Dog Playtime!

Did you know that one of the best ways you can enrich your dog's life is to provide them with playtime and friends?

It's only when they can communicate in their "doggie language" that they can truly engage in instinctual play- as humans, we are great substitutes, but we can't ever replace the interactions between two dogs.

When your dog gets to play with other dogs it helps them to build confidence in themselves and their environment, they generally become less fearful (more about that later) and they can approach new situations with less anxiety. Sound familiar? (the goal of all enrichment activities!)

This, in turn, can help curb destructive behavior- and also is one of the best ways to physically and mentally tire them out. There is nothing like your dog playing with another dog to get them to have to think AND run around!

However, it's important that your dog feel comfortable with their playmates. Some dogs, especially small dogs (and even moreso, the timid ones) can be nervous or defensive with larger dogs. Even a dog that doesn't SEEM larger to you can feel that way to your dog. My dog, Lulu, has never been comfortable with larger dogs (she shrinks and hides)- with good reason- she has been attacked no short of six times. However, with dogs her own size and of similar energy, she is outgoing and playful. 

We also see this crop up with the stereotypical small dog barking at the larger dog- it's their way of attempting to communicate to the larger dog to respect their space and not hurt them.

There are many ways to have your dog play with other dogs- some people take their dogs to dog parks, others to dog playgroups/daycare. My personal preference is to see if you have any friends with small dogs who might enjoy meeting up.