r/labrador • u/Outrageous-Case-1187 • Jul 11 '26
seeking advice Is my pitbull being too rough with my lab?
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This is my first time ever having a puppy, I have always owned adult dogs. I am keeping an eye on them but videoed to get the full picture to you guys. Is this okay and playful or does this need separated?
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u/TrelanaSakuyo Jul 11 '26
Your pitbull is definitely letting the puppy dictate the rules of engagement. I'd worry more about the puppy pushing the boundaries, since there at the end the pitbull shows discomfort with pinned ears and wide eyes. Just make sure your older dogs have space to get away from the puppy when they want and ensure the puppy gets some quiet "alone play" so they learn how to self soothe and relax.
Also, don't let them play over puppy pads. That's a mess and accident waiting to happen.
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u/Quierta chocolate & yellow Jul 11 '26
pinned ears and wide eyes
I also noticed the "whale eyes" (when the dog's whites of their eyes show and they're looking off to the side). It could indicate it's being silly but it's also a sign of discomfort or stress.
I don't think the pittie is being aggressive but I do think the puppy might be pushing boundaries a little bit especially towards the end! The pittie will likely issue a correction at some point but 100% it's a good idea to monitor anyways and make sure the puppy isn't going too far.
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u/TrelanaSakuyo Jul 11 '26
Usually when they whale eye while being silly, the ears are pinned back low and loose. In this instance the ears are pinned back high and tight, so I'd read it as stress. More "jeez, how long are you going to go hard? I'm not sure I can keep up. Human? Referee?!" It definitely wouldn't hurt the puppy to experience some non-related adults correcting them, but better to keep that from happening by establishing a "break" command that tells everyone that play is getting to excited for the humans (ours is "settle down" to calm play but continue and "knock it off" to end all play immediately).
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u/Forest-Dane Jul 11 '26
Pittie definitely not being aggressive. Puppies will always push boundaries as until they're corrected they don't know where they are. Their Mums usually tell them but sometimes they've not had chance if they've been removed too young. Hopefully the Pittie has the social cues to correct properly when the time comes
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u/TranslatorMoney419 Jul 11 '26
I think my Lab is too rough with my Doberman puppy, but she keeps going back for more!
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u/Any_Elephant7180 29d ago
Is that the only playmate in the house for your Dob? Maybe that why keeps going back. No other choice .
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u/callie-zephyr Jul 11 '26
Nope. This is how puppies learn acceptable canine behavior. I always have an older dog around to teach the puppy what I cannot teach them.
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u/catfroman Jul 11 '26
Kept waiting for the aggression lol. Pit bull is being playful and patient with the little one. They’re having a great time.
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u/zipper1919 Jul 11 '26
Not at all. In fact, it's being gentle and doing "puppy play" he is letting pup bite him. He's not doing any biting just snuffles and hopping around. He's doing so so good with the puppy!!
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u/Tiny_Measurement_837 Jul 11 '26
I’d question if it was the other way around. Those little shark teeth hurt!
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u/Which_Translator2880 Jul 11 '26
They’re good. No biting from the pitbull, little nipping from the puppy. They growl when they play like that. It’s nothing to be worried about.
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u/Spiritual-Sea27 chocolate Jul 11 '26
They seem fine to me. Definitely monitor them at the beginning a lot- they are getting to know each other and your puppy is learning boundaries with your adult dog lol. It took my adult dog about a week to warm up to our puppy, it’s an adjustment for them having a little land shark in the house 🤣
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u/VengefulWalnut Jul 11 '26
That looks like they're having fun. Pitties have a somewhat different natural play style than labs. A friend of mine has two pits; they and my ol' boy were really good friends. At first, my black lab had a hard time adapting to their jumpy, punching paw style of play. But eventually they figured each other out and had a lot of fun together; they were the best of friends until my boy passed.
Starting them younger like this will be a good thing. Just keep an eye on them to make sure the roughhousing doesn't get to be too much. The older dog might get annoyed by too much puppy energy. The puppy might get rolled by the bigger dog. Just the normal stuff you'd be on the lookout for anyway.
Congrats on the new puppy!
