Sofie Outsmarts Ole

When Sofia plays with Ole there is a large amount of it that is about dominance. They play a chase game that, after a while, ends up with Ole soliciting Sofie to chase him, which she does with such vehemence that in the end I generally break it up and we go inside. But in reality she's just doing her thing and she never hurts him.  And all I have to say is "Who wants cookies?" for the chase to end.

However she sounds like she's trying to kill him. She roars the entire time she's chasing him. Sometimes he stops and barks back at her: BARK BARK BARK!!! As if to say "HEY, quit YELLING at me!" And then he wants her to do it some more.

I bought a couple toys for them to have in the back yard so that they have something else to do besides focus on each other and each others' necks.

One is a round plastic squirrel about 7 or 8 inches in diameter. The tail is a handle and it squeaks. Ole picked up on this and started tearing around the yard with it in an initiation of the I've Got The Toy and YOU DON'T game.

So what does Sofie do? She chases him, tries to get it, can't get it (it's so round and Ole has the only handle) so she casts around the yard and finds a small stick. She then proceeds to dance all around the yard with it, tossing it up and catching it and pounce pounce pouncing it, doing exaggerated doggy joy-joy ballet with it and basically making it look like it was soooooooo much fun.

Poor Ole. Reverse psychology works great on him. He drops HIS toy and pretty soon Sofie is running around with this small stick (which I had to make sure wasn't a poopsicle), Ole hot on her heels! Suddenly the squirrel has no value and this silly frozen stick is just all that!
After a while she dropped it and let him get it, and coolly walked away, mission accomplished.   

Oh, and my dogs playing outside is the same as your dogs playing except when mine come inside their heads and necks are covered in frozen spit, and they have frozen cowlicks on their sides and backs.