[Walkingwithgemma]

Help! My 11 month old beagle keeps biting my 8 week old Shepard’s ears!! He’s playing but he’s roughs and fast. I’m afraid of the way he bites and runs away he may tear the Shepard’s ears or break down the cartilage so they don’t stand up. I don’t know what to do to stop him. I don’t want him to think I’m telling him “no” for playing. Any suggestions would be very appreciated!

 

[LeoRose]

If he starts getting too rough with the shepherd, simply break them up and let things settle down for a moment.

Just be aware that you've got a teenager and a toddler, so you are going to have lots of shenanigans happening. Also be aware that there is the chance of two dogs close in age developing what is called littermate syndrome, where they bond more with each other than with their owners, and/or can develop some serious "sibling rivalry" and start fighting. Crating them separately, feeding them separately, training them separately, and limiting play time together can help prevent that from happening.

 

[Walkingwithgemma]

Thank you! They are crated, fed and trained separately. My sister has a 3 yr old shepherd and a 4 yr terrier of some sort and they fight and have to be separated. I learned from her that I didn’t want that. That’s another reason I am concerned about the ear biting. My Shepard will soon be much bigger than my beagle and I don’t want retaliation and him to hurt the beagle in the future either. ?? I also have been separating them when they play too hard. I guess I’m looking for more of a long term solution as I have human teenagers who watch the pups while I’m at work and I don’t necessarily trust them to watch them as close as I do.

 

[LeoRose]

Really, supervision is the only way to prevent it.

I'm assuming you mean German Shepherd Dog? Their ears tend to go through wonky stages regardless of other dogs mouthing on them, especially if they have really long ears.