Do Dogs Need Playdates? (Pros And Cons)

Does your dog seem like it is lonely and wants a friend? Does your dog have so much energy it drives you crazy? If no matter what you try to do to wear them out, nothing seems to work, then maybe a doggy playdate is what your dog needs.

In this article, I will be going over the pros and cons of doggy playdates, and also some tips for setting up a successful playdate for your pup.

Pros of doggy playdates

There are definitely some benefits of arranging playdates for your pup, including those listed below.

1) Playdates provide opportunities to get your dog socialized with new dogs, people, and environments.

Socializing your dog is a big factor in your dog’s life to help make sure they are confident, less anxious when you take them out in public, and also helps to reduce the risk of aggression or behavioral issues.

The more positive experiences you give your dog in new environments, the more they are going to want to go out, and it will increase your own enjoyment of taking your dog out in public.

2) The playdates will help burn off any unwanted energy, and help reduce any destructive habits.

This will allow your dogs to run around with other dogs, explore their surroundings, and you could incorporate many different toys, obstacles, or even obedience to also give your dogs a little more mental stimulation to help wear them out as well.

Giving your dog all this exercise and mental stimulation will help your dog to be less destructive. By the time you get your dog home they are going to be too exhausted to think about chewing on anything, and they are going to be ready for a nap.

3) Playdates will help with overall health and fitness.

This will help with both your dog’s mental and physical health. It helps keep your dog at a healthy weight through regular exercise, and helps keep them mentally stimulated through interactive play.

Cons of doggy playdates

However, it isn’t all benefits – there are a few drawbacks to doggy playdates, too.

1) Playdates can be overwhelming for a dog that is anxious or undersocialized.

Even though these playdates can be great for socializing your dog, some dogs may be too scared or stressed to enjoy the playdate This could make the dog’s fear and anxiety worse if not properly managed during the playdate.

2) May require some supervision to ensure the dog's safety and to ensure the dogs do not get too rough or uncontrolled.

With playdates, you are going to want to make sure that it is supervised to ensure that the dogs are playing well with each other – and to also make sure they aren’t getting into anything that they shouldn’t.

Dogs learn by watching other dogs, and even people. If your dog watches another dog exhibit a bad behavior, or even another dog being encouraged to do a bad behavior by another person, they could pick up that behavior.

3) Risks of aggressive behavior, or fights if dogs don't get along.

Not all dogs are friendly with other dogs. This could be because of a bad experience with other dogs in the past, or may be genetic. In any event, dogs who don’t get along with one another could become aggressive if left unsupervised.

4) Risks of illness or parasites spread amongst dogs.

There are diseases out there that can be spread through dogs by other dogs, or contaminated water, or through feces.

Tips to help you plan a successful playdate

Use apps or social media to help you find people in your area for your puppy playdate. You can’t trust that every time you go to a dog park that someone is going to be there. Nor can you rely that the dogs at the dog park will have a suitable temperament. Planning in advance will help you figure out what kind of temperament and size dog that each of you have, and determine if it will be the right fit for your playdate.
Test the dogs before you just throw them together. Before you throw the dogs together, test them on-leash around each other so you have control of your dogs and to see how they react to one another.
Try to get dogs of the same size and temperament. Most of the time, your dog is going to enjoy playing with someone more their size. If you throw small dogs with big dogs, you are going to have to be more cautious with playtime and making sure the smaller ones don’t get hurt. Also, matching the same temperament helps as well, ensuring that your dogs have a similar energy level.
Playdates don’t always have to be your dog playing. If you have a higher energy dog, you could plan on doing an agility playdate,. If you have a lower energy dog who doesn’t necessarily likes to run around and play, you could go on a pack walk Base what you do in the playdates according to what would benefit you and your dog the most.