an unknown dog doesn't like their approach and retaliates. If you socialize them well tho - you'll be OK.

You need to spend time with each pup on it's own. Although they are too young to go out for walks as yet - do take them out on their own but carry them, until their vac's are completed. Expose them to as many people/animals as you can both as individulals and as a pair. It might also help to feed them seperately.

Do go back to the breeder for advice too. If they are so young, they should expect you to need help and advice and be willing to give it.

Good Luck - I have two Cockers and they are the best. You'll have your hands full but it will be very rewarding. :)

Pam n the boys

Just a word about puppy socialisation classes, they are a fantastic idea and so helpful to owners, but the trouble is that they can sometimes cause more trouble than they should.....many vet practices for example are letting their nurses take on puppy socialisation classes, fantastic for getting pups used to the surgery and its strange smells, but all to often the pups are allowed to run riot.

This can lead to either the pups believing that the owners are to be ignored when there are other pups around, and can lead to lots of problems with recalls etc at a later date, or the other problem is that sssometimes pups will be ganged up on and will learn to retaliate seriously to defend their space, and i have seen this happen; this may then be how the dog learns to respond to other dogs for the rest of its life. For the most part pups off lead are ideally supervised carefully and there is owner input, not just a free for all for an hour!!!

I had to take my pup to a free for all type at a vet surgery and I carefully monitored what was happening, and luckily all the pups were very evenly matched except one little pup whose onwers kept picking it up and soothing it when it got snappy......by the end of the 3rd week it was a snappy little thing, then we had the surgery behaviourist in and she explained to the owners how to react and there was a bit of an improvement the following week.

If they are well run though, they are great for pups and owners alike. The main topic of jconversation whilst i was there was.."How the heck do you stop them play biting?!We've tried everything..." All of us with our mad bitey puppies crawled out of the woodwork, it was really funny :)

I completely agree with Lindsay that folks should be careful when enrolling for puppy socialisation classes as this can sometimes simply mean , one big free-for-all, which simply teaches puppies to be over-excited and to ignore their owners. Puppies should not simply be allowed to be all let of the lead at once, but it should be done in two's or threes with carfully matched puppies - this is an art in itself.

In my opinion, the same goes for adult dogs in the park, where owners think it's ok for dogs who don't know eachother to have one big free-for-all - I hate it when I have to control my puppy while other people are allowing their dogs to run amok around me, while they ignore them and have a good old chinwag. I've had dogs trying to hump my collie ( who was not in season ! ), snarling dogs, - one boxer snapping at the back of my puppys legs......I just don't think it's fair - if I see someone with their dog on a lead, I assume there is a reason for this ( it's not up to me to make judgements on why ), but I feel it is my responsibility to get my dog on the lead and not let it intefere with the other dog. Likewise, I am more than happy for my dogs to play and interract with other dogs - but I do like it to be reasonably controlled and preferably with dogs which have had time to meet on the lead first. I don't want my puppy making decisions about whether she might bite, chase or run away from a strange dog, and being able to do any of these things while she is out of my reach - therefore I have always kept her on the lead in the vicinity of all the neighbours mad dogs ! This is paying off as now she is focused on her ball and will go on that if I see another dog...she will also sit stay off the lead as other dogs pass. People who let their dogs run riot has meant that I feel I have to wait until they have all left the fields before I can walk my own dogs.

Does anyone else have problems like this, especially whilst walking multiple dogs? I am still more or less walking my three in relays, because I need to have double the control over my lot as everyone else seems to have nil control over theirs !

Norm,
I have to agree about some people when out for a walk.
I was walking my Boxers (off-lead) out fairly early in the morning, I had my baby Boxer of 7 months out and my oldie who was 7yrs. A woman was walking off-lead 2 blue merle Border Collies in the distance I spotted that there could be trouble as one of the collies was advancing towards my two (who were unaware at this point) in a very agressive manner. Luckily I managed to get my pup on the lead but just as I was putting my oldie on the lead the collie came in and proceeded to try and bite puppy, and went
for my oldie biting her on the chin, as she tried to put herself between the puppy and the collie. The woman was so rude (no apology offered etc) and made no effort to try and put her dogs on lead when challenged she said it's 50/50 and walked off, her dogs still not on their leads. Which made me so angry, as she'd probably had experience of her dogs going for others, hence the 50/50 comment. (When talking to the local bobby, he said if mine were on leads I had every right to make a complaint about this woman, sadly as I didn't have the oldie on the lead in time I couldn't)
I don't blame specific breeds, just their owners who have no consideration
for other dog owners. Luckily we have a friend who has a Border C, and we
introduced my puppy to her to show that not all dogs of the same breed are like it. But it makes me wary of letting my dogs off to run around, I always like to check that there are no dogs running loose first etc. If I see another dog in the distance I always put mine on their leads as you never know. If there are dogs already on the park I just walk mine on leads.
Best Wishes
Kirstine

I Hate to put the cat amongst the pigeons BUT we have 9yr old litter sisters who still play fight!!
We have 6 dogs 3 lots of litter sisters ranging from 9yrs, 4yr and 1yr and they all play fight with their litter sister.

Longdog