Here’s a MadLib for you. Replace the word “child” in the following paragraph with the word “dog.”
My child goes to school. My child has a sweater for cold days and a raincoat for rainy days. My child likes to swim in our pool. My child sometimes falls asleep on the couch. My child has a toybox full of fun things to play with. My child loves to play outside.
Since your dog does many of the same things that children do, its not a stretch to think about arranging a play date for him. There’s an apt saying that “a tired dog is a happy dog” and boy, will he be tired after playing with another dog.
I get asked about playdates all the time – how to arrange one, the best way to introduce the dogs, the length of the playtime. Here are some Playdate Basics:
Safety first. It goes almost without saying that potential playmates should have all of their innoculations, be in good health, and be spayed or neutered.
Introduce the dogs on neutral (fenced) turf first. Your dog might be protective of his home and yard, so level the playing field by meeting away from either house.
Supervise, supervise, supervise. Just because they are the same species doesn’t mean they will be automatic best buds. Stay outside with the dogs and keep an eye on things. Should play ramp up into a fight, have a blanket on hand to throw over the dogs. Do not try to physically break up a fight yourself. You might inadvertently get bitten.
Provide multiple toys, but no food or treats. There might be food allergies or food issues, so its better to keep treats out of the picture. Of course, have a bowl of water available.
Keep the first playdate short. Half an hour is usually enough to tell if the dogs get along and enjoy each other. The next meeting can be an hour or more.
Take turns hosting. Its more fun for the dogs and no one is over-burdened by clean-up duty.
Don’t give up if it doesn’t work out. Arrange dates with different dogs. After all, you have more than one friend and so can your dog. However, if your dog doesn’t seem to be able to get along with ANY other dog, put playdates on hold until his behavior improves.
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