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Hi Catherine, so I have a few questioms, this is the older dog who is not playing well with your puppy? The puppy seems to want to keep playing with the older dog but then the older dog gets fed up and puts her in her place? You mentioned you were out and about with your puppy at friends and family, are the dogs playing in the other dogs yard? Do they play nice at any point, is it just this particular dog? What kind of dog is this other dog and and how old is it. If either dog seems like they have had enough I would respect that and judge if you feel the situation is now unsafe for the pup. If they were both puppies with puppy teeth and the other dog doesnt have adult teeth I would say its probably generally ok to let them figure out their rolls with each other. Puppy play is practice fighting oractice hunting but if the other dog is an adult dog and has had enough and needs a break i think you should then give the ither dog a break. It sounds like your dog is playing normal and is submitting and rolling on her back to the older dogs cues and just wants to keep going back to engaging with the other dog. If the other dog has had enough growls pins and then tries to get away from the puppy i would give the older dog a break when that happens. I wouldnt want to push the other dog beyond what it could tolerate especially if the other dog has adult teeth. When puppies work things out its not so bad because they have their puppy teeth that dont do much harm. If an adult dog bites it can be much worse. Thats why I was wondering how old is the other and what kind of dog, and is it a male/female, intact, and is it in the other dogs property or is it in a neutral place. Also when playing with other dogs especially adult dogs make sure their are no resourses around that they could potentially have near them to worry about, no food, toys or possessions. Pay attention both dogs body language. Do the dogs have a high wagging tail meaning they want to engage in an assertive way, a low wagging tail meaning they want to engage but are willing to be controlled by the other dog, a tail hi or low that is not wagging saying the dont want to engage with the other dog. Trust your instincts too, if you feel like your dog is pushing her luck its better to just end the play then chance it. Remember just because one dog plays well with another doesnt mean it will necessarily play well with all dogs. It sounds like your dog is acting normal and it sounds like the other dog is just having enough. Like a little kid who wants to keep playing and we are done and we keep getting pestered. Dogs should know that we have their best interest at hand and if they are in a situation where they need a break we will give that to them. Just remember this is normal dog behavior for both of the dogs. If you do think its safe and you let them interact again you can always take a little video clip and post it on the site but if you feel uncomfortable you need to trust your instincts about the other dog being pushed too far and keep them both out of trouble. I hope that helps a little. Keep us posted and give a little more info for us to completethe picture 🙂
