Help! Dog Choking Dog
 

Hi there,

so I have a 10 month old GSD (female) and a 5 month old Olde Victorian Bulldogge (male). They are relatively fine off leash except for 2 issues:

They play fight hardcore. My little OVB can get way too rough though and starts biting my GSD's neck and shaking while growling and my GSD clearly does not want any part of that (this also causes her to become more aggressive).
The real issue though is my GSD will role my OVB over and then clamp down on his neck to the point where he literally starts to gasp because he can't breathe. She will not stop unless I break them up. It is the scariest sound in the world because she is literally cutting off his breathing (yes I know he can still breathe a tiny bit or he wouldn't be able to make the gasping sound)I have found no help on the internet because most search results come up with choke chain issues. :help:

Don't allow them to play like that? Start correcting and separating when you see the playing is getting too rough. Give them a break from each other, if even for a minute and you'll see that they don't escalate as fast. I wouldn't let them play off leash until you have this issue fixed.

If you start correcting for playing at the neck...they will realize it at some point and stop. The issue is stemming from the fact that your 10 month old doesn't know how to play properly and isn't correcting the younger one safely. So at this point you need to teach them both how to play. Just don't let it get that rough and when you notice things escalating break them apart and do something else to get their attention off of each other.

Another good reason to not raise puppies together or invest a lot in "puppy play" because a solid adult is going to know the limits.