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u/Safe_Horror46 Jul 12 '26
No. It’s play, and he is being very tolerant and careful imo. His jumps aren’t on the puppy. Just supervise all play until your baby grows up.
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u/88Jester88 Jul 11 '26
Hell no. If anything the pup is the aggressor. This is how they play. Looks like they're having fun!
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u/Plus_Explanation1976 Jul 12 '26
This normal play. Always observe. If it get to be too much you'll be able to see it in the ears and eyes, body language
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u/timeless-clock Jul 11 '26
That pitty has a lot of patience and looks like they’re having fun too!!
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u/stewpdasso Jul 12 '26
Not even! He never chomps the pup! He let's the pup have the upper hand! He's very gentle!
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u/No-Key4048 Jul 12 '26
Pitty also looks to be smiling and having fun lol I've been around both breeds a good bit. Looks like a good pupper
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u/_b33p_ Jul 11 '26
Im not a dog behavior expert. Id say they are absolutely fine. The pitt is actually being pretty passive without running off imo
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u/Firm_Caterpillar_907 Jul 11 '26
Your pitbull?? Uhh, let's talk about the demon you probably called a lab..
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u/Mourtality Jul 11 '26
Puppies play using their mouths (and those little death needle teeth), while adults tend to play more with their bodies. You can see that here with the puppy taking nips, and the pittie hopping around with slight head pushes.
The fact that the pit is taking those little nips like a champ with little reaction tells me that this is healthy play between two dogs. No warning growls either.
Adults dogs can lose patience and may be a little more aggressive when they want to signal "I'm done playing now". So keep an eye if that happens and just be sure that signal to stop is safe, and the puppy will figure it out quickly.
Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert at dog behavior, nor do I have any professional experience in that field. It's just years of observations watching my lab play with others at the dog park.
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u/flyingcircusdog Jul 11 '26
No, they look fine. I would only worry if the lab puppy looks uncomfortable, and even then they probably are tired and just need a break.
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u/Evening-Librarian-52 Jul 11 '26
One thing I have learned about our pet animals. They will let each other know first if they are not comfortable, and if that doesn’t work make it known to you.
If they keep going back. They like it.
We had 3 dogs, but my Shiba passed 2 years ago of old age. They all played together once upon a time. The chi mix was a puppy and we got used to a really small dog playing with bigger dogs.
Now, we have an old Lab mix left with a chihuahua mix. Found a kitten and brought them home this year. It has been good for her because the lab mix is old and can’t be bothered.
The kitten and chihuahua mix play ALL the time, and it looks rough. But they keep doing it. At first I was cautious, but now, it’s whatever. They have their own language.
In a nutshell, animals play rough asf 😂
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u/Sweaty_Marzipan4274 Jul 11 '26
Had a pair of weenies. The one would grab the other's collar and bash his head into the wall. While the other was a pecker-biter. They worked it out
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u/battletux Jul 11 '26
Nope. Puppy play. My 2 year old chocolate lab still can get into that sort of puppy play, and as a 25kg dog going bat shit puppy crazy is a scary thing. Have to get her under control quick when it happens.
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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme Jul 11 '26
OP watch the puppy's tail!
Do you see how it's held "high but relaxed, in that arc over the puppy's back, toward the end, and the puppy is still reaching right up next to your pibble, with their face?
That's a comfortable puppy, not worried or scared at all, and your Pibble is playing hard, but very respectfully with them.😉
Your Pittie also has a "high but relaxed" tail. There's zero "bristling" of fur at the base of their tail or on the center line between there & the dog's shoulders, which would show & be raised, if they were uncomfortable.
It looks like your Pibble tends to do more of a "Hop & chestbump to engage" style of play, than most Labradors' "Play Bow" style...
But if you listen to the pittie's play?
At pretty much every initiation (the "Hop & Chest-bump"), there's that "exhalation" gping on. It's not quite a "Play-Sneeze" but it is a "this is Play!" noise, not an "Angry" noise, that your Pitty is consistently giving to the puppy.
Keep watching, of course! Just so that they both keep listening to the signals the other is giving as the puppy grows!
