[deapee]

OK I need to get some professional advice on this once and for all...because I keep hearing different things from different people.

My boxer, Ares, is 4 years old...and was a rescue who I got about a month ago.  He definitely likes to play rough, and I like to play rough with him.  I'll put my arm up and he'll just put his mouth near my arm, and I'll push him around a little, maybe grab him by the neck and so on...at any time if I say "NO" or "SIT" he stops and sits, so I'm always in control...

So anyway, my girlfriend, my mother, and my sister all say I shouldn't play rough with him.  Of course all my friends who are guys think it's cool and say he's tough lol.

Ares definitely doesn't even think about doing anything like that with any of the ladies in my life, and he's never gotten out of control at any time.

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Anyway, is this "rough-playing" detrimental to his well-being, if so, I'd obviously stop for sure...There's no doubt I could control him if he got out of line too, so I mean I wouldn't worry about that...and I mean I kind of think the rough playing reminds him that he listens to me and shows him that I'm much tougher than him you know?

Thanks...any and all opinions are welcome.

 

[samsonsmom]

I'm sure that there will be some interestings responses to this, but here's my take...Know your boxer....My first 2 boxers, Buck & Tia were taught that they never played rough with Momma, that was written in stone....Now with my ex, they could play as rough as they wanted and they did...We never had any problems with excess aggression. They would sound like they were going for the "kill: and I could calmly say "ok, guys that's enuf, come see momma" and they would immeadiately stop, and come over to me and give me kisses, no aggression at all....Some dogs can handle that, some cannot, that's why I say, you need to know your dog...We also raised them both from pups, so we knew their behaviors and could read them well.....If Ares can "turn it off and on" so to speak with people and they are comfortable with it, then I don't think it's a problem. If he knows not to play that way with females, than that's a very good thing....It's not so much a matter of being tougher than your dog, it's supposed to be "play" and if he recognizes it as such, it's a way for you to bond with him that your g/f cannot...My 2 loved their rough play time with dad, it was important to them, but like i said, they knew when to shut it off.

 

[Sugarray]

We just got a pup recently and he is 14 weeks and this is our first dog and I am no expert, but I have read alot and from what I read, as long as you can control  and you dont have any kids, it's up to you.  I personally would never let him think it's ok to even mouth, but I have 2 small children (4 and 7).  But a big way dogs communicate is with their mouths.  Ask your vet..

 

[deapee]

Thanks, yeah...I enjoy playing rough with him...and I think it's more of a bonding thing for him too.  I'm looking forward to more opinions, etc.  Keep them coming.

 

[southerngirls]

My opinion is not to play rough when they are younger, but once they get older and are well trained i dont have an issue with it. While they are still learning right from wrong and things like that i feel it is confusing to make it seem like it is ok to play rough with one person but not another. as they get older though they learn the difference in people they are around, and are trained to "stop" or whatnot. Since he is 4  now i dont really that big of an issue, especially if he is trained well even to stop rough-housing when told

 

[15842]

I would say as long as you are always in control and you always decide when  it is over then all is good.  I've been wrestling with Ringer more in the last week and we both love it and the last couple times he has gone to his back, displayed his belly and covered me with kisses.

 

[deapee]

Yeah...OK thanks for the help.  Any more advice, I'm listening.

 

[Kate]

I am new to boxers too, but I think I would agree with Willow on know your dog.  I'm just not sure you can know your dog in that short time.  My Kane is a rescue too and he is gentle with me.  However, my son, who has raised and trained two boxers, plays rough with him and then Kane thinks it's okay to do that to me.  I am not strong enough to have him come flying at me through the air with all fours like we're playing tackle football.  And although he just bounces off my son, he would flatten me.  So, I think it's knowing and trusting your boxer as well as who he will be around.  Kane and I  are still a work in progress and I'm not able to say after a couple months that I know how he will react in any given situation.   But that's me and not you.