i have a 2 yr. old husky and adopted a 1 yr.old. It has been a week with the two together.I cant tell if they are playing or what. my old dog kinda makes a growling sound when wrestling with the new one. and they show there teeth a little. help please. i might need to take the new one back before he gets comfortable.
2006-11-20 05:08:40 · 16 answers · asked by owned by a siberian husky 4 in Pets ➔ Dogs
When dogs play they wag their tails. They will growl at each other and show their teeth abit (my rottwiler does this when I play with her! Though she never bites.). Another clue is if they stop for a second before resuming play in a position with their front of the body to the ground and the butts up in the air. That's the "lets play" body language. Look at the image below. Usually the body is lower to the ground but this is a good example.
http://cache.solutionsmanagement.com.au/images/1033-220x800-macca_and_ball.jpg
Just keep an eye out for broken skin and hair being ripped out as well as tender spots around the area they are biting.
2006-11-20 06:08:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dog play can be loud, with snapping, snarling and growling. If you wind up with a dog with puncture wounds, or you can't divert their attention, it is a fight.
If they respond to you when you call them, do so.
Look for raised hair on the back/neck area. And if the dogs stare intently at each other, or one stares at the other intently, separate immmediately. These are signals that a fight may break out.
Toys, food, treats, and your affection are all likely causes of aggression. See what seems to trigger your dogs "fight" by watching their interaction around certain things. If you see them start to fight, you'll know the culprit and immediately remove it.
Also, it takes time for a new dog and old dog to get accustomed to each other. Do not leave them unsupervised togethere if you are concerned about a fight. If one "humps" the other one, they are trying to assert dominance and pack order.
If your dogs are in an all out brawl, be very careful about separating them! It can cause you to get bit seriously.
http://www.libertydogtraining.com
2006-11-20 05:19:13 · answer #2 · answered by libertydogtraining 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look for a wagging tail. If they don't have one, and their ears are layed back on their head, they are most likely fighting. Dogs do growl when they play, but showing of the teeth, I am not sure that that is within the playing catagory.
2006-11-20 05:44:54 · answer #3 · answered by zen_wolf12 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
search on the internet to learn about "dog language" or behavior and what dog-expressions mean what. I could tell you if I saw them but this is the only sure way for you to know for yourself. Just because dogs growl, it doesn't always mean they are fighting, although in your case (povided the little information you gave) it seems that the older dog is letting the little one know who's more dominant. Possibly could also be from jealousy if you pay way more attention to the pup and no attention to the older dog after the older dog is used to getting all the attention.
2006-11-20 05:13:38 · answer #4 · answered by Mike D 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are establishing who is the dominate "Alpha". Most cases this is settled between them in a couple of weeks of living together. Sometimes it never is and rarely leads to seroious injury or even death.
It's nature at work. Don't forget....YOU are the Alpha dog and need to establish your dominance regularly. A good method is to whack each one with a rolled up newspaper when they get aggressive followed by a big group hug with lots of brisk rubs. When you exert your dominance as the leader of the pack, the struggle between them becomes less important.
2006-11-20 05:35:31 · answer #5 · answered by DJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is your new one a husky also? Wait until you see if the 2 year old will accept the younger one. Think maybe they are just going for the, I'm better than you are, no your not I'm better than you are thing. Eventually they will settle down, but please keep an eye out. Maybe not a macho thing, but definitely a territorial thing. Good Luck
2006-11-20 05:38:44 · answer #6 · answered by lin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try learning about dog body language. If you learn this then you will be able to read your dogs SO much better. Dogs like most other animals communicate through body language. The sooner you understand this the more you will understand your pets.
Here check out this site. It has some good info and some descriptions of what to look for
http://www.dogfocused.com/dog-behavior/dog-body-language.php
2006-11-20 05:18:09 · answer #7 · answered by Kamunyak 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it only growls a little and shows its teeth, it may just be sending a warning, but I don't think they are fighting. If you hear loud snarling and the dog's movement becomes more forceful, than their definitely fighting.
2006-11-20 05:13:43 · answer #8 · answered by DJ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are probably playing/working out the alpha order of the house. In general, as long as neither is yelping, everything is fine. Even if there is yelping, but the other backs off immediately, its no big deal.
2006-11-20 05:15:30 · answer #9 · answered by meggs4 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can basically see the difference in playing or fighting if they play fighting gets too rough and they continue to show their teeth and growl then i would seperate them for awhile giving them time to cool down.. its trial and error..foxi
2006-11-20 05:15:47 · answer #10 · answered by psychicfiles 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