Back to Are You Playing or NOT?!

Terry just wants to wrestle with anything on 4 legs and will settle for my two legs if he can't get a game going with the doggies.

I know he is harmless, but his energy level, shear persistence, and puppy lack of manners, means that the older dogs get tired of playing with him pretty quickly.

He started yesterday with trying to mount Harley. Harley considers himself the Mounter and not the Mountee, so I got close to make sure nothing happened. Nothing did, Harley just ended up boxing with Terry and having a good time. Well, a good time to a point. When I noticed that Harley added a growl to the play time, I stepped up again and broke it up. Harley march over to his kennel door and I got the message. Grandpa is done with the baby.

He moved onto Shadow. When Shadow ran out of steam, he just walked away and laid down.

That is when Terry teamed up with Miss Daisy. I thought this would be a good match of size, speed and skill. One problem, Miss Daisy growls when she plays. I know she is not fighting or wanting a fight, but I have not been able to get her to stop the growling. What I worry about is the dog that assumes the growl means FIGHT! and matches her growling.

Well, I have that today. Not only is Miss Daisy growling, so is Davy and so is Moe. Moe seems intent on dashing in growling and breaking up any wrestling matches as soon as they start. I am spending a lot of time just stepping between dogs and in my best 'Mom' voice announcing, "ENOUGH!"

That always seems to reset the group and they break up and start again with someone new. I tried separating them into different side of the fence, but I could come up with any combo that would work on both sides of the gate. I have to try something else or I am going to freeze over taking each dog out for its very own 15 minutes of play time. Besides, if I do that they will all have a terrible play time and the barking will be even worse.

Think, Think, Think...there has to be something that can make this group gel together better.

Maybe I can call BB owners and have her come over for the afternoon and show these idiot how to play together.