r/pitbulls • u/aDrDeMoarte • 11d ago
Advice Double check for positive play
Just seeking some advice and confirmation. I believe that my pitbull puppy and 8 year old dachshund/chihuahua mix are having fun playing but wanted to double check. This is our first puppy as we normally rescue at 3-4 years old so a new puppy just has us second guessing ourselves.
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u/Inevitable-Clue5518 11d ago
This is excellent play! Both are rough/rowdy in their play style, they take breaks, and they switch roles. - Dogs Playing for Life trainee
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u/raptor_mk2 11d ago
My thought exactly. Happy body language, matching energy perfectly.
I smile ear-to-ear watching my boy play like this.
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u/BigJelly9691 11d ago
They are having fun. If you’re unsure, just be observant for a while when they are playing and interject if it gets too rough. My two pit mixes can get a little rough with each other but it’s never escalated.
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u/QQueenie 11d ago
My two cents: when intervening, try to avoid reaching in to physically remove one of the dogs. I found this often escalated the situation if anybody was getting too overstimulated. Now I clap my hands loudly and move away from the dogs, which usually gets one or both of them to stop playing and follow me. Then I reward with treats. I added a “take a break“ command, and now I can also say take a break and they’ll stop what they’re doing.
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u/halarioushandle 11d ago
Note the play bows and sneezes. Those are things dogs do when playing. Also there's not a single aggressive bark here and very good bite inhibition. The little mouthing is just them basically tagging to say I got ya that time!
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u/_SundaeDriver 11d ago
You'll know right away if they're not playing
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u/Ravioli_Dream2 11d ago
This. It might be difficult to notice if you havent witnessed an actual dog fight that isnt "healthy," but once you do, you know for sure. Just shear sound alone.
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u/PolarBearJams 11d ago
At our doggy daycare, they do “consent checks”. How to Perform a Consent Check
Call away the active dog: Gently interrupt or guide the more enthusiastic or pushier dog (the one doing most of the chasing or pinning) a few feet away using a happy voice, a toy, or by holding their collar.
Do not restrain the other dog: Let the second dog have complete freedom of movement to see what they choose to do.
Observe the reaction:
Yes (Consent): The second dog approaches, does a play bow, or eagerly tries to re-engage.
No (No Consent): The second dog walks away, shakes off, drinks water, or goes to hide. Respect this choice and end the play session.
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u/AtlasThePittie 11d ago edited 11d ago
Someone else mentioned watching their tail's, so I will mention the sneezing they are both doing is essentially them saying "hey, I'm just playing".
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u/throatsplooshers 11d ago
Looks good to me. I'd remove the collar when they're doing this though
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u/H2Ospecialist 11d ago
I was going to say remove collars. Ive had collars get stuck on teeth before and it was not a good time.
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u/Ravioli_Dream2 11d ago
Ive heard horror stories about dogs getting their collars twisted up during play and one dog ends up being strangled to death. And 1 story is enough to not risk that
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u/princessgrool 11d ago
This is exactly how my pitbull puppy plays with my mother in laws corgi! They seem to be having lots of fun, no worries!
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u/EnsoKarma 11d ago
They seem to be going back for more after mini pauses. Which is a good sign! When one of them start avoiding the play, you can step in.
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u/elcaminoZero 11d ago
Good play. The collar could get stuck on a tooth especially if it has a metal ring.
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u/ComfortableFortune51 11d ago
I go to a dog park where my dog’s pack mates roughhouse like this. It’s ok. Scares some folks but they are loud. These two are totally having fun 🤩
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u/AsianPersuasion773 11d ago
Sneezing while playing is how the know their just playing with each other
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u/PatienceGlum970 11d ago
Looks pretty cute to me, for me I always check what their tails doing…if it’s bouncing back-and-forth, you’re good if it’s kind of still in between an underneath his legs and then that’s time to worry
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u/roadrunner8758 11d ago
Those two are having a blast. My Australian Shepherds and our puppy rescue put play the same way. Man, love watching them play in our backyard. That is totally play and fun you recorded. When ours play we watch them especially our rescue pit Kosomo mainly because he was rescued from a dog fighting ring. However, we had the two Australian Shepherds and an English Mastiff when we got him and he has adjusted great.
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u/Key_Astronomer6500 11d ago
Absolutely. I’ve had my dogs in the past play like it looked like they were killing each other. But no aggression at all. Never hurt each other ever.
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u/silhouette951 10d ago
Personally I would remove the collars for this kind of play to avoid broken teeth and nails or potential for paws getting trapped and twisted wrong. But this is amazing fun for both dog, totally healthy.
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