A bunch of us recently got together for a bring your dogs to play get together. A lot of people showed up. And you know what that means. Yup - lotsa dogs!

Managing a large group of dogs takes a lot of work. And the day prompted a lot of discussion around doggie play dates in general. Volunteer and dog handler extraordinaries Larry & Brit came up with the following nuggets of wisdom and guidance.

The following was written and put together by Larry & Brit

The term “Play Date” is a bit of a misnomer. I generally think of “fun” when I hear the word “play” and truth be told doggie “play dates” can be very stressful for humans and dogs alike.

Here are some basic guidelines:

1) Know your dog! Know what they like and dislike. Know what behaviours and environments are triggers or cause high stress. Also know how your dog treats other dogs. What does it do that other dogs don’t care for?

Our goal is to try and create an environment for our dog that is safe and stress free. At the same time we also want to reduce the stress our dogs may cause others. To do this we have to know our dogs.

2) Watch your dog! If you haven’t watched your dog and I mean really watched them, then there is no way you will really know them. And even if you know your dog you cannot prevent problems if you are not paying attention.

Pibbles in particular can be very hard to read and very quick to react. Couple that with the breeds’ reputation we need to extra diligent in keeping them out of trouble.

3) Keep things calm. No running, screaming or horseplay. Different dogs have different thresholds. They feed off and thrive on the excitement around them.

When they go over threshold they stop “thinking” and start reacting. As pack leaders, we humans set the tone. Our dogs look to use for leadership. If we start to get excited that’s a queue for the pack to follow suit. Things can get out of control in the blink of an eye when this happens.

Pay close attention to the “pack” as whole and if the focus shifts to a single animal and energy levels build (ie they all start running after a single dog) redirect the packs attention and bring the energy level back down.

I’m sure we have all seen at the dog park when one animal is singled out and the pack begins to chase. The dog usually runs to its owner looking for protection. More often than not the owner is talking away and ignores their dog’s plight.

If we fail to lower energy levels and/or come to the aid of the dog in need we are setting the dog up to fail. It will either defend itself which can lead to a fight or become more cautious and fearful of future encounters.

Additionally it can damage the relationship you have with your dog since they came to you for help and you ignored them.

4) No toys. This goes hand in hand with number 3.

We all like to use toys to play with our dogs but toys and other possessions can pose problems even within a small family pack (ie just your dogs and you at home). Add the complexity of a brood of new dogs and these issues can compound greatly. Dogs that may not guard in the home may start in a strange environment because they feel the need to re-establish their place in the “new” (albeit temporary) pack dynamic. Simply put toys greatly increase the probability of problems.

5) A successful “play date” begins long before the dogs show up. Every person needs to have control of their dog. All the best laid out plans can be thrown out the window when “a rebel” shows up.

This is where it gets a bit sticky. What constitutes control? Just because your dog will sit for you and comes when called at home, doesn’t mean that you have control of your dog. If you’re going to a play date you should have complete verbal control of your dog. You should be able to stop whatever your dog is doing at any given time by the sound of your voice alone.

6) So you’re at a play date and your dog has gotten snarky with another dog. What do you do? For me and every dog savvy person that I respect, we are conclusive about having a zero tolerance policy.

I’m not going to go into how the offending dog should be dealt with. That is a topic that can elicit more controversy than this blog needs. Whatever is done, it needs to be immediate, proportionate and successful at discouraging the inappropriate behaviour.

If the dog reoffends the initial punishment obviously didn’t leave enough of an impression. Dogs are not stupid and pitties are not delicate beings. They all need tough love from time to time. And when it’s dog on dog issues, it needs to be a zero tolerance with swift punishment that leaves an impression the first time.

As far as what to actual watch for, the actual signs to look for are pretty well documented. You can find posts on the ARLP forum here and here. Dog “talk” (body language) happens quickly.

Of course these are just guidelines and things vary from dog to dog, owner to owner and “play date” to “play date”. A group of dogs that don’t live together but spend a LOT of time together generally require a lot less supervision than a group of dogs that have never met. Also the larger the group the closer it should be watched.

Thanks Larry & Brit!!

And while we all know

Let’s make sure they don’t literally!

Filed under: Observations & Reflection