My large dog plays too rough. How to teach him to be gentle?

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.

Always play with a toy, never with your hand. When he starts to get too wound up then I would put him in a dark room with no interaction for 30 minutes or so until he calms down. It will take repitition and time but eventually he will learn to not be as aggressive. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

If they are playing to the point of causing cuts and scratches, and you feel it is too rough, I'd definitely instill some "time out" time where both dogs can relax, rest, and maybe focus on a chew toy or quiet activity. Once they are calm, you can let them resume play. Normal play can be a little rough, and if the dogs are enjoying it, it's fine. You may also want to trim back their nails or file down the nails to make them softer to help avoid scratches while playing.

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

Congratulations on adding Scooby to your family! Training should help Scooby, so I am glad you are pursuing that. One thing that will help a lot is to actually take Scooby out for HARD exercise before you allow her to play with other dogs. People often go to dog parks to allow dogs to burn off their energy but some dogs just have too much energy. These dogs then go straight into the park, play too rough and then a fight ensues. For these dogs, burning off that energy beforehand helps them to have better manors. When she does get too rough, remove her from the situation until she calms down. Then you can reintroduce her. Also, keep her ply groups small (1 -2 other dogs) and watch for signs that she is pestering the other dog too much. Continue using your can to distract her if needed. I would also advise to look for a trainer with a background in behavior. There is a difference between training and behavior modification. I hope this helps!

It is very normal for young pets to want to play a bit rough. If it is getting to be too intense, taking some "time outs" and having everyone settle down can help to reduce the behavior and give everyone a chance to relax. This can be done by removing them to different rooms, distracting them with a shared toy, or giving each a treat and letting them chew on it in different parts of the same room. Once calm, play can then resume. Playing with toys, combined training sessions, fetch items, or puzzle toys can also help encourage the two to work together and enjoy company without getting too rough.

I recommend getting him into a puppy kindergarten obedience class. The trainer can help you guide his energy into less aggressive, destructive paths. Also, make sure he is getting lots and lots of exercise, going for long walks, take him for a jog, throw the ball for him, get a tug toy and let him play tug of war with you or another dog, get him out for play dates with other dogs (best left after his vaccination series is finished, at about four months of age). A tired dog is a happy dog, and one less likely to get himself into trouble with boredom. When you play with your puppy, let him mouth on your hands. Continue play until he bites especially hard. When he does, immediately give a high-pitched yelp, as if you’re hurt, and let your hand go limp. This should startle your puppy and cause him to stop mouthing you. (If yelping seems to have no effect, you can say “Too bad!” or “You blew it!” in a stern voice instead.) Praise your puppy for stopping. Resume whatever you were doing before. If your puppy bites you hard again, yelp again. Repeat these steps no more than three times within a 15-minute period. If you find that yelping alone doesn’t work, you can switch to a time-out procedure. When your puppy delivers a hard bite, yelp loudly. Then, when he startles and turns to look at you or looks around, remove your hand. Either ignore him for 10 to 20 seconds or, if he starts mouthing on you again, get up and move away for 10 to 20 seconds. After the short time-out, return to your puppy and encourage him to play with you again. It’s important to teach him that gentle play continues, but painful play stops. Play with your puppy until he bites hard again. When he does, repeat the sequence above. When your puppy isn’t delivering really hard bites anymore, you can tighten up your rules a little. Require your puppy to be even gentler. Yelp and stop play in response to moderately hard bites. Persist with this process of yelping and then ignoring your puppy or giving him a time-out for his hardest bites. As those disappear, do the same for his next-hardest bites, and so on, until your puppy can play with your hands very gently, controlling the force of his mouthing so that you feel little or no pressure at all.