Observations on Gigi and Playing

Logan is a Rottie of 2 plus years old, male, and very very good natured. He was just introduced to Gigi this last Thursday. However, she had seen him from her crate on and off since the first day that she has been here.

I had noticed that Gigi had quieted down about playing. I assumed she may just have 1) had her fill for awhile 2) observing and figuring it out with some newcomers and 3) may just have not been in the mood.

Watching her today with Logan, I realized she had been worrying about him and trying to figure him out. He is big, and he plays by rushing and tackling. Something I figured all along Gigi was not going to like. I had kept Logan from doing that to Gigi.

So today and yesterday (but not as much), she has been absolutely pestering Logan in specific to play with her. First she does the nose bump. Another dog, Gus, who is also dog aggressive due to fear, would do this before playing with one.

A quick bump, then a play bow to go get her, then a little run away because she isn't sure she is ready. Couple of times she gave Logan a back off bark or show of teeth, but then was fine when Logan did just that. All the dogs here today, except perhaps my own Jack, have excellent socialization skills (well and Gigi to of course).

Gigi looks like she sort of wants to play rough and tumble, and because of her "socially challenged" behavior with the wrong dog this could be the wrong play. As all the dogs know that they are safe here, they tend to look at other dogs play more open minded, and they have had lots of exposure to different kinds of play and differently tempermented dogs.

Leon, for instance, wants to heel on the other side of Gigi when we go to the beach to comfort her. I have to make him go away from me so she can stand a bit on her own. On the other hand, I want her to get some comfort from Leon, AND observe him playing with the other dogs. She is still not sure what all that is. I doubt she has EVER, not only with her owners, had much contact at all with other dogs or that contact was mostly traumatic. It almost seems to be a surprise to her that she can enjoy other dogs.

Another thing she seems to want to do to Logan in particular, and not anyone else is hump him. I always stop this immediately no matter who is doing the humping. I don't know whether it's dominance on Gigi's part or an inappropriate play style (she has witnessed the dogs doing it to each other on occasion before I stop them). Either way, it will really piss some other dog off some day who is not familiar with her. So I never encourage it, even if a dog means it playfully for whatever reason. Zeek was kind of like this. Sometimes they just get so excited that they are playing.

Gigi starts her play by going over to a dog very forwardly. She has stamping feet though, and she kicks out her back feet. Then she poinks them with her nose on the neck. In poor snoozing Loggie's case today, she paws him relentlessly until he gets up to play with her AGAIN. Her and Loggie have also been exchanging kisses during the day. Interestingly enough, Logan adopted his playstyle to be less threatening to Gigi. In specific, she doesn't like the jump up on top of her. When she gets anxious, I call her back to me, and then she may eithe resume playing or take her place behind me at the computer and take a nap. It's all these little nuiances that Gigi is figuring out in dog socialization, and there are probably a million more that just more experience and exposure are going to show her.

I have figured out the problem I have had with filming her, is every time my attention goes in her direction, she thinks I am going to call her to me. So she comes, and the play stops. So tomorrow, I will set up my camera at the ready so I can do it a bit more subtely.