Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
A forum for owners of the Siberian Husky.
Congratulations Nikita, Archer, and Cheyanne!, our November HOTM winners! HOTM Will Be Taking An Indefinite Break!
Husky of the Month
Congrats Nikita, Archer, and Cheyanne, our November HOTM Winners! Husky Cuddles!
Thanks to all for this month's entries!
Forum Rules
1. Here we prefer clarity to agreement. Obviously not everyone is going to agree on a topic; here we prefer to talk out our differences in a respectful manner to ensure mutual understanding and respect. 2. Read the Stickies and Announcements. Each sub-forum may have specific rules which trump the Forum Rules in cases where there may be conflicting information. Read the rules of each board before you post so that you are clear on the expectations of the staff. 3. Respect ALL Staff and Admins. These people volunteer of their time and MUST be respected as well as their word adhered to. They are responsible for maintaining a free, open, clear and organized forum. Anyone found to be openly undermining any official ruling by a staff member will be warned. 4. Signatures: One picture only and no links. Images: To keep the forum looking neat and tidy, we ask that members insert just one picture only in their signatures. The picture should be no more than 200x500 pixels and should be of an appropriate subject, for example, your dogs and their names. Should you need assistance creating an appropriate signature, please PM an Admin and we would be happy to help! This is to ensure that signatures remain a welcome addition to our forum instead of a cumbersome distraction. Links: Hyperlinks in signatures--unless to a personal blog or photo stream of your dogs (like Flckr or Piscasa, for example)--are strictly prohibited. Please PM a staff member with any questions or concerns regarding this rule.
Subject: Are these bad play manners? Sun Sep 15, 2013 4:16 am
Hi everyone, I am having a bit of uncertainty regarding Caper's play manners with other dogs.
This video most closely resembles how he "plays": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUTyatIK9Gs
When another dog doing the same thing he is meets him (very rare), they seem to play beautifully like the video. But mostly he just looks like an obnoxious dog who just scares everybody by jumping on them, biting their face and legs and trying to flip them over!
Today he pounced on a dog at the dog park and a woman immediately grabbed it and left. As she crossed the gate said to me "I want her to learn better play manners!!"
Caper's been going to daycare 1-2x/wk and dog park 2-3x/wk for over a month now and although I've noticed improvements with him letting up when a dog yelps, he is still "rude" and persistent and rough in play! Don't know if this is normal or when I should step in. Day care staff at both of the locations we send him to say that his play manners are great. Are other dog owners just crazy?? And most of all, can you modify a dog's play manners?
TartokTikaani94 Puppy
Join date : 2013-07-05 Location : New Castle, Delaware
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:29 am
I don't see it harmful or ''rude''. I meet so many folk at dog parks that just don't like huskies! I went to the Middletown dog park (Charles Price Memorial Park) and the minute I stepped in like five different family's all started saying "oh look, a **** husky" or "lets leave, I don't want him playing with those kind" and took the dogs and left along with a bunch of other rude stuff that I tried to forget. My dog wasn't even playing with anyone, just walking down the fence and folk had to be rude.
So the way I see it is, if you take your dog to the dog parks or anything, be prepared for rude comments and stuff. As long as hes not really hurting anyone I would say its safe cause it looks like normal husky play to me. Folk seem to dislike huskies fearing they are like monster dogs or something lol.
Rocio_Caballero Senior
Join date : 2012-06-19 Location : Las Vegas
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:04 pm
I think this is pretty normal as well. Huskies do tend to play a lot rougher than other dogs. It all just depends on which dogs can handle it and which can't. As well as the owners.
Lycus is BIG and a husky so you can imagine how many people get scared with him, even though he isn't actually harming anyone.
Then there are some dogs that just plain don't like certain type of dogs. I know there is an older dog at the dog park and the girl told me he usually doesn't really like huskies and it definitely showed. Lycus would just run by and he would snarl at him but not at any other dog. The girl didn't mind though. She's known Lycus since he was a pup and knows how he plays.
NewComer Puppy
Join date : 2013-06-10 Location : California
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Sun Sep 15, 2013 2:50 pm
Yes!! There is so much prejudice against huskies everywhere we go! lol it's a bit unfair because Caper never snarls or snaps at anybody, lets other dogs get up when he's flipped them over, doesn't resource guard, has a soft mouth.. he was playing with a 6 month old lab puppy that same day and didn't cause her to yip once. Some owners just let their preconceptions get in the way. I always have to preface every meeting with "if you feel uncomfortable with the way he's playing with your dog, let me know". Kind of embarrassing and frustrating that people assume he's a monster even though he's more solidly trained than >90% of the dogs we meet there (we live in an area where people don't train their dogs well... ugh. or is that true of any place?)
laura56083 Teenager
Join date : 2013-01-17 Location : Massachusetts
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:05 pm
I agree with the above! My pups play the EXACT same way together and they sound like their killing each other lol. When they are playing with other breeds sometimes I remind them to be easy as like all huskies can get pretty rough when playing and not every dog likes to play the same way. The only time I step in is if one is yelping and the other hasn't let go.
