My dog plays rough with one dog. Why isn't my training helping?

Hello, thank you for your question about Koba. It is possible that the behavior Koba is exhibiting is to exert his dominance or because he would like you're other dog to play with him but Koba is being to rough. In these types of situations it is usually necessary for the older dog to set boundaries for Koba - i.e. if Koba bites his ear your other dog barks/growls at Koba, letting him know that this behavior is not ok. If your older dog is not demonstrating any of this assertive behavior to help Koba set boundaries one thing you could try would be redirecting him. If he begins to play rough and you are concerned that he is hurting your other dog remove Koba from the situation. I would recommend disciplining him to let him know this behavior is not ok. Then after a few minutes you could give him something else to entertain him such as an interactive toy. Hope this helps, good luck!

It's true that play between two dogs can sometimes get out of hand and become a more serious fight. It can be hard for many owners to distinguish this from rough play, so feel free to request a one-on-one consultation if you wish - you can take a video of the behavior for me to look at, so that I can give you a better idea of whether this is normal play or something more serious. In the meantime, I would recommend distracting the dogs from their play session and redirecting them to something else if you are concerned that things are getting too intense. You can do this by shaking a treat bag, and asking both dogs to sit for a treat when they come to you. This helps to bring their arousal level down a bit, so that they are calmer when they go back to playing.

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Beckett. It is frustrating when our pets don't always get along. From your description it does sound like he is too rough with the other dogs. It may be possible to correct this behavior, but I think it would be best to get a certified animal behaviorist involved. They will be able to observe how the dogs interact and be able to develop an in-depth plan for how to correct the behavior. It may be a matter of just recognizing when things are getting out of hand and separating the dogs or more significant behavior modification may be required. It is impossible to know without observing the dogs in action. And good behaviorist will be able to do this for you.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! They are so cute! I think basic training for both dogs is VERY important. If Bolt doesn't listen to you that is a problem and can become worse over time. I would always have him on a leash when they are playing so you can pull him off the new dog when he becomes too much. I really like the gentle leader harnesses that go on the muzzle because it give you great control of the head and eliminates pulling. In some ways the new dog will hopefully teach him when enough is enough but I would try to avoid that as he may react incorrectly and start a fight. He needs to learn proper play and pick up on the ques other dogs give that he needs to stop. I hope this helps! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9052

This is a tough situation, because the overly rough behavior has a great deal to do with his personality, which is very difficult to fix. You are doing the exactly correct thing in response to his behavior, but you will likely have to continue doing this for a long time until he gets it. The best way to keep him from doing this behavior is to not let him get into the excited/playful state where he starts to scratch and bite too hard. However, that would likely mean that you would have a lot less playtime and likely a different relationship with your dog, which may not be desirable for you. If you want to continue with the training, then keep in mind that you have to stop playing and let Aramis know that he's being bad as soon as he starts the undesirable behavior. You only have three seconds from the time that he does the behavior before he will not associate the punishment with the act. You can try doing hour-long training sessions where you break from playing as long as it takes for him to calm down. Hopefully that will speed up the learning, but again, it's going to take a while and may not be 100% successful. I hope that helps some, but if you need further help, you may consider hiring a dog trainer, or scheduling a consult with a veterinary behaviorist.

Unprovoked aggression can have many causes. You don't specify whether or not your dog is neutered, but if he's not, I would consider it very likely that his aggressive tendencies are related to testosterone, and schedule surgery to get him neutered, as removing the source of testosterone (i.e. the testicles) will help tremendously in controlling his aggressive tendencies. If he is neutered, then it's likely that his aggression towards other dogs is rooted in fear. He will need some careful training to help to reverse these feelings, and it may be quite difficult, but is certainly possible. Talk to a trainer in your area about starting with a good general obedience class, which will improve not only your bond but also his confidence level (and thus reduce his fear). You'll have to work to reward him for good behavior by using a small delicious treat to gain his attention and keep him from trying to go after other dogs on walks. In the meantime, always keep him leashed when he's outside in order to protect him as well as other dogs.

Unfortunately, you can't really train a dog to do that. And even the most well-trained dog can sometimes hurt another on accident. It is always best to be there to supervise dogs during play, especially if there is a big size difference, and stop the play session if the other dog is becoming aggressive or too rough.