There’s Always A Problem When My Dog Is Around Other Dogs
So common! Dogs are all individuals! But also, as a culture we seem to think that “normal” dogs like playing with other dogs. Nope. They often don’t. And If yours falls into that camp and they are forced to play with other dogs, how do you think that will turn out?
If that is the case you have to recognize that your dog might not actually be the problem. No level of training will ever fix the OTHER dogs and it will probably never change your dog’s personality where he loves being harassed by other dogs.
Nobody will advocate for your dog but you. So you need to know when and how to do that, but also tell your dog if he or she is being a jerk. And it may very well be both!
Don’t make socializing your dog something more stressful than it needs to be. Be proactive about evaluating the situation and whether or not it is a good situation to put your dog in. I personally would never put my dogs in a situation with any other dog that I know is going to pester or bully them UNLESS someone is going to step in and put the kibosh on it. That might mean fewer get togethers where your dog is able to be included because everyone being on board with controlling their dog’s behavior is the only way it works!
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Minute-by-Minute Breakdown
- 00:00 – Kati opens by asking listeners to subscribe and frames the episode around common dog socialization problems.
- 01:00 – She says their training programs focus on manners, not teaching dogs to make friends with other dogs.
- 03:00 – She explains many dogs can ignore or tolerate others without wanting to play, and that is normal.
- 04:00 – She says acceptable dog behavior depends on personality and on whether the situation is appropriate.
- 06:00 – She contrasts dogs that want space with dogs that want constant play, saying that combination creates conflict.
- 07:00 – She stresses you cannot control the other dogs, which is often the biggest factor in social problems.
- 08:00 – She warns that dog parks and daycare force random interactions and are often blamed unfairly.
- 09:00 – She asks owners to consider whether their dog actually wants dog friends at all.
- 11:00 – She says friend-to-friend dog socializing only works if everyone involved controls their own dogs.
- 12:00 – She gives an example of telling a rude dog to stop when it is being pushy or inappropriate.
- 14:00 – She describes a walk where one dog corrected another after getting annoyed by repeated kicking and arousal.
- 16:00 – She says some reactions are about posturing or discomfort, but either way the other dog needs management.
- 18:00 – She argues dogs can have breaking points and should not be forced to tolerate bad behavior just because they are friendly.
- 19:00 – She says repeated bad interactions teach dogs that other dogs are annoying and nobody will protect them.
- 21:00 – She criticizes dog parks because jerks and conflict are inevitable, even if some dogs enjoy them.
- 22:00 – She notes that the first bite is often self-defense in a pattern of unresolved harassment.
- 24:00 – She says obsessing over other dogs is unhealthy and can make a normally stable dog reactive.
- 26:00 – She says owners cannot control whether other dogs keep crowding their dog, so they must be proactive.
- 28:00 – She advises building a strong relationship where commands are non-negotiable and advocacy is built in.
- 30:00 – She says there is no training fix for other dogs being the problem, only management and boundaries.
- 31:00 – She describes clients whose dogs can safely be around each other because everyone controls their dogs.
- 33:00 – She recommends training, muzzles, and caution when a situation feels unsafe or likely to escalate.
- 34:00 – She says dogs do not need immediate playtime together; they can simply learn to coexist nearby.
- 36:00 – She advises new visitors to decompress first and not force first-day greetings or group play.
- 37:00 – She rejects the idea that dogs must get along with all other dogs or join every group.
- 38:00 – She says owners must tell their own dog to stop being a jerk, while also expecting others to do the same.
- 39:00 – She says throwing dogs into big groups of untrained dogs is stupid and often leads to problems.
- 41:00 – She recounts a dog becoming reactive after being forced back into chaotic daycare-style environments.
- 42:00 – She says daycare and similar settings rarely respect dog boundaries, so she tells clients not to send dogs there.
- 44:00 – She defines socialization as calmly being around dogs, not necessarily playing with them.
- 45:00 – She says many owners enable rude behavior by letting their dogs run over other dogs without boundaries.
- 46:00 – She closes by saying other dogs obsessing over yours is someone else’s problem, not yours.