One of the many wonderful things I love about dogs is that they are such highly social creatures.
They so enjoy interacting with not only their own kind, but humans as well. This is partly due to their wolf ancestry and selective breeding practices. Many moons ago, when humans were far less civilized materially than they are now, some of them noticed how some wolves (canis lupus) enjoyed hanging around the campfires, be it for scraps of food or curiosity. These smart yet somewhat primitive humans chose to "adopt" those social wolves and thus the selective breeding began. The end result is today's canis lupus familiaris, a.k.a. the dog.
Externally, most dogs don't resemble wolves any longer, but they still carry many genetic traits from their wolf cousins. One of these traits is the need for social interaction. Dogs require this social interaction because they are pack animals; they have an instinctual desire to interact with a group of similar individuals.
Some current theories state that dogs do not have a need for pack structure and dynamics, but if you spend any time with a group of familiar dogs or have a small pack, like I do, you will observe very quickly that pack dynamics and order exists. I believe that one of the beauties of canine domestication over many thousands of years is that dogs no longer have the same kind of social pack needs as the wolves do, but they still have social needs. Dogs are content with friendships within transient packs of unrelated members, whereas wolves have permanent packs of family members. What this means for your Fido is that deep inside that four-legged ball of fur, he needs to get his social media game on by sniffing another dog's butt on a regular basis. Socialization goes far beyond teaching a puppy how to interact with other dogs. Socialization is a lifelong participation that helps to reinforce social skills with other dogs. If they don't get out and mingle in their social network, their skills get rusty and they will soon be "unfriended." Can you imagine the talk at the dog park? "I just went up to say hello to Duchess and instead of letting me sniff her behind she turned and snapped at me! What's up with that? I'm going to have to delete her from my friend list if she does that again!" Sniffing butts, touching noses, pushing and shoving, the occasional argument, and of course play, are all a part of the canine social ritual and dogs need it. In fact, if they don't get social time, many dogs begin to display behaviours that may resemble aggression when they meet or even see another dog. It really isn't true aggression, but rather an expression of frustration because their social needs are not being met.
Once these dogs are allowed to interact with other dogs on a regular basis, that unwanted behaviour goes away. It may require the help of a professional trainer at first because sometimes the frustrated dog is also very anxious and overexcited and needs to be taught self-control before greeting another dog, otherwise conflict can ensue. When conflict does happen, the owner often gets frustrated or even frightened and the dog is then denied further social interaction. Dog parks that provide linear movement, as in walking off or on leash on trails, are better for positive social interaction than small fenced parks. Along trails, friendly dogs can meet, have a sniff that could turn into play and then leave with their owners, yet continue with fun exercise. In confined areas, the limited space for dogs to interact often doesn't allow a dog to retreat or escape from another dog that plays too rough or may not have friendly intentions. Understandably, a dog that has negative experiences in these areas is often removed by its owner. But the negative social interaction remains in the dog's mind, which, over time, can lead to social behavioural problems if no other positive social interaction takes place.
Providing a positive social network on a daily basis is important for your dog's mental and emotional health.
Joan has been working with dogs for more than 15 years in obedience, tracking and behavioural rehabilitation. Contact her via her website k9kinship.com.
