Until about 5-10 years ago, the idea of socializing a pup referred to accustoming that animal to a variety of different people under different circumstances. We wanted to do this because domestic dogs live in a human world and those who get along well with people fare better than those who don’t. However, in the past decade or so, there has a been a shift in emphasis from socializing dogs and people to socializing dogs and other dogs.
I suspect multiple reasons have contributed to the shift. Almost certainly guilt plays a role. As human lifestyles have become more and more complex, our dogs mean more to us. The more they mean to us, the more we feel obligated to atone for our complex lives. What better way to do this than to allow our dogs the opportunity to romp with their own kind, to become one with their inner dog?
Although that sounds idyllic, this approach ignores several realities that I find increasingly troubling. First, the human species has spent more than 10,000 years domesticating dogs so dogs would prefer human over canine companionship. This serves as the hallmark behavior that separates domestic from wild canines. Do we really want to encourage dogs to play by canine rather than human rules at the same time we demand more of them in their intimate interactions with us? (For a nice overview of how complex the typical human-canine relationship has become, read Jon Katz’s The New Work of Dogs published by Villard.)
Second, such canine group activities assume that all dogs want to be with other dogs. In reality, some dogs are normally more semi-solitary and much prefer the company of people to that of other canines. In their book, Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution (Scribner, 2001), Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger make a very compelling case for dismissing the traditional human-tames-wolf view of domestic canine origins in favor of one in which more solitary wolves opted to scavenge human waste rather than run with the pack. Although we may never know exactly how this came about, it seems logical that whatever behaviors made those first proto-dogs more tolerant of humans simultaneously isolated them from those highly social wolves who survived by keeping as much distance between their packs and humans as possible. It also seems that humans would be more tolerant of single animals displaying this new behavior rather than a whole pack.
Consequently, it should neither surprise nor trouble us to discover that there are domestic dogs with little desire to interact with members of their own species. This does not, in any way, mean that these dogs are antagonistic toward other dogs; they’re just not interested. Sadly, some folks may erroneously believe that there is something “wrong” with these dogs and thus they keep taking their pets to playgroups or other multi-dog activities in order to “fix” them. Those who realize this is normal behavior find these animals make wonderful companions.
The third reality that group canine activities often ignore is that not all inter-canine relationships are good ones. Although some owners do just want to provide their healthy, well-behaved pets with canine companionship, the motives of others who engage in such activities is not so pure. A fair number take their pets to dog parks or doggy day care because their pets have behavioral problems which they hope these activities will somehow magically cure.
“Once Max gets used to playing with a lot of pups, I’m sure he won’t be so timid,” insists Tony Worthington.
“Scooter has way too much energy. That’s why he trashes the house when I’m gone,” declares Mary Klusic. “Putting him in daycare gives him the opportunity to burn it off.”
“I’m sure Poochie is so edgy because he needs more exercise,” adds Tammy Rayburn. “That’s why I bring him to the dog park and turn him loose.”
Admittedly some timid dogs do toughen up when tossed into a sink-or-swim canine environment in which they must learn to stick up for themselves if they don’t want the other dogs to bully them mercilessly. However, a very real risk exists that those bullies are there because of aggression problems. Surely we don’t need a crystal ball to see what could happen when these two different kinds of dogs meet: the more aggressive dogs will overwhelm and bully the more timid ones, the net result being that each dog’s problems will be reinforced rather than lessened by the experience. When we add these dogs to all those whose owners seek a contained canine environment because their dogs will not respond to their commands, does this sound like a place where a dog will learn good habits?
Given all that, I don’t think we can overlook the final reality of canine social experiences which is that our desire for the companionship of other humans more than any desire for our dogs to experience quality canine companionship might fuel a lot of these activities. In spite of how complex our lives are, a lot of us are lonely. Puppy playgroups and dog parks provide us with an opportunity to socialize that comes with the added benefit of a built-in topic of conversation. Unlike sitting in a singles bar or going to a party with a bunch of strangers with whom we can only hope to broach some subject of mutual interest, those involved in canine activities always know that they can talk about dogs.
So what’s the final verdict on these activities? My advice is that old caveat, let the buyer beware. For sure, I would never view these as a quick and fun problem-solver. Although they might be in some (rare) cases, in others they’ll make existing problems worse or create new ones. I would also strongly recommend observing these activities sans dog to ensure you aren’t enrolling your dog in a free-roaming, unsupervised dog pack. Ideally, puppy play groups should be moderated by a highly stable, mature dog as well as a knowledgeable trainer. The sessions should be short and end with calming human-canine interactions such as massage. Get references from doggy daycare centers and find out what kinds of dogs attend that facility: Are they well-behaved pets or are they problem animals who would destroy the house and alienate the neighbors in the owner’s absence? Check out any dog parks scrupulously, going on a daily basis for at least a full week to determine what kinds of dogs go there, their health and behavioral status, and how responsible and capable their owners are of cleaning up after and controlling their pets.
And finally, don’t forget to ask why you think your dog needs this kind of activity. If your pet is well-behaved and healthy, chances are that he or she is perfectly content to spend time with you rather than other dogs. Does that mean that you can’t engage in these activities because you enjoy the companionship of other people who like dogs, too? Not at all. However, just be sure to select those activities that will meet your dog’s needs as well as your own.
If canines of any age experience behavioral problems such shyness, timidity, separation anxiety, or aggression, discuss these problems with someone knowledgeable about both animal behavior and the human-animal bond before involving that dog in any canine group activities. That way these dogs won’t be placed in activities and environments that makes their problems worse rather than better.
By keeping these few considerations in mind, we can make informed decisions about if group activities will benefit our pets and, if so, which ones will do this in a way that’s the most rewarding for both them and ourselves.