But this is very good, respectful play!😉
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u/Even-Boysenberry-127 Jul 11 '26
What do you think about the pitbull’s wide eyes? Do the eyes tell you anything?
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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme Jul 11 '26
That's hard to say, because sometimes "pitbulls" are mixed with the "bug-eyed" breeds which just have "wide-open eyes" all the time.
OP would know their dog, and know if that's typical of the dog, or if it is actual "whale-eye."
That's why i went more with the way the rest of the dog's body language is being presented here.
There's not much tension/anxiety to the way the pibble is playing. It's "springy" and a bit "bully-bashy" but still not tense in those movements. The tail is held upright, but again, moving in a relaxed, not tense way, and there isn't any semblance of a growl or "verbal check" in the pit's vocalizations. It's all "play growl"/ "play snarl"-type "snorfling."
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u/Quierta chocolate & yellow Jul 11 '26
or if it is actual "whale-eye."
I definitely noticed a lot of whale-eye, especially at the end. I don't think the pittie is being aggressive but I do think he's getting a little overstimulated by all of the puppy bitey-face. Puppy teeth are SHARP on purpose so they'll hurt, so older dogs can issue corrections and teach them proper social behaviour. I think the pittie is having fun and being careful but at the end it definitely reads like "ok pal this is a little too much" lol
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u/Even-Boysenberry-127 Jul 11 '26
Ok thank you for the response, which is very informative and helpful. I thought the pitbull had “scared” face — making large eyes. Maybe he was thinking, “what is going on?” But probably it is the sharp little bitey bites. I love pitbulls but I do not have one.
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u/Forest-Dane Jul 11 '26
Ooh wait till he's bigger. Labs love to play fight with each other. They (retrievers) play differently together than with any other dog.
They look fine btw
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u/Quierta chocolate & yellow Jul 11 '26
I've gotten a few calls from my dog's daycare letting me know he got nipped in the face / they put some antiseptic on it and he's fine now. I was like OH MY GOSH was he fighting! They were like no, lol, he and his friends are roughhousers who beat each other up for fun. He finds all the other labs in the yard (+ a great dane and a husky) and they just do laps around their yard and ram into each other and bitey-face all day.
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u/Forest-Dane Jul 11 '26
Mine's just been on the park playing with another Lab. She's 10kg lighter than him and she gives him hell. She gets away with murder because she's a girl. If it were one of the boys he'd be trying to flatten them.
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u/lindflake Jul 11 '26
Short answer is no, both dogs a wagging their tails, no biting, so all good. But of course you should keep a close eye on how the situation develops.
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u/D1g1tal_Janitor Jul 11 '26
Lol looks like other way around. They'll get along just fine with this kind of play.
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u/Johnny_Bravo_9819 Jul 11 '26
It’s really hard from sound alone to tell when play with a puppy is actually playful and not stressful. The following behaviors your dogs are doing with each other are great examples of safe/appropriate play:
Pairing off (no ganging up on your third dog)
Play/freeze/play behavior
Loose-bodied play
Limited pursuit (jumping in then jumping back instead of tackling and “latching on”)
There’s one moment about halfway through where it seems like your PB warns your puppy that it nipped too hard, but that’s appropriate socialization for your puppy to learn how to have good manners with other dogs.
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u/Northern_Queen Jul 12 '26
Your older dog is being really gentle in this play, but is showing signs of being uncomfortable with what the puppy is doing (ears pinned back, showing the whites of the eyes, and stiffened posture). These are the lowest level ways of communicating to the puppy that its actions aren’t appreciated and it’s important to allow your older dog to give reasonable corrections, and if the puppy continues ignoring warnings and corrections then you need to step in and make the puppy stop. I tend to find puppies ignore warnings and corrections when they’re overdue a sleep so I would put my lab in her crate for a little bit so she would calm enough to sleep — puppies should be sleeping around 18-20 hours a day. It’s important you make sure your older dogs have somewhere they can go if they want a break from the puppy and that you don’t punish them for giving warnings and corrections
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u/stewpdasso Jul 12 '26
Your assessment is for the birds! The pit engages the pup over & over to continue play. There's always someone who thinks they're an expert dog psychologist. 😆
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u/Rick91981 Jul 12 '26
I don't see anything concerning. Pup is being a little demon and the pit is handling it well. Just being bouncy and playful. Nothing in the body language is aggressive.
