You know I had to dissect the one instance from our time with LuLu where Lilly gave the youngster a correction. I’m glad I got it on video so that I could really look at the sequence. I’m calling it Anatomy of a Puppy Correction. While I’ve broken out clips and added transitions, which make the video around 2:30 minutes, the actual encounter was just over 1 minute in real time. I’m not sure if it’s a matter of too many running bumps in quick succession or if there may have been razor-like puppy teeth used. I tend to think so since Lilly really whips around suddenly. So, this is either a lesson in Enough is Enough OR a lesson in Bite Inhibition (since pups need to learn just how hard they can and cannot chomp on their playmates).
Again, I muted the sound on everything except the real time clip of the correction because the constant praise of both dogs gets annoying. BUT, I wanted you to be able to hear that specific encounter. Then, you can watch it again in super-slow-motion and see just what Lilly did in response.
Ultimately, there was no harm, no foul. Just an adult dog teaching a pup a thing or two. At least, that’s how it seemed to me and Betsy (the two dog moms present).
(Side Note: I spent a lot of time as a kid with my mom’s mom who watched a lot of The Lawrence Welk Show, hence the ah one, ah two.)
Without further ado, I present Anatomy of a Puppy Correction:
So then what happened? Did bratty little aussie pup get the hint and back off?
Ha! She did learn (over time) to not be so pushy. Here is a link to an updated post about a later visit. Alas … they’ve moved out of our valley and down into the city, so we don’t have easy access to Lulu for ongoing interaction.
I had no idea sitting was a calming signal, though I can understand why it is in the context of this video. I learn something new every time I come to your blog, Roxanne.
I wish you and Lilly many more successful play days with Lulu. I hope this is the start of a long friendship.
Oh my gosh, I love this blog! I’m so glad I found it. I smell another “Marley and Me”!
I agree. Lilly is very tolerant, and yes (KB) she offers all kinds of calming signals — She looks away. She walks away. She sits. She sniffs the ground, and in other videos, you can see her lift a paw. Lilly shows some really good skills around LuLu.
I wish there was a way to carry this tolerance and coping over to bigger, older dogs … rather than reacting on first approach like she does so often.
BUT, it’s a start. I’d like her to practice with LuLu when she is young so that should we get a really young dog when Lilly is older it won’t be as much of a shock.
I liked how Lilly tried a ‘sit’ after one of Lulu’s early attacks on her tail. That’s a calming signal, I think. Lilly also laid right down after her correction – perhaps to avoid scaring Lulu too much.
Wow! Lilly was incredibly tolerant and totally appropriate in the way she let Lulu know that enough was enough.
Lily was very tolerant for a very long time. She gave a correction that was totally appropriate for a pack animal. I give Lily an A+.