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Cautious when playing with other Dogs?

1K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  AutumnLynn 
#1 ·
Are you guys cautious with letting you Chi's play with other dogs?

I highly am and tend to freak out and not let my Autumn play with other dogs that are bigger.

There is only one dog I trust that she can play with and that's my Fox Terrier mix. He knows the limits and stops before it goes to far with playing.

But my sister has this puppy that came from the same place as Autumn but he is this Min Pin thing. And he can go just too far. Like I tried to let them play once and he grabbed Autjmns leg and started yanking it. So of course I don't let her play with him anymore....

But then my family goes on telling me I'm redic for not letting them play. But I don't want her to get injured. It has just become frustrating bc I just always hear how I don't treat Autumn like a dog but a human.

And I don't know if I should just let her play... Bc she's always excited to just let it go or not to let her play.
 
#2 ·
I understand you being protective as chihuahuas are so tiny! I do let mine play with other dogs (even big ones, if they're relatively calm), but I'm very selective. Some dogs, big or small, just don't know how to act around other dogs lol and I don't let them anywhere near big hyper dogs who could trample on them.

When you say your sister's puppy grabbed her legs, was it in an aggressive way? Was Autumn scared? My chis always bite and grab each other's legs like that when playing. Or ears, tails, etc. lol They'll even grab each other's harnesses and drag each other around. lol It can look a bit violent to us sometimes, but it's just playful. But if that dog goes too far, then I understand.
 
#3 ·
I was the exact same with my Pablo, it all depends on the dog some dogs have fantastic manners and owners who understand how small my babies are but if they're too big and hyperactive no matter how friendly its a quick sniff hello and i'll continue. I never scoop mine up unless its very much needed which I've only had to once and it wasnt the other dogs fault Pablo got a bit freaked and snapped who thought i'd have to lift a chihuahua to protect a bull terrier lol?

You do have to let her mix with other dogs I know its hard but its a must for socialisation unless you want a fearful pup. I found it very hard to let my fear go and allow him to play but its the best thing I've ever done. You'll find chi's are very smart and they will move out the way of other big dogs when things get too boisterous. Just be extra vigilant and assess every interaction and always be aware. Ive never had a problem with my two with any other dogs really! I do find Pablo and Neeva will let me know if they aren't comfortable in the situation, dogs really are smart cookies.
 
#4 ·
Exactly, she is so tiny. I do feel like I need to protect her because she is smaller and tends to keep antagonizing the other dogs. LOL.

But she does play with my Fox Terrier mix a lot and sometimes my other dog.

But I get a very aggressive vibe from my sisters puppy. When he was yanking on Autumn's leg it was in an aggressive behavior and she was beginning to yelp but he just kept going.

I just feel I'm more frustrated then anything like I said as well. Just my family doesn't understand and they seem to always be taunting me for not letting Autumn play with the puppy. Which I get if I didn't let her play with any dogs... But I do...

This particular pup I'm just selective over I suppose.
 
#6 ·
I let mine play with other dogs, but i supervise at all times.
When dogs play it is like a conversation in doggy body language. as long as both dogs are listening and being respectful of what the other dog is 'saying' the play will not get out of hand even if there is a huge size discrepancy between the dogs. One of Harley's best friends when he was a puppy was an Irish Wolfhound who was the same age. She was enormous, but they played together beautifully.
When one dog starts ignoring the other dogs wishes is when things can go very wrong. There needs to be mutual respect, and many dogs are just not respectful lol.
 
#7 ·
I completely understand that, I see how the respect comes into play.

My sister's seems to not have a lot respect, heck I forgot to mention the he bit my other bigger dog's ear and left a notched in it.

I don't know if he is just a puppy and hasn't learn. But I don't feel comfortable with him.

I'm honestly worried about letting him play with Autumn even with me supervising just incase I'm still too late. I don't know how to explain this to my family.

LOL they tend to tell me I shouldn't of gotten such a fragile pup. Lol but I got my puppy first!! Haha. My sister or family didn't want a dog until I got one!!
 
#8 ·
Maybe only let them play when the other dog has already been exercised, so he isn't full of energy, and stop the session as soon as Autumn is not happy.
He sounds like he could benefit from playing with an older well mannered dog who will teach him some manners.
Chis are fragile, I would rather my family were ticked off than one of my dogs injured or killed, even if it was by accident. Your dog, so your choice
 
#9 ·
Exactly. Autumn is my pup and my choice of what is allowed to do.

I think that was kind of a vent post.

I just don't want anything to happen to my little girl.

I keep telling my family I'll rather you guys be mad instead of being for getting a puncture tendon fix or something like that.

After hearing for y'all I'm going to stick to my guns on this one.
 
#10 ·
Yep screw them - better they be annoyed (they'll get over it, and how can they not possibly understand your concern with such a tiny pup?) than to have something bad happen to Autumn. For my hubby and I, our choices of who our dogs socialize with are based solely on individual personality, not on size. Heck, Gizmo actually PREFERS large dogs. His BFF outside his siblings is a Great Dane/Mastiff of my sister's, and he's been known to rough house with Great Danes and giant Greyhounds on walks. It's not the size that matters so much, it's about how they play and their temperaments. It's also very hard to be NOT protective of such small dogs when it comes to Chis. I'm pretty laid back with my guys - they're dogs, they get treated as such, and I don't baby them TOO much. But they are never left outdoors on their own, not even in our back yard. There is simply too much that can go wrong. All it takes is one tiny hole in the fence for them to find, or an eagle, owl, or even a raven to fly by overhead and make a meal out of them. I have an EXTREMELY hard time leaving them alone with anyone, even my most trusted friends and family - because unless you're tiny dog people, you just don't quite "get" the the differences in caring for them vs. a "regular" sized dog. They're just so TINY, even an innocent mistake or accident could be devastating.

So YES - hold your ground. If you're not comfortable with her playing with certain dogs, that's up to you. Just don't shelter her too completely or you'll create a timid, scared and insecure pup :)
 
#11 ·
I will socialize her with other dogs. But just be selective. Heck she loves playing with dogs. She gets all excited! So don't want to deprive her of socializing. Which I try not too, just the only dogs she is around is my 2 dogs (that she plays with) and my sisters pup.

But I want her to get more play time, maybe a dog park or chihuahua meet up or something.

Just like you said thou one innocent action to hurt or kill her.
 
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