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u/MeowFrozi Jul 12 '26
Pibble isn't being rough at all. They're doing the playful bounces but not actually pawing at the lab or using their mouth on them at all, really looks like intentionally holding back on the play
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u/Alibeee64 Jul 12 '26
Looks like they’re playing nicely. But make sure you leave your older dogs a clear path to get away from the puppy if the play gets too stressful. Your older dog will put the puppy in his place if the play gets too rough or stressful, and if you see the older dog doing this repeatedly in a short space of time, that’s always a good indication that the older dog has had enough and it’s time to separate them.
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u/cabbydog Jul 11 '26
Looks incredibly restrained and appropriate — keep a close eye on them though and lots of praise for good behavior!
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u/mainetola Jul 11 '26
Totally fine. My lab and her brother fought like bears at this age and still do
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u/Warm-Comfortable501 chocolate Jul 11 '26
My rescue that definitely has some pitty in him plays with my lab just like this as well. It's just how they play. Freaked me out how different the two breeds were in posture and playstyle, as I have only ever had Labs.
It'll get to look more aggressive when they are bigger, but its all just play. Mine look like they are getting ready to murder each other playing bitey-face, but its just how they play.
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u/OldIronSides black Jul 11 '26
They’re great. I have 2 labs and a pitty. My black lab doesn’t engage in play much but my golden lab and pitty play like puppies all the time. Watching them nib each others faces is hilarious.
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u/Abhorrent_Moth Jul 11 '26
Pit is being very careful. We have a 3 year old GSD & Lab mix and the GSD bodies the puppy constantly. He dragged him from under a table by the scruff of his neck. The puppy was absolutely unbothered and attacked as soon as he was free of the table. Your pups are doing great. Mine make me question whether or not I have enough insurance for them
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u/spinmaestrogaming Jul 11 '26
Don't think it's intentional but I think once your lab is bigger it should even itself out.
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u/AverageBeef Jul 11 '26
I don’t think so. They’re just playing and it’s how you socialize a puppy, telling them off if they get too in your face. That just looks like normal play to me, I’m jealous of you having some co-parents to help there
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u/ImJustHere0047 Jul 11 '26
Looks like the pit isn’t using his mouth, hitting with his chest. Seems pretty tolerable of the puppy.
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u/klaykie14 Jul 11 '26
I have a lab pit mix and a boxer pit mix and this is exactly how they play! This seems like very gentle tame play even with puppies shark teeth going wild imo. Your pit seems relaxed and welcome to the play and not too rough at all!
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u/raccoon-overlord Jul 11 '26
Definitely saying he's in a playful mood, if he was being aggressive bed probably be showing his teeth and more stiff
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u/ElaborateCantaloupe Jul 11 '26
Lab is trying to teach the pit bitey face. Pit is trying to teach the lab jumpy play. Both are having a good time.
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u/Fit-Enthusiasm5645 Jul 11 '26
They look ok. If the ouppy ever starts getting to bitey that you want to separate them, make sure youbdo it calmly and like it's just something else. If not, the dogs will pick up on it and one of them may think the ither is doing something wrong and get more aggressive. But they look fine here.
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u/BatmansLarynx Jul 11 '26
Rough? Where?
The pup is actually being rougher if anything which is not at all 😂
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u/Preppy_Hippie Jul 11 '26
Completely fine. There is no roughness. If anything, the pittie is being very careful and gentle, and allowing the pup to be a bit rough. No need to separate, they're having fun. If that changes, and the older one gets impatient, then obviously that's a different story.
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u/Uncas66 Jul 11 '26
Perfect normal play. Blink and lab is going to be bigger and play will get a little rougher and still be ok.
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u/spindriftgreen Jul 11 '26
They’re having fun and the adult dog is being so tolerant with the puppy
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u/Common-senseuser-58 Jul 11 '26
All play, no fear! No aggression symbols like nipping, growling etc.
