When the certified dog trainer I hired mentioned an event called the puppy social for Simon, a 12-week-old cockapoo puppy, I just stared at her. I finally said, “Why? He gets along with people. You just informed me that he’s playing, not fighting with my other dog, Alvin.”
The rationale for puppy social media
“He needs to learn canine manners so that when he meets another dog, he knows what to do,” was the trainer’s response. Apparently, interacting with a dog all the time wasn’t enough “socialization.” Failure to learn to get along with other dogs can cause dog behavior problems. Dogs need to know how to meet and greet at the dog park, on the street, and in the super pet store.
Here is some information on puppy-to-puppy socialization from eukanuba.com:
“Even quasi-human pups will need to learn to get along with the canine community. At the very least, you’ll meet another dog (or their scent) during your daily walks. So you need to practice ‘doggy talk.’
Social of Simon’s first puppy
When Simon and I went to his first puppy social at a local dog training center, it was obvious the trainer was right.
Imagine 12 dogs of all shapes, sizes, colors, and temperaments in a large training room with toys, agility equipment, and nervous owners. Some pups run and chase other pups. One vomits under a bench. Another urinates on a dog bed. Three or four go up the ramps. Some go out into a fenced area and eat grass (Simón’s favorite activity). One is chasing a ball.
All activity is supervised with food rewards available to motivate shy dogs. The social leader pup also interrupts real fights.
Social got chaotic, but I can see the value. Simon preferred to greet all the owners and their children rather than play with other puppies. He was scared of the other dogs, but he warmed up a bit towards the end of the play period.
The Second Social Puppy
Even though he was the smallest pup at his second social, he decided the other pups were having fun chasing each other and playing with the agility equipment. He joined the party!
A few times he was outpaced by 2 bigger pups and ended up at the bottom of the dog pack, but it didn’t seem to matter. This is the goal of puppy-to-puppy socialization: learning to interact.
Now we are building a base for the next visit to the park where other dogs are everywhere! Let’s hope puppy owners continue to bring their dogs to puppy socials. It will help all dog owners!