Play Dates

Dogs, like toddlers, need a social life too, and play dates are an excellent way to meet this need. You schedule a time with someone else who has a dog that your pup gets along with, and you meet up so that they can "socialize." The dogs run around the house, wrestling each other and doing what dogs do, and the "moms" meanwhile swap stories about how their dogs behave, what food and treats they feed them, what their dogs are learning, etc. Play dates follow a loose structure, that includes making sure there are treats (snacks) available, and incorporating an "activity" like a walk together around the neighborhood. Certain etiquette must be followed, like extending an invitation for a play date at your own place if you've brought your dog over for a play date at a friend's house.

Mumble naturally has frequent play dates with some of his best buds, like Charlie and Chopper, because there are certain dogs we just happen to see on a regular basis. It is so interesting to see how he plays differently with different dogs. Charlie and Mumble are both endless bounds of energy, and they will wrestle each other, pin each other down, run across the furniture, etc, for as long as you will let them. Chopper and Mumble, on the other hand, will play for a little while, and then kind of just "hang out" and be mellow.

I like to schedule play dates with new dog friends whenever possible too. Recently, Mumble had a play date for the first time with Kehei, the 3 1/2 month old lab puppy belonging to one of my good friends, and then last week had a play date with Otis, a 2 year old dog that is very similar to Mumble in looks and personality.

Kehei and Mumble were great playmates! At 3 1/2 months old, Kehei is already close in size to Mumble, who is full grown, and actually had more energy than Mumble (which never happens with other dogs). We were there for a few hours, and at some point, Mumble just laid down underneath the table, but Kehei was still insistent on playing. It was quite amusing to watch, because usually it is the other way around - Mumble is usually constantly "bugging" the other dogs to play with him even when they are tired or "done."

We took Kehei and Mumble for a walk at the dog beach in Huntington Beach. Mumble is not a big fan of the beach because he is pretty terrified of the waves. He had to remain on leash for most of the time, given that he was so insistent on trying to get back to the car and away from the ocean that I was afraid if the leash was off, he'd take off and run into the parking lot / street. Kehei, on the other hand, is pretty trustworthy off-leash and he kind of roamed along near us, checking out other dogs and things and then coming back to walk close by. They met some other dogs and played in the sand, and all in all it was a pretty good walk.

Mumble's play date with Otis was awesome. Otis is so similar to Mumble, it was really amazing - you would look at the two of them and think that they must be brothers. Both have the markings of a Border Collie, but with shorter fur and super lean bodies. They both have distinctive looking heads / faces (the head that leads people to opine that Mumble is either part bull terrier or part pit bull). And such expressive faces! Their personalities were even more similar, and Otis's mom and dad and I had a great time talking about all the things they do that are alike. We also compared leashes, harnesses, toys, training techniques, exercise routines, and daycares.

We took Mumble and Otis on a walk in Marina del Rey that lead us past the canal and down by the beach. It was a beautiful walk, with lots of scenery, birds and other wildlife, and a great walking path with benches, abundant trash cans and even rolls of dog-poop-bags! What a great area to live with a dog!

Of course, one of the best benefits of a play date is that your dog is tired (and therefore "well behaved") afterwards! All of that running around and playing with another dog, Mumble is worn out and much more relaxed when we get back home. In my experience, socializing with another dog for an hour or two is so important because it doesn't just tire them out physically - the socialization party works them out mentally too. For a dog like Mumble, mental stimulation and socialization is just as important as the physical exercise. And play dates give you the opportunity to experience how your dog socializes. If your dog, like Mumble, goes to daycare, they are constantly getting the opportunity to play with other dogs, but you never really see how they interact. It's so important to understand fully your dogs personality and how he interacts with other dogs is a huge part of that. Plus, it gives you practice "facilitating" good social behaviors!