It was a four dog party - a pyrenees, two border collies (I think) and tiny Millie the Cavalier. There could have been more dogs - the number of dogs during Covid has increased immensely. But who can be sure that dogs will get along? The owners are all model railroaders, so have something in common. But what would make the dogs want to play with each other and accept each other?
I don't know. And I find out that there are a few techniques such as introducing them on neutral territory, each leashed and walked by a different person, don't let them walk too close at first, and so on.
So taking Millie to a home that is dominated by 3 other dogs and then giving those dogs lots of attention might not be the best scenario for dogs making friends. Why is that? Because dog get jealous.
"They are just as likely to turn into a green eyed monster as humans, according to scientists in California. Researchers studied 36 dogs from 14 breeds and found that most were indifferent when their owners ignored them until the owners showered their attention on a stuffed dog. Then their behaviour changed dramatically, sparking snapping and snarling."
And consider this - that if we give too much attention to those other three dogs, and our dog could easily have gotten jealous. Did Millie misbehave? No, she was very good, but if she had been bad - like eating their dinners, then what could we expect?
"Researchers found those puppy dog eyes are not a sign of guilt but fear. In fact it is just the way we interpret a dog’s reaction to being scolded. If they eat every biscuit in the house, they may look ashamed but don’t expect them to feel guilty as they don’t experience these emotions. Maybe Denver didn't eat the kitty-cat treats after all."
It is Millie's birthday this week, and there are more articles on how to throw a dog party than how to bring a dog to a human party - dog-friendly ice cream, birthday cake dog ideas, un-fur-gettable memories,
