07/09/2026
A LITTLE REMINDER ABOUT DOG SOCIAL SKILLS 🐾
This morning I took Willow with me to grab a coffee, and we found ourselves sharing the space with dogs who were off lead and, quite honestly, had very little in the way of social manners.
Willow, being Willow, did what she does best. She gave them a few lessons in social graces. 😂
There was a lot of communication happening — body language, corrections, moving away, setting boundaries and making it very clear when enough was enough.
And yes, I was strongly advocating for Willow the entire time. I watched her closely, stepped in when needed and made sure she wasn’t put in a position where she had to keep tolerating behaviour she wasn’t comfortable with.
But here’s the thing…
It is NOT my 3kg dog’s job to teach your dog how to behave.
Willow didn’t bark.
She didn’t bite.
She didn’t attack.
She didn’t lose control.
Even when the interaction made her look like she was just being a small dog over reacting, she was actually communicating, managing the interaction and using the social skills she has learned over the years.
And perhaps most importantly, Willow knows when to look to me for help.
That’s the part I wish more people understood.
Good socialisation isn’t about forcing dogs to interact with every dog they meet. It’s about teaching them how to communicate, respect boundaries, disengage and, when necessary, trust their person to step in.
Willow is small.
But she is incredibly socially savvy.
And while I’m incredibly proud of how she handled herself this morning, she shouldn’t have had to be the one teaching another dog those lessons.
Your dog doesn’t need to be friends with every dog. But it does need to know how to behave around them. 🐾
And please… don’t mistake a small dog calmly setting boundaries for a small dog “being aggressive.” Sometimes you’re watching a dog communicate exceptionally well. ❤️
