husky play

Question
I recently got a 5 mth old female pup from a shelter called Sooty and she is a very loving and friendly dog.  She loves my 2 daughters who are 4 and 6 and they love her.  She especially has a bond with my youngest daughter but when they play Sooty wrestles her to the ground and then stands on top of her almost as if standing guard.  Why does she do this?  How can I stop it as it scares my daughter.  Sooty has never been aggressive (just noisy)

Answer
Jim,

This sounds like normal play behavior for the dog.  Most dogs love to play dominant type games, and wrestling another dog to the ground and standing over it is exactly that.  This can be all in good fun, or it can be an actual attempt to exercise control and dominance over the other.  Not to cause alarm, but at 5 months, this might be play behavior, however in another 5-7 months, this might become more cause for concern as the dog grows, becomes stronger, and perhaps decides that she should be in charge of your daughter.  Generally, I would simply discourage this interaction and instead try to work on general obedience with the dog and the entire family.  Establishing that your daughters are to give commands as well to the dog will help keep the order in place.