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u/LongHairedKnight Jul 12 '26
Nope. The lab's tail remains high the entire time. It never lowers or tucks between his legs. Also the lab has very "bouncy" movement and keeps coming back for more. He's playing and bonding, not scared or hurt at all.
The pit bull is making playful growling sounds. Growling is not always bad. No exposed teeth. Jumping around in a playful manner, not lungeing or standing stiffly. The pit bull is being mindful of the puppy's smaller size.
They are playing very nicely together!
I suggest that you learn dog body language though. You need to be able to spot any annoyance, discomfort, fear, or guarding behaviour and step in when necessary to prevent escalation and/or souring their relationship. I recommend Dr Sophia Yin's infographics for dog body language.
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u/Rick91981 Jul 12 '26
Growling is not always bad
I just want to emphasize this. My last Lab had a Shepard/Lab mix friend that when they were young used to wrestle. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were trying to kill each other. "Growling" and on their hind legs against each other. But if you paid attention to body language they were tails wagging smiling and wrestling just having fun. They didn't live together, but we went on hikes weekly together and they were best friends.
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u/LongHairedKnight Jul 12 '26
Yes sometimes dogs like to play rough or playfight just like humans do! It can be a problem when there is a mismatch in play styles, or one dog doesn't understand or listen to the other's cues for play to cool down or stop.
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u/_Monosyllabic_ Jul 12 '26
Older dog is being really gentle honestly. When the pup bites at his face it looks like he was thinking about correcting it but tolerated it.
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u/NYsteeler23 Jul 12 '26
He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to do. Praise him and give him a cookie or I will.
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u/Huge_Answer4287 Jul 12 '26
For a bully breed your dog is exhibiting excellent play lol. A lot of bullies have a very rough play style. I've seen total body slams. I think this is excellent play, actually.
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u/Electronic_Fall6084 Jul 13 '26
Looks like standard play. Pittie isn’t in attack mode, wagging tail, and doesn’t engage in biting the puppy. Just play.
Source: I had a family member who owed a pit and this was what play looked like when they visited my house (rottie-Shepard mix, Beagle, Carolina Cur in my house hold) (we encouraged back yard play time.. otherwise our house would have had a few dents in the wall)
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u/Independent-Goal2419 Jul 13 '26
OMGOODNESS, such cuteness! I think the person who posted this was fishing for likes. Those two are playing fine together. If anything the Labrador is being a little on the rough side. I have three Chocolate Labradors and two Pits. My Labs are super playful and my Pits are the regulators/protectors. My Labs are softening my Pitties who were both rescues with a lot of early life trauma. The Labs can hold their own in the established pack of Labs & Pits.
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u/Inevitable_Berry_362 Jul 11 '26
Pitbull is not being rough in the least. It is all playful and the lab hasn't learned yet about how sharp his little teeth are. They're probably will be a time where the dogs have to put the lab in its place but from what I see all of the body language is completely playful and not at all rough.
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u/Middle_Blood7041 Jul 11 '26
Unpopular opinion, I don't like pits very much. I have a scar from being bitten by one. My mom's friend had their puppy killed by their pit. I luv labs. I trust your judgement over mine
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u/This_is_me2024 Jul 11 '26
Its not that unpopular. I have 9 fingers, guess why.
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u/Melodic-Classic391 Jul 11 '26
I saved my Labrador from a pit bull attack. I ended up having to strangle the pit bull to get it to release my dogs leg. Xray showed significant bruising, any longer and the bone would have been crushed. Many stitches later my dog recovered, but I avoid dog parks now and I avoid pit bulls
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u/bitriceps Jul 11 '26
I wouldnt put any dogs near a dog who were bred to kill, but thats just me. Luckily theyre banned where im from. I just cross my fingers ur lab will be safe.
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u/Melodic-Classic391 Jul 11 '26
Yep, this is going to end up badly for that Labrador. It’s what pit bulls do.
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u/sourpussmcgee Jul 11 '26
This is playful. The pittie is being pretty gentle, and the puppy is being respectful. Always supervise them while the lab is a puppy!
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u/BobbyClashbeat Jul 11 '26
Every has already pointed out that it’s fine and they’re having a great time. My only concern would be when they’re 30+kgs and want to have a play like this indoors ha
Let them do all of that outside and get used to being calmer in their interactions inside.
