Roughhousing with Dogs & Puppies

Many people like to play a little rough with their puppies, but, what does roughhousing mean to the future of the dog, to its behavior as it gets older and bigger?

Is roughhousing with your pup a fun time or will it be a regret later on?

Can there be a happy balance between roughhousing and calmness?

Let’s look at some things.

Just like humans, a dog’s experiences shape the kind of personality they will have as they age. Dogs treated nicely by people since their puppyhood grow to believe, or learn, that humans are kind and behave accordingly. It stands to reason than that a dog that has been treated roughly by people since they were young, will believe, or learn, that all people can’t always be expected to be kind and grow to be conditioned to that behavior style.

That being said, the first choice you must make in raising your puppy is, what kind of dog you want? Do you want a family pet or a police dog? Or a combination of both? Whatever the answer, everyone who comes in contact with that dog must treat them accordingly, or, be aware of the dog’s personality. Dog owners are responsible for their pets for entire life of the animal, and that means being responsible for the people who care for and associate with that dog.

Dogs have no way of understanding human priorities so it is not fair to the dog to raise him in a rough way and then punish them when he behaves this way at the wrong time. Therefore, dogs must be taught how to be calm or rowdy at the appropriate times.

This happy balance can be struck by the dog owner using simple voice commands such as, “sit” or, “down” but can also be reached by physical training techniques. There is a possible solution called, “Active and Settle.”

The, “active” side can include retrieving, jumping, and other moderate exercise. “Settle” is teaching the dog how to sit-stay and down-stay, among other quiet activities. Following this regimented approach allows you to, on cue, control the behavior so the dog knows what is expected of him, whether he is calm or roughhousing. It also establishes your leadership role in a puppy’s life.

Like many other situations as a pet owner, if you don’t train the dog to understand your expectations, or make him distrust and fear your actions, you may be unhappy with the outcome. If you provide the correct training and the correct experiences, you will get the dog you want. You can be proud of him, and yourself, for this positive step.

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