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This is pretty tame compared to most times, he gets the mean snarly look on his face and bares his teeth a lot too. Not sure if i should read this as a sign of aggression or just assume he is a puppy and doesn't know any better. He is only 12 weeks old this week.
At my house it's called Bitey Face or Clash of the Titans.
I thought so because it never seems to escalate, but its totally one-sided. The older dog does the bitey-face thing but the puppy makes lots of snarls/barks and growls along with it
This is pretty tame compared to most times, he gets the mean snarly look on his face and bares his teeth a lot too. Not sure if i should read this as a sign of aggression or just assume he is a puppy and doesn't know any better. He is only 12 weeks old this week.
He doesn't know any better; he's being a typical puppy. If he gets out of hand your older one will almost certainly keep him in line.
He doesn't know any better; he's being a typical puppy. If he gets out of hand your older one will almost certainly keep him in line.
I'm shocked that my older one hasn't done so yet. He is far more patient than i could have ever expected, he mostly just lays there and seems to enjoy having his ears nearly ripped off
I thought so because it never seems to escalate, but its totally one-sided. The older dog does the bitey-face thing but the puppy makes lots of snarls/barks and growls along with it
That's just puppy play.
If you know anyone with a bossy older byotch that would be a good experience for your pup to learn respect for his or her doggie elders. I had a previous bossy byotch that was great for teaching puppy/foster manners, and a present bossy grrl who is small, but a tough disciplinarian with puppies.
But it sounds like your adult dog is both tolerant and not bothered by the uppity puppy so I wouldn't worry.
If the pup gets TOO uppity and older dog doesn't correct, then you need to step in. But going by that video, you have nothing to worry about!
Right now it's puppy play and looks as if the younger one is testing the older one. At this point, the older one doesn't seem to be bothered by puppy's words. As they get older, though, you need to watch how they interact. Learn their body language.
When dogs play, sometimes it sounds rough and often people over react and think they are fighting. However, when you learn to read them, you will know when it has gone from playing to aggressive. Your job is to immediately cease aggression. Playing is one thing, aggression is another.
Play in dogs, and in juvenile wild canids, is really simulated hunting, fighting, and killing. Its purpose in wild juveniles is to hone necessary survival skills in a safe and comfortable way. After they've mastered the techniques enough to be able to accomplish real kills, we rarely see the same quantity of play in older animals. Pet dogs retain many juvenile traits from their wild ancestors, and play persists as a part of dogs' lives into adulthood.
Just keep in mind though, that the reason we see chasing, baring of teeth, growling, etc. in dog play is because it is simulated hunting / fighting / killing. What makes it play is the accompanying signals that communicate "this is all in good fun". The play bow, lowering the front end and sticking the rear in the air, is the classic example here. It means "anything I do after this bow, no matter how viscous it may look or sound, is actually just playin' around."
I find it amusing how my older dog seems to like playing with the pup while on his back most of the time
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