Until about 5-10 years ago, the idea of socializing a pup referred to accustoming that animal to a variety of different people under different circumstances. We wanted to do this because domestic dogs live in a human world and those who get along well with people fare better than those who don’t. However, in the past decade or so, there has a been a shift in emphasis from socializing dogs and people to socializing dogs and other dogs.
I suspect multiple reasons have contributed to the shift. Almost certainly guilt plays a role. As human lifestyles have become more and more complex, our dogs mean more to us. The more they mean to us, the more we feel obligated to atone for our complex lives. What better way to do this than to allow our dogs the opportunity to romp with their own kind, to become one with their inner dog?
Although that sounds idyllic, this approach ignores several realities that I find increasingly troubling. First, the human species has spent more than 10,000 years domesticating dogs so dogs would prefer human over canine companionship. This serves as the hallmark behavior that separates domestic from wild canines. Do we really want to encourage dogs to play by canine rather than human rules at the same time we demand more of them in their intimate interactions with us? (For a nice overview of how complex the typical human-canine relationship has become, read Jon Katz’s The New Work of Dogs published by Villard.)
Second, such canine group activities assume that all dogs want to be with other dogs. In reality, some dogs are normally more semi-solitary and much prefer the company of people to that of other canines. In their book, Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution (Scribner, 2001), Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger make a very compelling case for dismissing the traditional human-tames-wolf view of domestic canine origins in favor of one in which more solitary wolves opted to scavenge human waste rather than run with the pack. Although we may never know exactly how this came about, it seems logical that whatever behaviors made those first proto-dogs more tolerant of humans simultaneously isolated them from those highly social wolves who survived by keeping as much distance between their packs and humans as possible. It also seems that humans would be more tolerant of single animals displaying this new behavior rather than a whole pack.
Consequently, it should neither surprise nor trouble us to discover that there are domestic dogs with little desire to interact with members of their own species. This does not, in any way, mean that these dogs are antagonistic toward other dogs; they’re just not interested. Sadly, some folks may erroneously believe that there is something “wrong” with these dogs and thus they keep taking their pets to playgroups or other multi-dog activities in order to “fix” them. Those who realize this is normal behavior find these animals make wonderful companions.
The third reality that group canine activities often ignore is that not all inter-canine relationships are good ones. Although some owners do just want to provide their healthy, well-behaved pets with canine companionship, the motives of others who engage in such activities is not so pure. A fair number take their pets to dog parks or doggy day care because their pets have behavioral problems which they hope these activities will somehow magically cure.
“Once Max gets used to playing with a lot of pups, I’m sure he won’t be so timid,” insists Tony Worthington.
“Scooter has way too much energy. That’s why he trashes the house when I’m gone,” declares Mary Klusic. “Putting him in daycare gives him the opportunity to burn it off.”
“I’m sure Poochie is so edgy because he needs more exercise,” adds Tammy Rayburn. “That’s why I bring him to the dog park and turn him loose.”
Admittedly some timid dogs do toughen up when tossed into a sink-or-swim canine environment in which they must learn to stick up for themselves if they don’t want the other dogs to bully them mercilessly. However, a very real risk exists that those bullies are there because of aggression problems. Surely we don’t need a crystal ball to see what could happen when these two different kinds of dogs meet: the more aggressive dogs will overwhelm and bully the more timid ones, the net result being that each dog’s problems will be reinforced rather than lessened by the experience. When we add these dogs to all those whose owners seek a contained canine environment because their dogs will not respond to their commands, does this sound like a place where a dog will learn good habits?
Given all that, I don’t think we can overlook the final reality of canine social experiences which is that our desire for the companionship of other humans more than any desire for our dogs to experience quality canine companionship might fuel a lot of these activities. In spite of how complex our lives are, a lot of us are lonely. Puppy playgroups and dog parks provide us with an opportunity to socialize that comes with the added benefit of a built-in topic of conversation. Unlike sitting in a singles bar or going to a party with a bunch of strangers with whom we can only hope to broach some subject of mutual interest, those involved in canine activities always know that they can talk about dogs.
So what’s the final verdict on these activities? My advice is that old caveat, let the buyer beware. For sure, I would never view these as a quick and fun problem-solver. Although they might be in some (rare) cases, in others they’ll make existing problems worse or create new ones. I would also strongly recommend observing these activities sans dog to ensure you aren’t enrolling your dog in a free-roaming, unsupervised dog pack. Ideally, puppy play groups should be moderated by a highly stable, mature dog as well as a knowledgeable trainer. The sessions should be short and end with calming human-canine interactions such as massage. Get references from doggy daycare centers and find out what kinds of dogs attend that facility: Are they well-behaved pets or are they problem animals who would destroy the house and alienate the neighbors in the owner’s absence? Check out any dog parks scrupulously, going on a daily basis for at least a full week to determine what kinds of dogs go there, their health and behavioral status, and how responsible and capable their owners are of cleaning up after and controlling their pets.
And finally, don’t forget to ask why you think your dog needs this kind of activity. If your pet is well-behaved and healthy, chances are that he or she is perfectly content to spend time with you rather than other dogs. Does that mean that you can’t engage in these activities because you enjoy the companionship of other people who like dogs, too? Not at all. However, just be sure to select those activities that will meet your dog’s needs as well as your own.
If canines of any age experience behavioral problems such shyness, timidity, separation anxiety, or aggression, discuss these problems with someone knowledgeable about both animal behavior and the human-animal bond before involving that dog in any canine group activities. That way these dogs won’t be placed in activities and environments that makes their problems worse rather than better.
By keeping these few considerations in mind, we can make informed decisions about if group activities will benefit our pets and, if so, which ones will do this in a way that’s the most rewarding for both them and ourselves.