Who doesn’t love a huddle of warm infant puppy bodies, all clustered around Mom nursing and snoozing? This image of domestic canine bliss is an easy one to get attached to – and begin to expect, even when no dog training has yet taken place. As long as the puppies’s bread is clearly buttered on the side of getting along (i.e. to continued nursing), social issues will be few and far between. But once those tiny puppies start to grow, they will instinctively begin to search out their place in the pack….typically by trial and error. To dog eyes, this looks exactly like what it is – trying to figure out where they fit into the pack rank and order. To human eyes, however, this typically looks like conflict, and sometimes aggressively so. In this post, learn why it is so critical that domestic dogs learn to get along with other dogs (especially those not part of their personal “pack”) and tips to make this easy and fun.
Establishing Human Leadership
Cesar Milan, “dog whisperer” extraordinaire, states in his five pack laws that dogs are pack animals. This means there will be leader and follower pack members, and different dogs will take on different roles based on gender, age and other factors. When the “pack” includes humans and canines, humans trump canines every time….or at least they should. But if human leadership is not established and maintained early on, there is nothing stopping canine members fighting over who gets the coveted role!
Establishing human leadership requires two steps:
- Human-led direct interaction and training with the dog(s).
- Human-facilitated interaction with other dogs.
Teaching a Dog Pack Social Skills
The more time that passes between when a dog comes into sexual maturity and begins jockeying for pack position, the more ingrained the unwanted behaviors will become. For this reason, it is vital to begin teaching pet dogs social skills as soon as possible. Unfortunately, with the hectic non-stop schedules many dog owners lead today, it can be really challenging to establish a regular training routine with pet dogs. Nevertheless, the social skills must be taught or it puts everyone – dogs and humans – at risk. Because social skills training benefits everyone, more dog owners are now choosing to utilize local Lakewood and Golden area resources like dog daycare and dog boarding facilities where dog training is offered as a part of the daily curriculum. A kennel setting can be an ideal place for pet dogs to learn these essential skills.
What to Look for When Choosing a Dog Daycare
Victoria Stillwell of Positively, who is an internationally known dog trainer and author, states that she is a huge fan of doggie daycare, but to get full benefit, it is important to pick the right kennel. The right facility will be clean, professional, spacious and attentive to dogs’ needs during warm and cold weather. Staff should be courteous and attentive to each individual canine client and their owners.
The Basics of Teaching Dogs to Get Along With Other Dogs
Dogs are known to be a socially motivated, domesticated species. This basically translates to mean that dogs make for great family pets. Interestingly, as The Bark points out, technically, human beings are “pack animals” too – and we don’t always get along with our peers! So perhaps it is unrealistic to expect our dogs to “just know” how to socialize with aggressive, shy, leader or follower dogs – let alone the opposite sex. Often, dogs need help from their owner and a professional trainer to learn how to socialize enjoyably and safely.
Starter tips to help your dog get along with others:
- Pick neutral turf for socialization training and all new meets.
- At home, make sure each dog has their own reserved space (crate, bed, bowls, et al).
- Let dogs who don’t know each other have some physical distance between them at first.
- Use toys and treats as motivators to reward positive behaviors only.
- Associate things the dog-in-training loves (play time, treats, toys, pats) with the presence of other dogs.
- For dogs that will be living together, let them meet on neutral turf AND take a long walk together first to get to know each other and form a “pack bond” during the walk. Then let the existing dog enter the home first.
Why Training During Daycare Helps
The amount and level of training one dog needs can differ greatly from what another dog might require to become a well socialized, contributing and happy member of the family. Some dogs may need the start with the basics, while other dogs may only need some fine-tuning as they go along. As Pet Helpful points out, training can be particularly valuable to calm aggressive or anxious dogs. These dogs may not want to display aggression towards humans or other dogs, but their internal anxiety levels may be such that they cannot modulate their behavior without human assistance. Training during doggie daycare can give these dogs a chance to practice newly-learned skills right away and while still under the supervision of their personal dog trainer. In this way, daycare and boarding programs have given many dogs with aggression or anxiety issues their lives back.
About Pet Peeves Dog Daycare Services
Pet Peeves is a full-service, 7-day dog boarding, and weekday dog daycare and training facility serving the Golden and Lakewood, Colorado, areas. To learn more, ask questions or sign your dog up, please give us a call at 303-216-1930 or click here
