A question about wrestling... - Page 2

My husband is also the wrestler in our family! Somehow it is a 'man' thing. If we want our dogs to stop we also have an 'enough' command.

How do your dogs react to you and your spouse play fighting? My spouse and I sometimes goof around and our female gets very agitated and starts barking at us. It is somewhat amusing!

Another thing that we do with our dogs is if the dogs are playing too rough, I tell them to 'go downstairs'. We have rules that no one is allowed to rough house upstairs! (I love my hardwood floors too much still as they are new!) The dogs listen very well and either go downstairs and play together or stop their silliness.

Not a criticism but I don't think the benefits are in favor of the dog. Seems more like a comfort for the human.

I'm curious gsdlvr2, have you ever experienced your dogs inviting you to play? I can honestly say that 85% of the time my girl is the one who instigates play, though I am always the one to end it. She's so happy to see me when I come home from work that she's all wiggles. When I'm the one intiating play, I ask if she's interested by going into the human version of a play bow - stooping low to the floor and giving her  a smile, if she want's to play she comes on over and starts right in, if she's not interested, I let her be. I would never force a dog to play, not only do I think that's impossible because a dog just walks away or ignores you if they are not interested, but also what fun would there be in forcing her to interact with me?

Sigh.

After spending all day in a kennel, or working hard , I think its as theraputic for the dog as it is for me.

And thats not even what I really mean. 

I dont think I could explain it well enough that I would change someones mind so I wont .

I am a gsdlvr................too

My kids are too powerful for me to play wrestle....puppie even get too much for me   maybe if I were 25 years younger but even back then, my working lines get to tough too quick and the time is so short it doesnt do me or them any good...just half an arm bleeding and legs and backs and necks , too... My son wrestles with his big male, but he has a stern hand on him and when he say    aaaaaannnhhhnnn,,,,Blaize better back it off..and he wears a welders glove and a big quilted jacket when he wrestles with him.....

I do play with tugs , kongs and tools of the trade.....and even then I have almost lost fingers, hands and parts of my body,,,as they just  get too hard and too fast and too much for me...  Its not fun to have to put on a body suit to play with a dog.....for them yes,,,me  no...

hey if you don't like to, you don't like to