Well, it was fun while it lasted

[barry581]

No more bitey face and chase play for Sophie and Bruce in the back yard. When these two play, it's full on, full contact, full speed take no prisoners bitey face. Now that Bruce can run like a big boy, the collisions they have are like two NFL linemen hitting. Today Bruce came hauling ass around the shed only to find Sophie waiting for him, he tried to jump over her, she hits him, and he deflects off the big tree that's back there. As I saw it happening, I cringed just knowing what was going to happen. Luckily it was a glancing blow with the tree, albeit a pretty hard one, and no one was hurt. Could have been really ugly though.

I've been working hard on having them stop playing when I give the "ENOUGH" command, and it works 100% of the time in the house. Maybe 50% in the yard. Once they are in full speed mode, there is no listening. If I can catch them when the pause for a second, give them and "ENOUGH" and can recall them.

The yard is just realistically too small for two big, fast dogs to be running full speed, and trying to train them to listen at full speed is proving next to impossible.

[ChoppersDad]

Good luck with this issue. I know exactly what you are talking about. Chopper and Sarg go at it pretty hard also. Glad to hear Bruce is ok. Let me know, if you find a way to slow down two labs in full out combat mode.

[SunDance]

I hear you. Sunnie and Danny are not allowed to play outdoors where they can build up speed.

Sunnie chases Dan and pulls his legs out from under him.

Danny circles back and body-slams Sunnie.

Somebody always ends up limping.

At least in the house it's only bitey-face, chasing, and tug-of-war.

[Snowshoe]

You do have to stop them before one gets hurt. We watched happily as Jet and Laddie tore around a football field. It was all good till they got near the goal posts. Nope, nobody got hurt but we realized how quickly it might happen. Lucky for us the easy way to prevent that was for us to not stand near the goal posts. It's hardly ever so easy as that. Why can't they all just want to wrestle? That doesn't seem to have as much hurt potential as full run body slams.

[Labradorks]

I hear ya! And Sam is the worst. He's like the guy from the Blindside movie. Just doesn't know his size and strength.

[kelsyg]

Tell me about it!

[POPTOP]

OUCH! It's hard seeing it going to happen; all you can do is cringe. Archie is our only butt tucker so I'm the one trying to move out of the way as he makes his crazy moves.

[barry581]

I feel bad for them because they both love it so much. I've had a couple instances where the go down and slide into the fence, or shed, but this was the first time one hit something at full stride. Sophie is fast, and watching her accelerate and change directions is a thing of beauty. While Bruce is running like a big boy, and he's very fast, he doesn't have near the body control Sophie has, and that's what causes the problems, she knows what she can do, he's still learning, and that is a recipe for one of them getting hurt, and I can't have that.

I was talking with my wife yesterday and telling her I was thinking about stopping the madness. I knew it was coming, and I'm just very happy Bruce didn't get hurt. Honestly, I'm still amazed he didn't get hurt the way he hit that tree.

On a side note, I took him to the dog park today, and he was able to experience water for the first time. He didn't actually swim, but he didn't drown either!!! I had him off leash and he was very good. Even had a jogger go by, and Bruce eyed him, but a quick "let's go" and he followed me immediately!! I was very proud of him. I figure another couple trips and he will figure out the whole swimming thing!

[Labradorks]

Sam was chasing Linus through a thicket of somewhat thin trees. It used to be a lake bottom until it was drained five years ago. Linus was all stealthy and made his way through. Sam, not so much. He went head-first into one of them. Luckily they are bendable. If it was a cartoon he would've been an accordian. I know it had to hurt because he stopped. Shook it off. Then ran to mom.

[happy_blackbird]

Wow, this sounds familiar to me, too! Ellie is a face biting grizzly bear with her puppy friends from class. I can't believe how hard they play, how fast they run, and force with which they body slam one another and then come back for more! I think now that they are all getting their big kid bodies, it's a a good time to step in and moderate. She only plays this hard with this one group that she has known since she was 12 weeks old (thank goodness). Every single Saturday, Ellie comes home form her playdate with a laceration, puncture, or some other kind of (thankfully) superficial wound. Thanks goodness there's nothing for them to slam into, otherwise we would have to change her name to Head Wound Harry.

I'm so glad Sophia and Bruce are a-ok! Trees be dangerous!