VERSATILE GOLDEN RETRIEVER   - PART 14

  Recently the question was posed to me on “how much is too much” interaction between pup and older dog when introducing a new pup to a household.  Initial introductions are completed and the pup and older dog(s) get along well and enjoy playing together.  But, just how much time should the pup and older dog play together, particularly when they enjoy roughhousing with each other?

  There are many variables in such situations.  Obviously the age of the pup and the other dog(s) in the household must be taken into account.  Is the pup interacting with mature dogs, adolescents or other pups?  Do the other dogs in your home have any physical limitations?  Are the older dogs in your household easy going types or do they have more dominant personalities?  What type of flooring do you have in your home?  Do the dogs have solid footing during play?  The list could go on. 

  The personality of the pup as well as that of the other dog(s) in the household must also be taken into account.  Is the pup the one who attempts to instigate play with the older dog?  Does the older dog just allow the pup to pester without setting limits?  Or, is your older dog likely to put a pup in its place when roughhousing and nipping go beyond certain limits?

While you may hear varying opinions on “how much is too much” and how exactly to deal with such issues, I think most trainers agree that the safety of the pup is of prime concern.  A very young pup does not have the physical stamina or co-ordination to avoid injury if left to just run free at all times with the other dog(s) in the household.  The main rule of thumb I follow is that a young pup (under 4 - 5 months of age) is never allowed to run free in my house with the other dogs unless I am able to play close attention to the interaction between them.  Appropriate rest periods need to be provided for your pup.  You need to closely monitor how your pup is playing and reacting so you can identify when he needs a rest period.  Often play starts at one level, and then escalates as time progresses.  What starts out as gentle play becomes roughhousing.  The pup may become “mouthy” with the older dog.  He may start to “run in circles” as he tires, etc.  

You may see the pup begin to pant.  He may want to take frequent sips of water, etc. (and, remember, these are also the times that you need to be on the alert when potty training!  Physical stimulation may cause the pup to ignore physical indications that he needs to go out to potty.  He is so involved in playing that suddenly he will just stop to relieve himself.) As play progresses to roughhousing, the older dog may also escalate

play behaviors and forget that the pup is so young.  A  50 -70 pound dog can inflict injury without meaning any harm to a young pup.  It is my firm belief that we need to be the referees here.  We must decide when play becomes too rough, when the pups shows signs of becoming tired, etc.

  As indicated in the early puppy training articles, I use puppy gates in my house during the first months of puppy development.  Gates and a puppy play pen allow me to provide for a pup’s safety when I cannot closely monitor activity and interaction between my dogs.  In addition, because I choose to participate in both the breed ring and working venues with my dogs, I want to become the most important person in the pup’s world.  I do not want the other dogs and play with them to become more important than I am to my pup.  Keeping the pup with me much of his time allows me to become the “center” of his world rather than my other dogs.  During the first few weeks, I want the pup to look to me not only for his basic needs, but also for the majority of stimulation he receives.  The gates I use in my house provide for this.  In addition, just as I want to provide one on one attention to the pup, I also feel it important to also give quality, individual time to my other dogs.  Even though a pup demands much time and attention, I do not want my other dogs to feel that this little bundle of joy has replaced them and become more important to me.  (Providing my older dogs with their own special time helps reduce the likelihood of feelings of resentment toward the puppy.)  Nor do I want my older dogs to focus just on playing and interacting with the pup rather than me.  Both the gates and the play pen allow me to provide time for each dog.  And, my other dogs are not subjected to the constant and often abundant energy of the pup. 

Since I currently have four goldens in my household, the pup’s interaction and supervised play time is introduced one by one with each of my other dogs so that he does not become overwhelmed by the “pack”.  This also allows each pairing of dogs to establish a relationship and understanding between each other.  At first the pup is allowed to be with each dog for a few minutes at a time.  I closely watch body language and how physical the play becomes between the dogs.  When I first brought Stoney home, Cassidy adored him and would watch him play with much interest.  But, she was just two years of age and, because of her mental maturity and high energy level, did not understand how gentle she needed to be with the puppy.  Consequently, initial socialization periods between them was short and closely monitored.  Cooper, on the other hand, was more mature and seemed to sense the need to be gentle in play.  This teddy bear of a sire would crouch down to the pup’s level to play in a gentle fashion.  Even so, I needed to watch even these two pretty closely since at times Cooper would encourage the pup to run and chase.  Quick turns by a 70+ pound dog do not always involve caution and I did not want the pup bowled over.

