A recent article in The Bark magazine got me thinking about dogs and their friends. The article asked “Who’s your dog’s BFF?” and said that the answer might not be you — or any other human — but a dog buddy. I know my dog has friends — human and canine alike — and that she also takes a dislike to many critters she meets.
Dogs might choose friends much as we do — they gravitate toward dogs and people who share their interests, their social style, and, yes, their play style. Quiet, introverted children are unlikely to seek out and play with the super-jocks or other high-energy kids, just as those kids might find the bookish ones boring. Dogs are no different.
A key difference in dogs, though, is how closely their play style and preferences might be tied to their breed. While there can certainly be a range of temperaments within a breed, some characteristics do seem to be breed-linked.
Anyone with an aussie, border collie, or even a German shepherd can think of instances where their dog herded other dogs, children, even (in moments of desperation) toys, trying desperately to create and maintain order. German shepherds have other distinctive play instincts as well — they love to chase and might indulge that love chasing a smaller dog around the dog park, to the consternation of that dog and his or her humans. German shepherd play is also often quite vocal and might be mistaken as aggressive by non-shepherd folk.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2010.