Beagle adult & great dane puppy

Question
Hi Dr. Connor,

I contacted you a few weeks ago regarding dog behavior between my 7 year old, female beagle and my now 11 week old great dane (also female).   I read "Calming Signals" and I have been watching them play and had a couple questions regarding their behavior.

The puppy will get a toy and egg the beagle on to play, finally the beagle will join in and they will play tug with a toy, when the beagle gets the toy away she will tense her body up to clearly guard the toy, give the puppy a hard stare, if the puppy wont back off, she will give her a low growl and a stare, if the puppy still persists she will snap at her.  When this happens the puppy is clearly upset with the beagle and barks, whines and mouths the air near the beagle's face.  At this point I usually take the toy out of circulation and ignore the beagle for a few minutes.  Am I doing the right thing?  I have heard that this can create more resource guarding with my beagle.

Secondly, they are playing much better but they get into these intense bouts of mouthing.  They start out pretty calm, but they quickly intensify and in between mouthings my beagle will lick her nose (a calming signal) if the puppy continues the mouthing session it usually ends with the beagle nipping the puppy's lip or ear (i check the puppy, there is never any broken skin) but the puppy will ignore the beagle until the beagle initiates play with her.  I have started stopping these sessions before the nipping occurs and they both back off immediately.  Is this normal?  Is my beagle being agressive or dominant?


Answer
Your Beagle is definitely attempting to obtain dominance, as she should in this situation. You seem to be doing quite well except for one thing: do not just plunge into the situation (whether over a toy or a mouthing episode, as described).  Instead, interrupt it first.  Try aggressively leaving the room (barge out) for a few seconds.  The dogs should disengage and look toward your departure, at which time (only a few seconds) you can reenter and interact with both dogs by asking each for a simple behavior you can reward.  If your leaving doesn't do it alone, interrupt the behavior BEFORE taking the toy or DURING the mouthing escalation, with a sudden noise (clap your hands, stamp your foot, bang on a table) not directed at either dog but intended to STOP their immediate responses.  Then, as above, redirect them with a simple behavior you can reward.  It sounds as if your dogs are working things out and the puppy is responding as a puppy that age will (especially your description of the lip licking and then the puppy "ignoring" the older dog until the older dog re-initiates play.)  Your puppy may not have had (and actually HAS NOT HAD, a puppy of that breed needs to be with its litter mates and dam until 12 weeks of age) sufficient interaction with other dogs to readily read your Beagle's signals (lip licking, etc.) and is learning as things unfold.  To interfere too much is not good, but you must not allow anything to escalate, either (as this puppy will very soon be much larger than the Beagle.)  If your comfort level is breached, do as I suggested.  This will give both dogs a break and short circuit any possible escalation between them.  Please don't hesitate to repost as often as necessary as you work through this problem.