As the pup begins to mature and is accustomed to interacting with each dog individually, I then begin to allow the pup to interact with two and then all three of the other dogs in my household.  Again, group play is always monitored and at first such play periods are relatively short.  Such sessions are initiated inside where the dogs don’t have as much room to run.  My dogs do make use of my yard to run and play chase with each other, so until the pup has the physical maturity to handle himself, he is not left outside on his own in the yard with the other dogs.  When I do start to allow the pup in the yard on his own with the older dogs, I begin by allowing such interactions at those times of day that it is unlikely my dogs will choose to play.  First thing in the morning is one such time.  The routine here is for the dogs to immediately go outside when they get up.  Since they know breakfast will soon follow, my dogs tend to take care of business and then come back inside immediately, waiting for their food.  Bedtime is another time that my dogs are into “routine”.  They know it is time for bed and once they relieve themselves for the night, they are eager to come back inside for their bedtime treat.  Gradually I will allow the pup to go outside with the others at various other times of the day.  At first I will go out with the dogs to supervise activity.  Gradually, as I see how well the pup can physically handle himself, I will allow everyone to go out together for a few minutes at a time.  I monitor such interactions from a distance, and only when I see that the play is manageable, do I allow the dogs on their own.  At this point, I check frequently (every couple of minutes, then each 5 minutes, etc).

Time of day has a lot to do with how much time the pup is permitted to interact with the other dogs in my household.  I make sure plenty of appropriate time with chew toys is provided for the pup prior to group play so he isn’t as likely to want to chew on his canine companions to relieve the pressure of his sore gums.  When play escalates and becomes more physical, I closely watch for signs that the pup is getting tired or over-stimulated.  If I start to hear yips of discomfort from the older goldens, then it usually indicates to me that it is time to for the pup to have a rest period.  The type of play allowed is again dependent on the age of the pup.  While I may allow the dogs to play with a toy that they can share and play tug with, tossing tennis balls in the yard is not a group activity for quite some time.  Two of my older dogs become so driven with retrieving that ball that they would not be likely to have the presence of mind to avoid crashing into a pup on their way to that ball.   (Just the other night I witnessed a friend’s dog literally land on top of her 7 month old pup as he attempted to reach a tennis ball that had been tossed in the yard.)

The personalities of the dogs in your household also plays an important part in this socialization process.  If an older dog tells the pup that enough is enough, will the pup back off and accept his position in the pack ranking?  Does he accept the authority of the older dog who turn his head and/or attempts to walk away with that toy that he doesn’t choose to allow the pup to steal?  Will the pup accept that he needs to find something else to occupy him, or will he badger and pester the older dog until he succeeds in stealing that toy?  Since Cassidy thinks Stoney is her pup (even now that he is almost two years old!) she would always “give in” to Stoney’s wishes.  If she had a toy he wanted, she would drop it for him or allow him to take it out of her mouth.  Catch, my 11 ½ year old, did not care to share that toy most of the time.  Occasionally he would drop it for the pup, but most of the time, Catch gave a look that warned Stoney to find something else to play with.  Fortunately, Stoney accepted Catch’s rank as top dog.  However, if you have a pup with a more dominant personality that chooses to challenge ranking within the existing pack, then you need to assert yourself as top dog in his pack and convey to the pup what is acceptable behavior.

  It just isn’t possible for me to give an absolute answer to “how much is too much” for a pup to play with an older dog(s).  Both physical and mental maturity vary from dog to dog.   Using caution and common sense can prevent injury and heartache. Don’t rush interaction between your dogs.  Take your time and provide for the safety of your pup.  The best rule of thumb I can give is to closely monitor all interaction and play until your pup is mature enough to handle physical interaction without supervision.

Until next time,

  Pat Quinn

Everlore

Return to Current Column