Co-authored by
Dogs Trust Dog School
What is socialisation for dogs?
Gradual, slow introductions to people, other dogs, animals, objects, noises and experiences will help dogs learn about their environment in a positive, safe way. We call this socialisation.
To help prevent behavioural problems from developing, young puppies will benefit from carefully managed exposure to a range of different people, other dogs, animals, noises, objects and experiences within the first four months of their lives.
Why is it important to understand how my dog interacts with others?
Not all dogs will want to interact with other dogs (or people), so it’s important that they are given a choice whether to interact with or keep their distance from others. Sometimes you may need to decide when it isn’t appropriate for your dog to interact and help your dog with this. All interactions should be low pressure where the dogs can move away when they wish.
If you feel that your dog wishes to interact with another dog, you must ask the other owner for permission before letting them say hello. During interactions, watch the dogs’ body language to determine how they are feeling so you can respond accordingly.
You can learn more about understanding your dog’s body language here.
Individual dogs will have different preferences for how they interact and play with others. Knowing your dog’s preferences and play style can help you match them with the most appropriate walking companion or play buddy. The type of interaction will vary depending on the individual preferences of the dogs involved. Interactions may include walking together (on or off lead), calm sniffing of the same area together, playing together (sharing toys or physical play together), relaxing together (lying down or snoozing together).
How to introduce your pooch to other dogs
Introducing new dogs to each other should be done slowly and at a pace that the dogs are relaxed and confident with. Continuously watch the body language of the dogs involved and if you see signs that they are feeling anxious, worried or frustrated, you can call them away to allow them a break.
Step 1: Introducing dogs at a distance
Dogs do not need to be physically touching to gather information; they will be able to hear, see and smell the other dog at a distance. This is an important part of their social skills. Start to walk at a distance from other dogs. Make sure your pooch keeps their focus on you and don’t get close enough to the other dog for them to become too excited or worried. You may notice your dog struggling to pay you attention or they may only focus on the other dog if they are excited or worried. Your dog may also show behaviours such as pulling, barking or lunging. If your dog is too excited, or they are worried you may need to create space between the dogs. Remember to bring treats with you so you can reward them for calm behaviour.
Dogs, and their owners, might need space for many reasons such as being worried of other dogs or people, recovering from surgery or illness, or practising some training. It’s important we are all responsible, considerate dog owners and are respectful of etiquette.
Step 2: Walking on the lead
Next, you could arrange a walk with a friend and their pooch. Keep both dogs on-lead to begin with so your pup can then learn to walk alongside them calmly. Watch both dogs body language and increase distance if any are showing signs that they are worried or becoming too excited. Providing both pups are relaxed, you can let them greet each other on-lead. Keeping the leads relaxed, let them say a short hello and have a sniff, then keep moving.
Top Tip: Avoid leads getting tangled by moving your body, and the dog’s lead, around with your dog.
Step 3: Walking off the lead
Once the new pooch pals are familiar with each other and their body language suggests that they are confident together, it may be appropriate to let them off the lead to play together. It’s worth considering whether their play styles are a good match for each other before making this decision.
Before letting them off the lead, ensure your dog has a good recall. It is advisable to use secure areas when letting your dog off to play to ensure that they are safe, and you are able to pop them back on the lead when play time is over.
Play-time: Green Flags
During appropriate play between dogs, you will see:
- Dogs mirroring each other. You’ll see dogs taking it in turns to be the chaser, or one dog copying the other dog’s play bows.
- Dogs pausing during play time. This helps keep excitement levels under control, keeping play safe and mutual. You might see your dog shaking off or pausing to read the room when this happens.
- Adaptive play behaviour. You may see a big dog lay on the floor to play with a little one, making the effort to play equal.
- Loose, confident body language throughout.
Play-time: Red Flags
Pay close attention to both dogs’ body language. If you see signs of tension or apprehension, pause the play and call the dogs away from each other to give them a break. If one dog is trying to avoid contact with the other dog by moving away or simply turning away, but the other dog continues to try and interact, call them away to allow that needed break. You may need to intervene if you notice unequal play where one dog doesn’t seem to be enjoying it the same as the other, or if you notice no natural breaks in play. More obvious signs of when to intervene include unbalanced chasing where one dog is showing signs that they are worried, biting where the body language is tense, or over the top behaviour where the dogs are no longer able to calm themselves down.
If you spot any of these signs, you must safely intervene and allow the dogs to move away from each other. You will need to support them by calling the dogs away in opposite directions to pause play. This will help prevent their worry or anxiety escalating to more overt body language signals, such as snapping or biting towards the other dog. Before letting them off lead together again, ensure the dogs are relaxed and confident. It may be beneficial to slowly introduce the dogs at a distance to assess their body language.
We must help and support our dogs with interactions by allowing them to choose what, if any, interactions they wish to be involved with. By continually watching their body language, we can ensure that they are able to feel relaxed and confident around other dogs. It is worth practising skills such as them focusing on you and coming back when called as these will help when they are interacting with their furry friends.
