Dutch Shepherd Forum

I have a question…we are rarely in this situation but it happened again yesterday so I'm going to ask about it.

My question is about dogs correcting each other and stepping in to stop it or not.

I've seen other dogs do this behaviour but the first time I say Sugar do it was a while ago. We were at the park with some of Sugar's dog friends and a young friendly Boxer who Sugar plays with a lot kinda pawed at another older dog (friend) who responded with with some "leave me alone" barks, showing a little teeth. Sugar jumps in and starts barking at the older dog to stop barking at the Boxer, which I thought was weird 'cause the boxer was doing the instigating. I told Sugar to stop and left the owners of the other dogs to deal with their dogs.

Then some time later, more recently, we met up with another one of Sugar's dog friends, a small hyper little thing, who was with the owners daughter and son in law who had just adopted a LARGE shepherd type dog. It was pretty friendly and wanted to play but was huge compared to both Sugar and the other little dog. The other little dog was a bit intimidated by the big dog and Sugar immediately started barking and jumping up and putting her front paws on the large dogs neck, telling it to leave her friend alone. I again told Sugar to stop and the owners took care of their dogs but the large dog was pretty respectful and left the little dog alone, getting the message.

Yesterday, we saw a neighbours dog that we hadn't seen for a while, since it was a puppy, and we went up to the park. The Boxer was up there, and they (boxer and the other dog) started running around, playing, and Sugar jumps in and starts barking and jumping and body slamming at the neighbours dog to stop. I definitely told Sugar to stop as the neighbours dog is a bit feisty, and didn't want anything to escalate between them two.

I don't know if she is jealous, or being the fun police or what, but is stepping in and telling her to stop trying to correct the other dog what I should be doing in these situations?

Thats why I dont like dog parks. At home though I dont step in when the girls are having a tiff unless a fight starts, but that has only been twice so far and nothing bad. If I were to go to the dog park and even the slightest tension started I would take my dog and leave the area immediately. With other dogs I would have no idea what their tolerance level is and dont want any ripped up dogs, or people. Its not worth taking any chance. I would just call her away and go play in another area.

These are dogs we know, but I don't know why Sugar feels the need to step in...

Here they are after playing yesterday, all tired out

Who knows, Jelousy, wanting to lead. Its hard to tell. I know my girls, Thalie is the leader, If we are in a group, she tolerates alot and wont instigate or be bossy, Sadie will protect Thalie and wont let anyone near her, she will get in between. From over here and not being in the park with you its hard to tell what the exact reason is. Personally, I wont take chances, thats the main reason I wont bring Sadie. I know Thalie like the back of my hand, Ill bring her to the dog park, but if there is any tension or anything other than happy play, even with Thalie, Ill call her to me and go somewhere else. I wont get mad at her, but Ill just normally call her to heal and relocate.

I just wouldnt wait around too see what Sugar will do or why. Another strange dog may dart over and start big trouble. Dog parks have too many variables to figure out.

Dutchringgirl wrote: I just wouldnt wait around too see what Sugar will do or why. Another strange dog may dart over and start big trouble. Dog parks have too many variables to figure out.

Totally agree!

Thanks for the feedback, and that is what I am sensing, fun is fun, but tension is no good and that is when I stop it.

And not that it matters that much, but we are just at a park, its not a dog park specifically, so its only the dogs we know in the neighbourhood that will be there. If a random dog happens along, I leash Sugar up to not take any chances.

Dogs are narcissists. Park, Dog park, parking lot,friends, its all theirs. Its all fun till someone gets hurt.

As soon as you see any tension or anything, id hightail it out of there.

I've seen a few "police dogs", they feel the need to police the situation when they feel it's getting out of hand. I knew one pit bull female who used to do it to any dogs that were playing too rough or too loud. She would slam into them and then stand between them barking. I generally just monitor that to make sure things don't escalate. Some times the dog that is being told off doesn't appreciate it, some times the police dog is too sensitive and jumps in when it's really not necessary, I'll generally stop that verbally as I just find such hyper vigilant dogs annoying and in my eyes they need to learn to chill. If you feel that given the situation she is in the right, I would just say thank you that's enough (which to my dogs is a stop it or shut up command) praise her for stopping and life goes on.

Yes, you've described it perfectly...she's thinking she needs to "police" the situation, and sometimes she is "helping" and other times being hyper vigilant and that IS annoying.

Its very interesting to me how she has evolved with things like that as she has gotten older.

Do they ever learn to chill?

In my experiences, when unchecked, I've only seen it get worse and possibly escalate.

Dog interactions have always been endlessly fascinating to me.

I would definitely keep a sharp eye on things and follow the advice posted here.

In the home, I usually let an older dog correct a younger one, if it seems a correctable situation and the correction method isn't over the top.

*lol* I've seen some amusing instances of it over time.

My old GSD, Cory was the undisputed "head-dog" of our household, (with the non-negotiable understanding that she could lead among the other dogs but I was undisputed Queen overall!)

When I first adopted my rottie/pitbull, Cedar, as a 10-month old, Cory was about 4. She did a lot of his training, things like jumping on guests, piddling in the house, SHE actually would scruff him and pin him, (not a lot of aggression, just grab the back of his neck, shove him to the floor and growl at him, then let him go. (If it was jumping, if it was a piddle she'd drag him to the door.) and he got it.

One time we had a roommate who also adopted a young dog around Cedar's age. Cedar and Fergus got along well for the most part, but one time had a tiff over a bone (there were plenty of extras, but they both wanted THAT one,) Cory bowled inbetween them, knocking them both over backward, (they'd been up on their hind-legs, shoulder-wrestling and roaring at each other) snarled at each of them in turn and then said, "I'll solve this, I'M taking the bone!" The two boys just wistfully looked after her as she walked away with their prize and then sympathetically looked at each other, each went and got a different bone and then lay down peacefully. (We have a milk-crate "toybox" for the dogs with all of their shank-bones, kongs, ropes, stuffies, etc...)

Another fascinating thing to watch was when we'd blend packs with a friend. One of my good friends also had a multi-dog household, and when we would visit one another, for coffee or whatever, our dogs were welcome in each other's homes. By this time I also had Maiyou, who now at 12 is the last of my 3 still with me. (Back then, Cedar was probably around 3-4, Cory would have been 8ish, and Maiyou was under a year. My friend had 3 greyhounds, and also dogsat for mostly other hounds, but some occasional other dogs as well. (My dogs got to be "honorary hounds") and also sometimes had her sister's GSD or another sister's hound-mix pup hanging around. Her alpha-hound, Garth, and my home-alpha, Cory, would actually take turns if "the roving puppy pile" as we called it, started to get out of hand. (Usually this would consist of Cedar, Maiyou, Keifer, her youngest hound, and Ralphie, the sister's mixed pup,). If they started getting too loud or too rambunctious overall, both Cory and Garth would stand up and look at each other like "You wanna get it this time or should I?" Then on some unspoken agreement, one of them would lay back down and the other one would go roar at the youngsters, and then they'd take turns. It was funny, the puppy pile even got to the point where they'd see either Cory or Garth stand up and start toward them and they'd start to break apart and quiet down like "Shh! Shh! Guys! Quit it! We're gonna get yelled at!". *lol*

Again, mind you, this was a situation with experienced dog people and initmately familiar dogs both to the people and each other, not an open park.

I'm very curious to see how things may go when I eventually get a DS puppy and for the first time in her life Maiyou (Singer/Pit) is going to get to be the older, more experienced dog in the house. She has always been low-man-on-the-totem pole, with both Cory and Cedar more dominant than her and then being an only dog for the past few years now.