Puppy playing too rough with other dogs

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Angie98 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone, I have a little Jura Hound who is 8 months old. She is absolutely lovely with people and not at all aggressive, but when she plays with other dogs, she has a tendency to play nicely for a bit and then tries to dominate her playmate. She doesn't do it with every dog, but mostly with puppies aged one and under; she growls, pins them down and grabs the scruff of their neck (without breaking the skin) until the other dog submits. After that, she starts playing again, but if the other dog does something she doesn't like, she starts all over again. The other dog never yelps and always comes back for more, but I'm worried she'll end up becoming properly aggressive and that things will get out of hand. Does anyone have any advice for me? Usually, when she starts behaving like this and doesn't settle down, I separate her and don't let her play again until she's calm, but she always ends up doing it again.

Thanks in advance :)

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    • Leeleebijou
    Leeleebijou Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, Your dog seems to have some pushy tendencies, which is linked to her getting over-excited. You’ll need to try and anticipate this and get back to a calm walk before it reaches the point where you have to separate them. By structuring your walks with a mix of play, walking, and sniffing time, she should eventually learn how to settle herself back down.
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    Docline
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    Just be careful if the other dog is very young or quite old, but otherwise, let your little madam get put in her place properly; other dogs are the best ones to teach her some manners.

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    A
    Angie98 Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your reply :) She really struggles to accept when the other dog has had enough and doesn't want to play anymore, so she keeps pestering him. If the other dog puts her in her place and makes it clear he’s done, she stops, but if he doesn’t tell her off and just tries to walk away, she’ll keep following him and nudging him to play, or even growling if he refuses. I usually step in and separate them at that point because the other dog clearly isn't comfortable. Is this the right way to handle it? Or is there a better way I should be reacting?

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    Kikaah
    Kikaah Icon representing the flag French
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    I’d say that as long as the other dog doesn't seem uncomfortable, there’s no reason to step in. Just keep a close eye on the body language signals from the dog she’s playing with. If you feel your girl is getting a bit too worked up, though, stop the play for a bit. There’s no real reason why this sort of play would make her aggressive later on, as long as she respects dogs who don't want to play or who want to stop—provided the communication is good! ^^
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