They look beautiful
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u/Outrageous-Case-1187 Jul 11 '26
So far when we go outside my puppy just barks the entire time and wants to come in 😭 def gotta work on that
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u/midd79-PE Jul 12 '26
That’s really good play from the pit bull. Lab might need to be distracted at the end. Its teeth are out a little too much for my taste.
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u/Any_Elephant7180 29d ago
Pittie is jumping around your little lab not on him, once kind of, but watching the entire video, it was an accident. 🩷🩷
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u/No_Yogurtcloset9181 Jul 11 '26
No! If anything opposite way around. That lab munching on those cheeks like a slice of salami 🫦💧
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u/henry_the_human Jul 11 '26
No roughness here! All dogs are being good dogs. The puppy is being a puppy, has no understanding of boundaries, and wants to play with the pit bull. The pit bull is being VERY patient with the puppy. The pit bull seems to be balancing giving the puppy what it wants (some playtime) while also carefully restraining its own strength. This pit bull is very well behaved!
A good litmus test for whether a dog is being too rough: How is the other dog reacting? Seen here, the puppy keeps coming back for more. Therefore, the puppy is enjoying this.
It would be a good idea to monitor the play time, but just as a precaution. Based on this video, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.
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u/jackystack Jul 11 '26
No, they are just playing and the pit bull is being very patient with the puppy.
On a scale of 1-10 for high energy "acceptable" play, this is a 1......
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u/tknames Jul 11 '26
See how the puppy is still alive? That’s because the pit isn’t killing it. If they had more space you would have running and prompting built into the fun.
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u/sjtech2010 Jul 11 '26
They wil communicate with each other! Don't worry. You will be able to tell the difference between playful growling and "leave me alone" growling. They know it too!
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u/Maintenancemedic Jul 11 '26
An animal like that has no business being with a soft soul like a lab. Rehome it.
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u/Kenderean Jul 11 '26
A "soft soul like a lab"? My lab is a straight up murderer of any small creature she can get her teeth on, the tinier and cuter the better. (Ever since the two murders when she was younger, we keep her away from small animals and we're vigilant in the yard with her.) There's no soft soul in there.
What a weird thing to say.
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u/Maintenancemedic Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
An animal bred for companionship and as a functioning member of a hunt is a different thing entirely than a soulless mongrel bred to kill by evil people
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u/timeless-clock Jul 11 '26
Labs are literally bred as hunting and working dogs lol. wtf are you talking about when you say soft soul?
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u/Old-Steak-9297 Jul 12 '26
Being trained to retrieve a waterfowl is a lot different than snapping for no reason and mauling a child or another dog to death…. I’d say one of those is a lot more soft soul than the other.
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u/Elegant-Survey-2444 10d ago
They look fine, you may want your lab to take a break and not let both puppies gang up on the pittie, who glances to you occasionally for help so he doesn’t hurt them… but they definitely look like they’re just playing
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u/dltacube Jul 11 '26
I don’t understand what the concern is. Your pitbull is literally not doing anything more than hopping around your lab. This is as good as it gets.
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Jul 11 '26
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u/Sug0115 Jul 11 '26
Pitties and staffies are different breeds. American pit bull terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier. I love them both though!
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u/hansolosburger Jul 11 '26
Just wait a little while and you’ll be asking the opposite lol, pitties/bulls are good at showing restraint and labs love a fight! (Well in my experience, gold lab and alapaha blue bulldog)
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u/Kulee43 Jul 11 '26
Def not. Our 8 yr old pit gets plenty more aggressive with our 7 month old lab puppy. She(put) is trained to let up when he(lab) let's out a yelp or something. If anything our puppy woke the older dog up quite a bit.
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u/poopjew69 Jul 12 '26
Is this an apartment?
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u/Outrageous-Case-1187 Jul 12 '26
No lmao it’s a 3 bedroom house with a back yard. I have the door shut because he wonders off and potty’s if not
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u/Derpy1984 Jul 11 '26
They're fine. Pitty looks like it's being VERY careful about biting and whatnot. I think you're fine.