Interesting blog post on how dogs do not see humans as dogs... evidence? Play.

[Dekka]

I came across this. Its an interesting angle I had never thought about. But once I read it it, it I could recognize this in my house.

Do dogs view humans as members of the pack? Part 1: PLAY - Mary Huntsberry ~ Dog, Cat, and Animal Behaviorist in Gaithersburg, Maryland

More Differences Between Dog-Dog vs. Dog-Human Play - Mary Huntsberry ~ Dog, Cat, and Animal Behaviorist in Gaithersburg, Maryland

 

[dachshunds4me]

Veronica enjoys romps with dogs, a lot, but will bring rope toys for us to play 'tug' with. Something she doesn't do with other dogs.
Other dogs can't throw balls for them, either

 

[CharlieDog]

Very interesting. Now that it's been pointed out, I see that same thing here in our four dog household. Though certain dogs are more likely to instigate play with the other dogs, they also try to instigate play with humans more than the other dogs.

 

[Danefied]

My dogs play very differently with me than they do with each other, and thank goodness for that!! They play ROUGH with each other!!

I'll be referencing these blogs though because I for one am sick of hearing about how you should scruff a puppy for play biting because that's what the dam (or fellow pack members) would do. The dam would also lick said puppy's butt to help him poop but interestingly these same people never advocate that.

 

[Romy]

I'll be referencing these blogs though because I for one am sick of hearing about how you should scruff a puppy for play biting because that's what the dam (or fellow pack members) would do. The dam would also lick said puppy's butt to help him poop but interestingly these same people never advocate that.

:rofl1::rofl1::rofl1::rofl1::rofl1:

I'm going to suggest that next time someone tries to tell me how to be the dominant dog in my household.

 

[Dekka]

My dogs play very differently with me than they do with each other, and thank goodness for that!! They play ROUGH with each other!!

I'll be referencing these blogs though because I for one am sick of hearing about how you should scruff a puppy for play biting because that's what the dam (or fellow pack members) would do. The dam would also lick said puppy's butt to help him poop but interestingly these same people never advocate that.

LOL!!

Though I haven't had that many litters (only 3) but have raised more than a few puppies in a group environment. I have NEVER seen a dog scruff another. Dekka will grab her puppies by the nose, (often as not it was part of play). Yet these same puppies at approaching 2 will run up to the older dogs and stick their muzzles in the older dog's mouth. If you grab my dogs by the muzzle, nose and let go, they think its an invitation to play, they don't see it as punitive. (except for Kaiden, he is very soft, plays with no one and was removed from his litter at 5 weeks)

 

[Danefied]

I think how we interpret what we see dogs doing to each other is so clouded sometimes by our own training biases... I mean, two people can see a wolf's submissive display and one sees a dog creating conflict and forcibly pushing the other to the ground, while the other person sees the submissive dog appeasing the dominant one and preventing further conflict. Is the glass half full or half empty?

But either way its probably as ill-advised to try to pretend to be a dog when interacting with your dog as it is to try to speak Spanish by adding an "o" to the end of English words. ('Cause to say "idiot" you have to add an "a" )