http://www.fordog.org/Articles/Role_...y_Behavior.pdf

characteristics of play; good play vs bad play
distinguish play from aggro
notice over-arousal or escalation & intervene

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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

thanks for posting this!

Im too panicked about my Pei it would seem, she takes on the job of correcting our Shiba when he plays too rough and pins him down which I have in the past interrupted as I thought it was 'fighting', however this makes sense that this is fine as long as no puncture wounds or shaking (neither other than an ear caught once)

also I have been told by so many people not to let any of the dogs mount each other, but it seems a core part of their play, this again has suggested otherwise.. I am only half way through but wanted to say thanks as its very interesting!!

On with the kettle to finish

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Sun Tzu, Kita and Eiko

Ears are particularly sensitive- even the smallest nick can create a lot of blood!

Mounting is a very important part of domestic dog play, although there are still many people who think it's some status-seeking challenge. However, we know a lot differently now. Next time someone says not to let them mount, and you can see both dogs are happy in each other's presence, turn round and tell them it's a Fixed Action Pattern- that'll make them shut up!

But really, it is a Fixed Action Patter...an innate behaviour that is crucial to survival and is 'practised' in certain contexts- sometimes intentionally but also without specific intention- it can be used to calm a dog down who is particularly over-stressed, for example.

Wow the thing is i have noticed Sun using mounting on both kita and Eiko after he's grumbled at her, could this be calmative? You guys blow my mind at times.. I love it!

What other kinds of behavior are fixed action patterns?

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Sun Tzu, Kita and Eiko

i don't worry much about mounting when dogs know one another well - altho i DO watch very carefully indeed to be sure
the mountEE is not bothered by it, & if there is one attempt to walk out from under the mountER, or even a head-turn
& a lip-lift, ALL mounting ceases immediately. I don't want the dog being mounted to take things into their own paws,
as that usually means teeth - & it may not remain handbags-at-dawn, even if it begins there.

some housemate-dogs use mounting to control other dogs in the household: they mount & hump when the other
starts to run after a flung toy, or when visitors come & the other dog gets attention, or whenever the other[s]
seem excited, bark or run; watching for patterns helps a lot. Dogs who use mounting as displacement are common,
too - the postie arrives, everybody barks, the humper mounts the nearest rump... I usually try to reduce ALL the dogs'
arousal levels, in those cases: give setback from the door, DS/CC, calmatives, etc.

i do interrupt all mounting among dogs who DON't know each other very well - as it leaves a bad impression;
i don't scold, i just offer another choice - toss a ball, use a flirt-pole, call them for group-sits & treats all round,
clap my hands & run to call them after me, something - anything.

any dog who persistently mounts [the same dog over & over, or various dogs] in a new-acquaintances group
wears a drag on a front-clip harness, to remove him [90% of the time it's a him, not a her] from any prospects -
it means this dog either gets over-aroused & uses it to displace, OR they have really p*ss-poor dog-social skills
& have no idea what else to do... don't know how else to initiate play, offer a chase, or simply interact.

removing them before they clasp-onto every dog they mount, or if possible earlier - before they even mount,
& letting them kill a tug-toy or pounce on a soft-toy on a flirt-pole, then go back to the group, helps them bleed-off
some excitement, & with other dogs modeling good play, they start to learn some new moves... besides 'hump
everybody, anytime, anywhere, & for every imaginable purpose', which irritates the bejabbers out of the others,
& usually gets them beat-up, eventually; being grabbed & humped vigorously gets old very fast.

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007