Dear Miss Behavin’:
Our terrier, Lucy, is hit or miss with other dogs. She’s almost two years old and we just can’t figure out why she likes some dogs and harasses others. Is there any rhyme or reason to this?
Dear Dog Selective,
It’s not uncommon for Lucy’s social behavior to fluctuate during adolescence and as she matures into adulthood. Depending on the dog and a variety of factors (too many to name!), sociability can vary throughout a dog’s life and often depends on the other dogs they encounter – quite similar to people.
If you know that Lucy is playful and well-mannered with certain dogs, continue to have her interact with them regularly. Practicing appropriate social behavior with other dogs is quite important and more valuable than constantly meeting new dogs and acting out.
Dog parks, beaches, and off-leash areas have limited supervision and can be risky if your dog is unreliable with other dogs. Instead, search for a play group or doggy day-care that can match dogs based on their personality and play style, supervision included. If that isn’t an option or multiple dogs can be overwhelming for Lucy, you can do some scouting yourself.
Perhaps you have relatives or friends with a dog who you’ve seen at a gathering. That particular dog is friendly with people and dogs, other dogs approach him without issue, and he seems to have a mild, reliable temperament. Take the opportunity to meet up with this dog and his owner and join them for a walk or hike. This will give Lucy an opportunity to not only meet a new dog, but also encourage her to be friendly given the other dog’s known friendly disposition.
Lastly, the majority of dogs are not social butterflies. It’s perfectly acceptable for your dog to be selective about who she opens up to and plays with. Most importantly, make sure your dog is well behaved on leash and has reliable recall if you’re going to let her off leash. This will give you the control you need in all situations to manage your dog’s social interactions with other dogs.