SiberianAnubis Adult
Join date : 2010-11-09 Location : Stuttgart, Germany
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Mon Sep 16, 2013 6:39 am
That is typical Husky play style. I would akis the other owner if his or her dog can go the rough way, if not or they are uncertain there should be no play time, because it can end up in a fight when the other dog gets scared or gets pissed.
wpskier222 Senior
Join date : 2013-02-11 Location : NYC
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Mon Sep 16, 2013 2:08 pm
Yeah, its typical of how huskies play with each other. Dizzy has a really intense play growl that he does pretty much all the time when he plays and it scares people. They don't realize he's just talking, and its not a for real growl. I do notice that when he plays with huskies, his intensity level raises with other dogs for a few days after. He was much more intense yesterday after a husky play date on Saturday.
MelissaI Senior
Join date : 2010-10-01 Location : Miami,FL
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Mon Sep 16, 2013 3:38 pm
Yep, it's normal for them, you should see mine, they're nuts! BUT I do find myself going after Kody and Asia (Mya doesn't go to the dog park) because they're playing too rough with a dog who doesn't want to play like them. They're not hurting the dog, but I can see how they're a little pushy. Then the rest of the husky gang come and gang up on the dog...lol. One finds a submissive target dog and the rest of the pack come and join in I have to laugh about it.
CaliaKisses Puppy
Join date : 2011-12-26 Location : Suffolk County, NY
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:09 pm
Defining rude behavior really depends on the feelings of both dogs involved, does he respect when a dog doesn't want to play or just continues to pester them? If both dogs are fine with the play and it doesn't escalate to a fight, then it's not rude.
I've noticed that a lot of people aren't used to dogs wrestling, and often misinterpret it as fighting. When we used to go to the dog park, countless people would try to break up the play between my shiba and husky, thinking that the husky was attacking the shiba. Some would even break up well mannered play thinking that their dog was being vicious or rude, when actually both dogs were having fun.
Here's an interesting video listing behaviors that are given during normal dog play:
NewComer Puppy
Join date : 2013-06-10 Location : California
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Tue Sep 17, 2013 8:40 am
wpskier222 wrote:
I do notice that when he plays with huskies, his intensity level raises with other dogs for a few days after. He was much more intense yesterday after a husky play date on Saturday.
Interesting that you point this out! We stared going to a new daycare the past couple of weeks where they group dogs according to play style and size. Caper gets grouped in the "big actives" which is the biggest roughest group there. I started noticing that he started growling, nipping dogs' legs, pulling their legs out from under, and being much rougher and unyielding at the dog park. So one of my theories is that ironically, in an effort to make play more harmonious at the day care, they end up making rough players even rougher and more inflexible by sorting them so that their only playmates are dogs with that single play style. When we go to our original day care, he gets exposed to all play styles and seems to learn to be respectful of everybody.
Caliakisses wrote:
Defining rude behavior really depends on the feelings of both dogs involved, does he respect when a dog doesn't want to play or just continues to pester them? If both dogs are fine with the play and it doesn't escalate to a fight, then it's not rude.
Great video! He used to be more respectful, but just during the last couple of weeks I noticed that he is becoming somewhat of a butthead to other dogs. The other dogs mostly run away and try to hide under benches or behind their owners as he bites their legs and wraps his teeth around their necks. I'll break it up if the dog yips. If the dog continues to not reciprocate, he'll start complaining loudly and try again in a few minutes.
Sometimes the other dog will start running alongside him or at him and air snap, which freaks me out, because I was once told that that's a precursor to an actual bite!! I'll jump in and pull him away, but the other owner says that that's how their dog plays and I should let him go. No fighting ensued... what do you think? Is air snapping a normal part of play?
CaliaKisses Puppy
Join date : 2011-12-26 Location : Suffolk County, NY
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Wed Sep 18, 2013 11:39 am
If your pitapita age of Caper is correct, then part of his rude behavior could be due to being a "teenager". Around that age, dogs generally get rowdier and test boundaries just like teenage humans.
You also can't judge how a dog feels by one behavior, you have to take in the overall picture and read what the rest of the dog's body is saying as well. I have a dog that loves to air snap when he's playing or excited, he even does it when happily greeting me as I come home. It really is up to the dog as to what it means.
Mancuso1962 Newborn
Join date : 2013-09-23
Subject: Re: Are these bad play manners? Wed Sep 25, 2013 12:14 am
Teeko sometimes fixates on the ONE dog in the park that wants no part of him, stubborn boy.
On the other hand, I had an owner of another dog of another breed actually say she liked seeing Teeko there, because he actually gets her fat boy running and exercising (not in so many words, but the park has some lower key dogs there, and her chubby dog definitely needs the exercise.)
I think it helps having two, because seeing my two play rough and stay friendly, people start to understand how they play, and how it's not serious business.