Last week we talked about love in all its forms. One way a human may choose to show their love for a Can Do Canine is to bring them to dog playdates. So! Let's talk about it.
Sidenote: If any adolescent Labradors get wind that I wrote this, they’ll have my tail. Don’t tell them, Ok? What I have to say is for their own good, but you know teenagers… they’re never going to listen to an old man like me.
Ok. Here goes: Dogs don’t NEED playtime with other dogs to be fulfilled in life. In fact, play time with other dogs (unless under certain conditions) can be very stressful and downright counterproductive for most of us, despite what recent Dog Park Culture may suggest.
Whew. I’ve said it. Don’t shoot the messenger.
This is a huge topic. Because we can only scratch the surface in a Training Tuesday email, I’ll just offer up some nuggets for you to consider:
Nugget #1
Young Puppies NEED To Play. Adult Dogs Do Not.
Play with other dogs is a CRITICAL part of a puppy’s physical, emotional and social development, and as an organization designed to raise the best assistance dogs in the world, Can Do Canines staff takes this very seriously. When we are very young Can Do Canines get all of the doggy play we need with our littermates and our mom. Humans can’t replace these vital interactions. In fact, ALL puppies (working dogs or pet dogs or feral dogs) who don’t receive adequate time with their mom and littermates face major developmental and behavioral challenges throughout their lifespan.
What’s also true is that by the time most dogs reach adulthood, playing with other dogs isn’t nearly the pleasure humans sometimes think it is. In the same way that your leisure interests change from digging in a sandbox with your preschool friends to getting precious alone time reading a book on your Kindle, an adult dog’s interests and priorities change. Since us dogs don’t have the agency you humans do, we can’t control what other dogs you bring into the house or what yard you bring us to to play. Sometimes our true desire to just chew our Nylabone in solitude may be inadvertently overlooked.
Nugget #2
Hot Take: Human Focus is Our Most Important Assistance Dog Task
It’s natural to be blown away by a Can Do Canine’s ability to sniff out low blood sugar or help their person out of a delicate sweater without ripping it to shreds. But do you know the biggest miracle we perform? Any Can Do Canines client will tell you: it’s our ability to calmly perform our trained tasks day or night, rain or shine, at the mall or on the couch, in a forest or on an airplane, in an empty house or while a guest is knocking on the front door.
“Ok cool,” you might say. “Love that for them. Super inspiring… Certainly that magic is achieved by the Program Trainers once they have the dogs In Final Training…”
Nope! While it’s the Program Trainers who teach us to alert to smoke alarms, it’s EVERY HOST THAT A CAN DO CANINE HAS EVER HAD who’s taught us to stay focused on our person no matter what. As you know well, successful Can Do Canines are no accident. If we succeed in our jobs it is because you have shown us that humans are a fascinating breed of slot-machine who doles out the cookies, games and attention we crave.
Here. Can I let you in on a little secret? Most any dog could learn to perform assistance dog tasks under the “right” circumstances. What makes Can Do Canines great is we consistently perform them under THE WRONG CIRCUMSTANCES (ever been to Disney World?) because of our deeply ingrained, foundational interest in humans. And cookies.
Ok. Pop quiz, hotshot! Yes, you heard me correctly.
Imagine walking your Can Do Canine (on leash, no cape) from your car towards a fenced yard where other program dogs are playing off leash. Now imagine that as you’re approaching the gate you realize you forgot your phone, and at that same moment the group of playing dogs rushes the fence. Which result feels most likely?
A: Your Can Do Canine was able to walk reasonably well up to the gate if you offered a high rate of cookies for her attention, but when the dogs approached and you turned around to get your phone, things went a little sideways.
B: Your Can Do Canine ignored the other dogs, and returned to your car with you on a loose leash and with a strong focus. She maintained that focus as you re-approached the play area, and then once you were seated she donned an apron and served you and the other humans lemonade.
C: Your Can Do Canine lost her mind as soon as you pulled up to the house and she could see the playing dogs from her spot in the back seat. The drool on your windows tells the sorry tale of a dog imprisoned against her will.
If you chose B, congratulations. You have achieved the Holy Grail and we will erect a statue in your name.
If you chose A or C you’re among friends (i.e. 98% of Can Do Canine hosts). You get a cookie for effort. A real, human one.
You can see why many playgroup situations are counter to a Can Do Canine's focus goals, before we even reach the play area. Further, what happens when that same group of dogs meets up for a caped outing at the mall? Hmmmm…. Should we find out???
Nugget #3
The Risks of Group Play Can Outweigh Any Benefit
Because the world makes me itchy my parents get to pay a drug company a lot of money each month to keep me comfortable. They knew this going into my adoption, and I’m happy to say I have been worth every penny. However, this miracle drug (Apoquel) is not without its risks (organ damage), which my parents and vet need to weigh against its benefit - thus yearly blood tests to confirm my liver function.
Beyond difficulties maintaining our all-important focus, group playtime can pose other significant challenges that may not be worth it in the end. For instance, while you insist on us being Fit and Trim Labradors (curse you), tons of racing around with other dogs can build our endurance past what’s practical for our lifestyles. Moreover, dogs can EASILY injure ourselves and each other during intense play, and symptoms may not appear until days or weeks later. We’re also susceptible to heat-related conditions, even when it doesn’t feel that hot to you, and are prone to gulping water during intense play, which can make us really sick. And finally, most hosts work with teen or young adult dogs who are rapidly developing, physically and personality-wise. These dogs may be happy to play with other dogs one week, but the next week they may have decided group play is really not for them. These signs can be subtle at first and often appear over time as the dog matures. And if the humans don’t respond to the signs, we will sometimes have to resort to more obvious displays to get the point across. Which leads us to…
Nugget #4
Dog "Playtime" Is Dog Politics - Humans Proceed With Caution
As we’ve discussed, dogs primarily use body language to communicate with each other and with you humans, and this language is subtle and fluid (we’ve very complex and interesting creatures, you see.) In my experience, humans supervising dog play tend to intervene only once there is humping, growling, or snapping. Honestly, this makes sense, as those actions are offensive to you. But I am here to tell you that the dog you think is my “best friend” may also be throwing me some serious shade that you don’t notice. That “shade” can appear as subtly as our pattern of running across the yard, in the set of his eyes, or in the way I am panting. I will throw my mom under the bus here and say that she for sure has allowed play to continue that I was not enjoying. Thankfully she understands more now, and can see that most intense dog/dog play just isn’t a good fit for me.
The Big Picture
So what does this all mean for those of us who become assistance dogs out in the world?
When a Can Do Canine is placed with a client, Client Services strongly recommends that the team avoids (or limits) dog playgroups, especially in the critical first year of team bonding. Why? For exactly the same reasons we’ve discussed above! Gladly, our grads live fulfilling and FUN lives, going about their day with their person. It’s really no loss to them. Honest!
Bottom Line: Let’s reduce the risk of career-changing injuries and overarousal in our young whipper-snappers, and be SUPER mindful about ANY dog/dog play.
Until next time,
Quest
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