Why don't my puppies ever just leave each other alone? HELP!

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

I have 2 English Bulldog puppies, Django (9 months) and Winnie (5.5 months). They are both very sweet, but it seems as though they can never just hang out together without play fighting almost constantly. Is this normal? We got Django in September when he was 8 weeks old and got Winnie in February when she was 9 weeks old, so they've known each other since February and it is still a reoccurring issue. It's becoming an issue because it makes it very difficult for us to let them both roam the house or even just sit and watch TV with us together. One always has to be outside or in their crate while the other gets to roam, then they switch... and I hate that! I feel so bad that I feel as thought we are always just switching between the yard, the crate, and brief moments of relaxing inside with us. It sucks for them and it sucks for us, I want them to just be normal! Is this just normal puppy playing? Will it ever stop? I just want them to be normal pups so we can let them inside all the time and even sleep with us instead of their crates, they're potty trained now but we just don't trust that they wont crash through the whole house while wrestling 24/7 as they do. I know this is wordy and slightly confusing but if anyone has experience with having two puppies at a similar age gap, please help!!

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, yes this is very normal. I also have two EB's, they are siblings and litter mates, male and female. They just turned 2 in February, and for the most part are starting to settle down more when they are together. When they were puppies, they did exactly the same thing when they were together. They would play rough with each other, and chew on each others legs and ears, they would do the typical bully Ram, and smash Into each other, and play tug of war with their toys. They do settle down and outgrow it, but you can reduce the horseplay in the house, by taking them to the park and letting them run off steam outside. We were lucky enough to live behind a nature trail and park, and we would take our guys to the park early in the morning, and in the evenings when it was cooler out and let them loose for a run for 15 or 20 minutes twice a day. They got to play together, chase a ball, and get rid of their energy, so when we were at home they were tuckered out, and would lay more with us than they would play.

 

[2BullyMama]

at this age, it is what they do.... it will settle down in time, but probably not what you want to hear... :D going to tag some two bully owners for you and they can give some advice

 

[brutus77]

This is really normal. Mine are 1and 2 yrs ols and they play constantly. Toys and play fighting. We take all toys away around 730 pm and they now know it's time to settle. Yours are very young so you might have a little way to go but you can try. Take all toys away and if they have a spot where they like to relax, tell them to go there. We tell brutus "on the couch" and frankie "on the chair" (which is a recliner/rocker). They know these are their chill spots and all play stops. Until we got to this point though, we just put the tv volume on 40.

 

[Davidh]

Yep, like others have said, it is totally normal. They will eventually out grown this and settle down, but not for a year or so.

 

[Tooleysmom]

Totally normal. Like Brutus77 Buster is 1 and Miss Tallulah is 2 and they are just starting to chill a little bit. As long as their play mirrors, they do shake offs and no one squeals in real pain it is just natural puppy play. Biting each other's legs is a normal part of canine play Turning up the tv volume is my fallback when things get a little wild. Lots of outdoor play and walks really help. But occasionally I just distract them when they get wound up , I call them over to a different part of the house with some training treats and do some training to distract them. Lots of "sits" and "downs" and "stays" "comes " and "leave its" and "not yours". They get right into it. It is brain work so it tires them out for awhile.

 

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

Thank you all so much for all the advice! I am actually relieved to hear that this is all normal behavior, I was worried that they were too wild and that if I let them play that way, it'd be encouraging inappropriate behavior. Now that I know it's normal, I will just let them do their thing, even if I hate it!! I'm so unfamiliar with puppy play (especially that of EBs) and get so nervous when they are biting at each other like this! Sometimes it almost looks like they're trying to violently french kiss each other... ayiyiyi! Anyhow, thank you all so much, you really put my mind to ease on this matter!! :D

PS... the "bully ram" is like the WORST form of play ever! It's knocked our sliding glass door out of alignment hundreds of times, I'm waiting for the day they crash through it entirely!

 

[JennieS]

Totally normal. Ruthie doesn't like to play with other dogs and she will not play with Brutus. Brutus loves to play...with anyone and anything. I would let them play for them to learn each others boundaries and break it up it you see it starts to get vicious.

 

[jimmyjj]

I have 2 English Bulldog puppies, Django (9 months) and Winnie (5.5 months). They are both very sweet, but it seems as though they can never just hang out together without play fighting almost constantly. Is this normal? We got Django in September when he was 8 weeks old and got Winnie in February when she was 9 weeks old, so they've known each other since February and it is still a reoccurring issue. It's becoming an issue because it makes it very difficult for us to let them both roam the house or even just sit and watch TV with us together. One always has to be outside or in their crate while the other gets to roam, then they switch... and I hate that! I feel so bad that I feel as thought we are always just switching between the yard, the crate, and brief moments of relaxing inside with us. It sucks for them and it sucks for us, I want them to just be normal! Is this just normal puppy playing? Will it ever stop? I just want them to be normal pups so we can let them inside all the time and even sleep with us instead of their crates, they're potty trained now but we just don't trust that they wont crash through the whole house while wrestling 24/7 as they do. I know this is wordy and slightly confusing but if anyone has experience with having two puppies at a similar age gap, please help!!

i have 2 puppy's who are 10 weeks old tomorrow, there at the shark stage ( trying to mouth everything with there sharp pin like teeth......diesel is 2 at the end of July. Diesel used supervise the pups play fighting until nula nipped diesel on his money maker.
Now diesel hides when they kick off

 

[Bella and Dozers Dad]

Thank you all so much for all the advice! I am actually relieved to hear that this is all normal behavior, I was worried that they were too wild and that if I let them play that way, it'd be encouraging inappropriate behavior. Now that I know it's normal, I will just let them do their thing, even if I hate it!! I'm so unfamiliar with puppy play (especially that of EBs) and get so nervous when they are biting at each other like this! Sometimes it almost looks like they're trying to violently french kiss each other... ayiyiyi! Anyhow, thank you all so much, you really put my mind to ease on this matter!! :D

PS... the "bully ram" is like the WORST form of play ever! It's knocked our sliding glass door out of alignment hundreds of times, I'm waiting for the day they crash through it entirely!

Welcome to EBN DjangoAndWinniesMom

Like said above they do grow out of the rough play as well as the bully ram just takes some time. I have a six month old female and a four month old male and they are already calming some but I do feel your frustration over this.

 

[dalmatina38]

Yeap. My two like to tease each other and tag each other. Amber is two and Ruby is about 15 months. They conspire against each other to see how far they can go. There is no bone better than the bone the other one has and it is on like donkey kong. As others have said, round up the toys at a curtain time each night and make them each have a place to rest. Mine are rough so we make them lay down and Ruby is only in her pen when we aren't at home because the two together unsupervised is absolute trouble but when we are at home both roam free always. Good luck!

 

[DjangoAndWinniesMom]

Just wanted to update everyone!
After letting the two of them hang out together (rather than separating them when the play gets rough) all day for two weeks, they finally started to be calm together!! I'm amazed!!!

They can actually sit together and not constantly wrestle! They obviously still wrestle, but not constantly!
They're so in love! Yay! Thank you everyone for helping ease my mind and making me realize I have to let them be!

 

[Bella and Dozers Dad]

That's awesome, glad it's working out for you,Django and Winnie!