30/08/2025
Vinnie and all the other Teens at Puppy Plus Graduation today have done so well in just 4 weeks! Congratulations everyone and best of luck in the months ahead!
We have held age appropriate training classes every month for four years! Covid and Lockdown created a new generation of dogs who struggled with lack of exposure and experience around other dogs their age - including my own Saint Bernard Buffy.
In my opinion more social experience is always better than some. Puppy socialisation classes, training groups, pack/social walks and play sessions with friends all play different but important parts in helping our dogs learn to normalise the novelty of chance, random encounters.
It all starts with Peer to Peer learning.
Studies show that Puppies often learn quicker from other puppies than from grown-up dogs!
Here’s what the research has found:
✨ Puppy vs Mum: In one study, 8-week-old pups who watched an unfamiliar puppy solve a puzzle were more likely to copy it than if they’d watched their own mother. Researchers think they just pay more attention to peers the same age!
✨ Puppy vs Puppy: Another classic experiment showed that a pup who watched a buddy pull a food cart figured it out in 9 seconds… compared to the demonstrator puppy, who took over 11 minutes. Watching a peer made it way easier.
✨ Puppies vs Adult Dogs: When given a choice, puppies often copy their peers more than adults. Adult dogs are still brilliant role models (especially for calm behaviour and boundaries), but puppies seem more motivated when learning from a playmate their own age.
✨ Playtime = Classroom: These puppy-to-puppy lessons aren’t just about tricks. They’re how youngsters practice bite inhibition, body language, sharing space, and self-control — all skills they’ll use for life.
👩🔬 This is called social learning, and it’s one of the reasons puppy classes and safe playdates can be so powerful. It’s not just “burning energy” — it’s like school, but fun.
💡 Bottom line: Adult dogs guide manners, but when it comes to problem-solving and trying new things, pups often learn best from each other.
🐶➡️🐶 Sometimes the best teacher is a friend the same age!
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📚 For the science lovers:
Slabbert & Rasa (1997) – Puppies learned a new task faster by watching another puppy than doing it themselves
• Pongrácz et al. (2001) – Puppies copied problem-solving more when watching unfamiliar peers than their mum
• Kubinyi et al. (2009) – Dogs as a model for social learning and cultural evolution
• Rooney & Bradshaw (2006) – How dogs respond while watching others at play
