You need to slowly approach and consistently praise him and be there every time he meets a new dog. Then throw in a neutral toy and encourage them to play. If either dog shows any signs of aggression, pull your dog away and wait until next time. You need to ensure positive, friendly play at all times.
Ideally, interrupt his play before he gets too excited. Stop the game, put a leash on him, ask him to lie down, and give him something to chew on. Or, if he's already too excited, walk him on the leash and ask him to do some obedience exercises until he calms down.
They get so excited and overstimulated by what's going on that they can't help but get out of control. In some cases, your young pup will grow out of this phase as he learns better impulse control. Another reason why young dogs play rough is because they were accidentally taught to do it that way.
Healthy dog play can sometimes look rough and tumble and fierce and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. But if you are concerned about it, your dog may indeed be playing too rough. Managing off-leash playtime with other dogs can be a real issue.
To keep your dog calm around other dogs keep exposing them to dogs from a distance, when at the vet, and allow them meet other emotionally healthy dogs. Correct over excited behavior by calmly redirecting them and praising them for being a good dog. Clearly let your dog know what is and isn't acceptable behavior.
Several things can contribute to having a dog who is over excited when seeing other dogs: Lack of healthy interactions with other dogs. If your dog likes other dogs it is important they have off lead time with friends. We would suggest doing this with one on one play dates.
They may think they are being playful when they are being aggressive. Or the lack of socialization may cause them to misunderstand another dog's advances. Unaltered: If your dog has not been spayed or neutered, they may display aggressive/reactive behavior. It can also lead to health complications.
If your pet is getting overly excited, stop what you're doing and turn your back to them. If that doesn't calm them down then walk out of the room and place a closed door between you. That will let your pet know their behavior is unacceptable.
If a dog goes tense, adopting a stiff posture, with ears and tail taut, they're on guard. If you see one of the dogs start to puff up, making themselves larger, with ears and tail high, that's also a signal that they're in the mood to take charge, not enjoy a friendly romp.
Dogs can play tug-of-war with each other, and the same rules should apply. If your dogs show any truly aggressive dominant behavior while playing, they shouldn't be allowed to engage in the game together.
Play Growls
Many dogs grunt and grumble during playtime because they're having fun. Have you ever seen two dogs wrestling? Chances are you heard some growling. You might have thought that meant the roughhousing had gone too far, but it was likely all part of the game.
Between 2 and 6 months of age, puppy games still center around play fighting. If your puppy has other dogs to play with, that's fine, but you also want him to play with you. When playing with people, you need to redirect his play fighting games to something more appropriate, such as fetch.
The short answer is that it depends on the situation and root cause of the aggression. However, for most dogs, there is hope for at least some behavior change when an experienced professional dog behavior consultant is assisting you with your dog.
Puppy play consists of chasing, pouncing, barking, growling and biting. Many pet owners mistake normal play behavior as aggression or laugh off behavior that is a warning sign for truly aggressive behavior. Although normal play can become intense, it's important to be able to distinguish normal from abnormal behavior.
Every dog is different, but here are some common trends: Working breeds, such as herding dogs or those traditionally bred for hunting or fighting, may exhibit high arousal in excitable environments like play groups, and arousal in any form can lead to aggressive behavior.
Dogs often resort to playful displays of rough body postures, such as placing a head or paw on the other dog's shoulders or even pinning him down. A good dose of prey drive then may also kick in as the dogs chase each other or bite each other's legs as they move to run.
Now that we've covered why puppies are so lively, let's get to the question at hand: When do puppies start to calm down? Generally, puppies start to calm down when they reach emotional maturity — around 1 year old. However, some dog breeds take longer to reach adulthood and emotional maturity.
No matter what your dog's age or background, positive reinforcement of calm, non-aggressive behavior around other dogs is the key to helping your pup overcome any fear or dislike of other canines.
Fratt says that in general, a canine's big reaction usually means one of two things: get away or come play. By barking, growling or lunging, your dog is trying to tell an oncoming dog he's seen what happens when a strange dog approaches him and he will attack if need be.
If you notice that your dog is beginning to display any of the signs of aggression that we talked about earlier, it is imperative that you stop any and all play at once. Immediately end the play session and do not give them the attention that they want.
At what age are puppies most hyper? Puppies' energy levels follow a rough timeline as they grow into adult dogs, from their first few weeks all the way through to maturity, but you may find they're at their most hyper at two stages in their journey. The first stage occurs between 10 - 16 weeks.