Litter Mate Issue?

Question
QUESTION: We have a 3 month old female golden retriever.  Our good friends have her littermate brother.  Our little girl is very good around other dogs -- submissive but not timid and plays well.  But when we get her together with her brother, she is very rough!  She's a bit taller than he is and outweighs him by about 5 lbs, although there wasn't a "runt" of the litter as I saw all puppies.  They were all about the same size when we got them.  She is only like this with him.  Any reasons you know of that this may be happening?  What can we do to not have her play so rough with him?

ANSWER: Rough play is the norm for 3 month old puppies.  I am more surprised at her reaction to other dogs.  Are they older?  Many older dogs want nothing to do with puppy biting games and their sharp little teeth.  The brother may be encouraging her too.

That extra 5 pounds is a red flag to me.  Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest.  You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them.  Each dog is different.  Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide,
http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

There was an extensive discussion of weight in a recent newsletter from a service dog school.

''Obesity is the number one nutritional disease affecting dogs. It's estimated that 25-45% of dogs in the US are obese. Studies have shown that joint and locomotive problems increase by 57%, circulatory problems by 74%, respiratory problems by 52%, skin problems by 40% and cancer by 50% in animals that are overweight.

Large breed dogs that are overweight also are more prone to developing hip dysplasia. Obesity is especially dangerous for young puppies, as their underdeveloped frame cannot support the extra poundage that it must carry.''

Another highly successful technique for building sturdy joints is an early switch to adult chow.  That slows growth giving joints more time to develop under less stress.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you!  She is not overweight - actually, our vet says she almost on the brink of being underweight but that its been shown to help dog's longevity.  We can feel her ribs and her waist is smaller than her hips. She has very long legs!  She is just a bigger girl - like you said, all dogs are different.

You say you are more suprised by her reaction to other dogs - not sure exactly what you mean here.  Can you please elaborate?  Yes, the majority of the other dogs she's met have been older (1-2 years, not old) and when she is first introduced to an older dog she'll roll on her back and let the older dog sniff her out shortly.  Then, she'll get up and want to play.  But with her brother I just feel like she tramples, pounces, wrestles, and nips him to death (not literally).  Her brother will bark at her and try to get away sometimes.  I just feel like she is bullying him.  Any advice to keep her from bullying him when we get them together?  I'm concerned that she'll be like this with all dogs smaller than her.  

Thanks!  

Answer
Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about
biting.  You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting
another one or themselves.  I am not even sure they realize that when they are
alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten.  At 3 to 4 months
they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking
moment biting or chewing.  One thing you can do at that stage is to knot and wet a piece of cloth.  Then freeze it.  The cooling will soothe the gums.  Only let the puppy have it when you are there to watch it.  I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another Lab.  Otherwise they settle for any person they can.

I see enough Goldens to know most of them are almost as bad.  When they are living with their mother and litter mates, the mother may tire of them sometimes, but the litter mates go on and on.  They go out into the world expecting other dogs, cats, people, etc. to want to play, just like their litter mates did.  That is why your puppy's behavior with other dogs puzzles me.  Perhaps the breeder had other dogs in the house that taught the puppies to leave them alone.  Then she tries to make the best of it with her brother.  Perhaps she doesn't realize how much bigger she is now and needs to learn to take it easier.  A year ago, we had to settle our 8 month old Lab down a little when we had a 7 week old Golden come for a week.  Just give her a time out when she gets too rough.