10/02/2022
This is so true.
Not a week goes by where I don't have to reassure a concerned dog owner their dog's social behaviour at the park is 100% NORMAL!
It's so strange the way we expect our dogs to go to the park, meet 5-10 random dogs, and get along with them all perfectly.
Me? I hate going to nightclubs. I'd rather have coffee with one or two friends, or maybe a walk. Maybe you're the opposite and love going to crowded pubs and making new friends! Neither of us are 'abnormal'. Ok ok, maybe I am - sometimes I take a book to the pub to sit quietly and enjoy my craft brew...
Dogs too fall on a spectrum of sociability. Many puppies start up at the social end, happy to play with whoever they meet. Most dogs are more selective and choose their friends carefully. Some dogs truly fall on the aggressive end, and may not have many or any doggie friends.
So the sooner we all realise that our dogs have personalities too, the sooner we can stop creating goals for our dogs that they'll never enjoy.
For an aggressive dog, a reasonable goal is to walk past another dog on leash at 5m distance. It's not a reasonable goal to expect them to enjoy playing with random dogs!
As humans, we rarely stop to chat to folks on the street, unless we know them. Somehow this idea goes out the window with dogs, there's this expectation to meet every single other dog on a walk!
Most people want want their dogs to cope with the fair expectations of living safely in our community - to be neutrally social and robust. So let's set some fair expectations:
🐩 Think about your dog's play style. Different breeds play differently! Eg herding, wrestling, body slamming, chasing...
🐕 Find a couple of well matched doggy friends for your dog, and let them play in low traffic locations (eg someone's backyard, a secluded park) to enjoy play time.
👋 Set the expectation early that not all dogs are there for play! Teach your puppy that most dogs you meet on the street aren't relevant to them.
🤚Advocate for your dog in play. Don't allow dogs to 'sort it out', or for your dog to bully or be bullied.
🤷♀️ Avoid dog parks. Sorry folks, these places generally suck for fair, beneficial and harmonious play.
Happy playing!
