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Playing With Each Other

We've only had our Aussies a few days. When we let them off their leashes outside, sometimes they get really wound up running around, and look almost as if they're fighting: growling, female jumping into the male - is this normal?

Comments for Playing With Each Other

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Mine do the same
by: Anonymous

That's exactly what my two do. They chase each other and when they crash they roll over three or four times. I am always afraid they are going to hurt each other. They pull each others fur while wrestling roughly.

Playing with each other
by: Nonnie

Ours do the same. We have two half-sisters - one toy brown-eyed black tri 8 months, one mini blue-eyed blue merle 8 1/2 months. The toy is 14 lbs and the mini is 24 lbs. Maggie, the tri is about half the size of Bailee, the blue merle. But she can hold her own!! They play together a lot and sometimes get fairly rough.

Rough Play
by: Anonymous

My boy is about 18 months old, and 62lbs. He loves to wrestle with other dogs, and one of his favorite things is to chest tackle. He's as good natured as can be around dogs, people, and children, but he loves to rough house. We stopped taking him to the dog park a long time ago because people would get upset with his rough play. He's a dog, what do they want....anyways, he has a couple of dogs he plays with in the neighborhood, and it's a riot to see him herd, cutoff, and tackle the other dogs, but it is totally normal play for most dogs and especially Aussies.

Aussies like to rough house!
by: Anonymous

I have a 60 pound 2 year old femal black tri and she also wields a wicked chest tackle. I have seen her roll much larger dogs, all in good fun. But there is no agression in it, she is playing and herding. I have also heard a few complaints at the dog park but I keep going. If you don't want your dog to rough house then don't take them to the dog park!! The dog park is not a place for you to socialize and relax while your dog lays in the sun. Dog parks are areas for your dog to socialize, excercise and play. Nothing gets me more aggrivated when someone who knows absolutly nothing about dogs tries telling me I have an aggressive dog because she likes to rough house and tackle at the dog park. That's how dogs play people!! She doesn't bite or lay her ears flat and take aggressive stances. How do others here deal with these "types" at the dog parks?

Different Play Styles
by: Anonymous

"These types" at the dog parks are likely people who own dogs that have different play styles than full-throttle tackle rollerderby. My aussie gsd mix female can rumble with the big boys, but her play style is too much for senior, smaller dogs and other gentle or fragile play-ers.
Instead of sniffing down your nose at others who don't conform to your singular way of play, try reading Play With Your Dog, a thin well-written book that is perfect for better understanding how dogs play, and how we can better understand and manage the playtime so everyone (humans and dogs) can have a good time.
Just like people, dogs run the gamut from solitary and gentle to team-play bruisers. There needs to be respect and appreciation for all types.

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