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Does my big dog look at little dogs like they are toys?

I have a husky shepherd mix and when I sit for little dogs, it looks to me like my dog would like to grab it by the neck and shake it violently like when we play with our stuffed animals. She is so friendly and playful with all dogs and people. I watch them like an over protective mother hen when they are playing. am I being too cautious ? is there an easy way to make my dog not make me think she's thinking those thoughts ?
How hard is it really for them to resist the urge ? what are they really thinking ?

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A dog mouthing another dog's neck or front legs isn't necessarily an aggressive move. You really have to read their body language. Is she really biting/nipping, or just mouthing? Is her tail high and wagging? Is she play-bowing? Dogs playing can look pretty aggressive, but it's just all fun if they're just mouthing with their tail wagging high in the air and inviting play with mannerisms like play bows and rolling over. Whenever Buddy is around another dog, so long as their mouths are generally open and tails are being happy, I let them be. They're having fun! He's on the small side, and I've watched him be pinned to the floor by a very large dog, and wag his tail, and then get free and mouth at the big dog's front paws. They were having a grand old time, no blood was shed, and they curled up and slept back-to-back with each other that night. :)

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I don't mean to be an alarmist, but I think you should do some research on the behavior you've seen and maybe have a behaviorist assess the situation.

I agree with Toni D that you must take into consideration the context of the situation, the environment, and all of your dog's body language including tail carriage, eyes, ears, mouth, torso positioning and mouth. The utterances your dog makes or does not make also enters into the equation.

What concerns me is that you say your dog grabs and shakes. That is a part of prey seeking behavior meant to till the prey. I certainly cannot say for sure what your dog is doing or intends, but I highly recommend separating your dog from small animals and seeking the advice or a professional.

Comments

You're absolutely right that OP should investigate dog body language and vocalizations so that they have a good command of what's going on with their charges. My current client is JEALOUS. She tries to block my dog from getting near me. I spotted that right quick and put an end to it. She's now waiting patiently for me to switch from petting my dog to petting her. It will be a good weekend. :)