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Puppies Need to Meet Adult Dogs Too!
Part of a good socialization plan for a new puppy is making sure he meets a variety of healthy, socially-appropriate dogs. ???? Having play dates is wonderful and a joy to behold. But puppies also benefit from meeting adult dogs who do NOT want to play. It’s just important for them to meet adults who are able to set boundaries without hurting or traumatizing the pup.
Puppies need to learn how to read the signals and body language of other dogs for their own safety and so they become socially-appropriate dogs themselves. Otherwise, friendly puppies often make the mistake of racing up to the faces of other dogs, perhaps jumping spastically on their heads or bodies, and thus risking a hefty correction (or even injury) from the adult dog.
I often have puppies stay at my home for training. Historically, some of my dogs were happy to play with the puppies, while others had no interest in play. I could trust my dogs to set boundaries appropriately, without actually hurting the pup, and felt this was an integral part of their ‘education’ during their stay with me. ????
In the video below, you’ll see two separate corrections from Bailey, the smaller adult dog, toward the sweet but somewhat daft puppy named Diggy. She had been ignoring four adults dogs’ signals left and right until finally Bailey stepped it up a notch to set a clear boundary.
What signals do you see Bailey giving to let Diggy know he does not want to interact with her?
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7 Replies
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In this pic, notice how the puppy
is moving HIMSELF away and to the ground. The adult dog made a
zero-contact but assertive movement, along with a snarl, to let pup know
he had crossed a boundary and better back off. (In this case, Dallas
the puppy had just grabbed and pulled on Tavish’s fluffy tail.)
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Great topic, @virginiad ! I agree. So many people think it’s the adult dog’s job to entertain and play with the puppy. It’s not! And puppies can benefit from safe interactions and learn to read signals.
Bailey, first of all, what a cool dog! He doesn’t give up his ground, in the blankets. Also, he does a great job at tuning his head around, like, “Nope! Read THIS!” he even was stoic in his squint and grin expression. Love to Bailey!!!
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Yeah, Bailey is quite a character. He and his sister are regular visitors at my house. I was glad he was around to give Diggy some schooling. ????
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That’s a cool video – and it’s so great to see that calm and clear signals win the day.
I’m thinking about the hundreds of conversations I’ve had with pet parents where they expect the adult dog to do all the work with teaching the pup all the boundaries. And how that can sometimes end up in either bullying by the younger dog or an over-correction by the older dog.
What guidelines do you offer pet parents on if/when/how to intervene?
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I gather info right away from them — is the adult setting boundaries without terrorizing pup, or is pup ignoring the communication, or is the adult dog miserable and trying to avoid pup.
I LOVE when adult dogs can competently and appropriately set boundaries, but many times that’s not the case, and then the client must step in right away to support the adult dog if they need help. I also emphasize various ways the pup can be provided with play/exercise outlets that don’t include the adult dog. And finally, lots of management so pup can’t harass adult dog anymore. (As pup matures, there’s a better chance he can forge a positive bond with the adult, especially IF the pup wasn’t a consistent royal pain when young.)
Of course, management of pup is also vital if the adult dog is too rough with his boundary-setting.
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What a cute video. The puppy is trying so hard to engage. Walks and puts his arm around the other smaller dog – oh come on …, Let’s play. Love it how dogs help other dogs learn. Love the calming signals and turning the head away. But ‘I’m not going to take it much longer. ” Then the snap. So, take that” OK I’ll go away. Such a disappointing look. The play bow and turning into a down… with the tail wagging. AWW It’s a classic! Such a great example. Thanks for sharing.
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