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My fiance and I have had the joy of an adorable Beagle named Newcastle for the past 6 months. She is now 8 months old. We have just recently introduced another Beagle pup into the mix....10 week old Johnnie. I've read about how puppies "play fight" in order to learn but I just needed some reassurance from other owners that my two are doing just that.
When they play and wrestle there is a lot of nipping and growling....then the teeth come out on both. But their tails seem to continue to wag and if anyone is hurt I've heard the "iiee!" yelp and they separate. I guess its the bared teeth and snapping that really get me worried. Newcastle also seems to always be on the "lookout" now that Johnnie is in the house. We've made sure to feed her first, greet her first, and spend alone time with her...I just don't want her to feel sad or alone.
Please let me know if my babies are acting normally! Thanks everyone!
However no its not really a good thing. Basically, be prepared for your adolescent 'about to learn how to be a nice grown up dog' to go RIGHT back to being a baby puppy again, because thats what is going to happen.
Play fighting is about learning - its about learning how to fight, about how far you can get with your opponent, about who is stronger than who.
Neither dog is going to learn manners or respect for older dogs from this so you do need to limit it and step in before it gets out of hand, as the chances are one dog will learn very effectively hwo to bully the other, and then depending on the dogs your dogs socialise with, will apply that lesson to every dog he/she meets.
As well as stepping in when they get too silly, you need to make sure that BOTH dogs are socialised seperately AND together with other dogs and people. It isnt about having them love and be best friends with every dog they meet, but it IS about them learning to be polite and well mannered in company, and not fearful or bullies.
So, seperate walks for each dog as their exercise requirements are very different at 8 months old and 10 weeks old. Socialising for both so that the good, useful experiences there outweight the less useful roughhousing at home. AND then the same stuff, together, so that you dont wind up with two dogs who ignore you when each other is around.
That is 3 times the work of 1 puppy... not double, and if I come across a bit short its because I am quite angry that someone has sold you another puppy at exactly the WRONG time in your current pups life. Shes going to be just beginning her 'teenage' stage, where she tests her boundaries, learns to be fearful of new things (again), and generally like human teenagers, becomes hard work and a pain in the rear. Thats so SO far from the ideal time to add in a new puppy... its just unreal and you have a LOT of work to do here to make sure that the youngster grows up well balanced and well socialised, and that the older pup carries on her learning and doesnt regress back to being a puppy.
Errors made with pups at their ages can take YEARS to undo and fix, and having a dog is meant to be a happy and fun experience, not a potential nightmare!
