[Alicia]

Lola sometimes plays with my cousins dog...a pit/lab mix, male who's a little over a year.  They'll run around and chase each other and roll around biting one another.

She does the same thing with a 4 month old female pit that we met a few weeks ago.  Last Friday we stopped by after walking and they played for about 1/2 hour, chasing each other, rolling around, pinning each other to the ground, biting.  There were no yelps or cries so I thought all was okay.  Problem, when I got Lola home I noticed she had a cut behind her ear, scratches everywhere and a cut on her leg.  It did get intense at the end and that's when I said, okay time to go home.  

She plays or tries to play this way with my friends 5 year old lab, but the lab is old enough and puts Lola in her place right away, so then they play good with each other.

And she plays great with the dogs at the dog park, but I haven't been bringing her there because I think that's where she picked up the cough that she had.

My family has had dogs my entire life, but they were never socialized.  So I've never really seen how dogs play together.  Is this normal behavior?  It looks like they're trying to kill each other, but they keep going back for more and there's never any cries or anything.  Lola has a very high tolerance to pain and I'm afraid if she keeps this play behavior up something is going to happen.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated and how to stop this behavior and teach the dogs.  THANK GOODNESS Liz is back!  I'm probably going to need you on this one!!  
Thanks everyone!

 

[Logan]

I'm interested to see this thread as well. I'm told this is how they play with each other but when marks appear it is questionable. I talked to my vet about it this weekend while we were there for a check up and his said as long as aggression it not appearing it is perfectly normal. I let Logan go as long as there is no growling involved.

I try to make sure that both dogs are equally playing and that one is not dominating the other. Logan tends to be a bully so far so I hold him if he gets too excited and let the other dog sniff him out and vice versa if the other dog is not willing to allow him to sniff naturally.

 

[Flutterby]

When Sid (bfs pitbull) and Toby played, you'd think we had a pitbull fighting ring... No cries, yelps, nothing... I have some videos around here somewhere.. Just don't have the energy to dig them out right now.. They would body slam each other and knock each other down hills.. Toby would side blind Sid every chance he got.. And just the play noises they'd make.. Gooddnesss... No harm was ever done though so thats a plus.. Just read her body language..

eta - Sid suffered scratches and what not from Toby and puppy teeth easily break skin.. And Mia always left marks on Toby's neck..

 

[Michelle]

Tyson is always in other dogs faces as well, he always goes back for more.  I never let it get to the growling stage, that scares me!!  But Tyson always goes for the face (I guess that is just a boxer for you).  And Ty only likes big dogs, he dominates small dogs.  So I would love to hear other people's comments as well...

 

[Guest]

I introduced Jetta to a 1.5 year old pit the other day...she licked and played and tried to climb on him...he made some like grunt/growl noises but never showed his teeth and his tail was wagging...one time he lunged at her, but I wasn't sure if he was playing or not...I didn't take any chances since he is 55 lbs and she is 8.5-9...but...i know Jetta can be rough and when she plays with me she barks, growls, mouths etc..and when she plays witht the cat she does the same thing...I think as long as they are not growling with their teeth showing, it's just play and not aggression

 

[Alicia]

There was no teeth or growling until the very end.  That's when I broke it up.  We took them inside gave them water and a treat, then I took Lola home.  But she didn't want to leave!  The 4 month old is more aggressive, she kept biting Lola's neck.  When I stepped in a few times I got some teeth to my leg..like she was trying to get Lola but got me instead.  She didn't clamp down, no marks or bruises on me....but those teeth were sharp!  I just find it very odd that they like to play this way and I was upset when I saw so many marks on Lola.  Of course...being white EVERYTHING shows up on her!

 

[Kate]

I'd like to hear what Liz says too.  Sophie and Kane play very rough, both of them growling and biting at each other, they sound like they are trying to kill each other, but no blood is ever drawn, although Kane's face is scratched up and Sophie always has a knot on her body from one of his teeth.  I asked my vet and she just laughed and said they were playing and not to worry, but I am worried if this keeps up until she is grown they could really hurt each other.  If I break up their horseplay because I think Kane's being too rough, Sophie just does the little boxer bow and lunges at him and starts the whole thing over again.  Should I stop them or just let them go at it????????  (sorry not trying to steal your thread, but hope this is along the same lines as what you're asking).

 

[samsonsmom]

Buck and Tia used to go at it, all in play mind you and you would have thought they were trying to destroy each other..And yes, they did have little nicks, and scrapes as well..Knowing your dogs will go a long way to being able to know when it's out of control, but yea, the little bites and scrapes are pretty normal...When Samson & Angel go at it, it's a lot more subdued as Samson doesn't know how to play, but he's downed Angel a couple times when she's gotten out of hand and she ended up with a small scratch once...