How do I teach my dog to play gentle with other dogs?

The key is to gradually familiarize your dog with other dogs to build up his confidence and to keep him feeling comfortable. You need to motivate him with food and reward positive play with a variety of easy treats. If he’s a puppy, bringing him out of his shell could take just a week or two. If he’s older with years of anti-sociable behavior under his collar then the process may take up to a couple of months. You’ll need treats or his favorite food broken into small pieces. The tastier the food the more eager he will be to learn. You’ll also need access to other dogs in a controlled environment.

Start Training Early The best time to start teaching gentle play is when a dog is still a puppy because they are more receptive to learning new behaviors. However, older dogs can also learn through consistent training. Approach: Begin with basic commands like "sit," "stay," and "down" to establish foundational obedience. Introduce gentle play in a controlled setting, using soft toys and gentle petting to encourage calm behavior. If a puppy plays too roughly, a gentle correction followed by redirection to appropriate toys or activities helps establish boundaries. Use specific commands such as “gentle” when they play too roughly. If they respond well, immediately reward them with praise or treats. If the rough play continues, calmly end the play session and give your dog a few minutes to settle down before attempting to resume play in a more controlled manner. Whenever your dog engages in gentle play, immediately reward them with their favorite treats, plenty of praise, or a quick cuddle. Watch for signs of over-excitement or aggression, such as growling, baring teeth, or pinning ears back. If you notice these signs, intervene by distracting your dog with a command or by separating them from the play session temporarily. During play, if your dog bites too hard, let out a sharp yelp and immediately stop playing and turn away for a few moments. Arrange playdates with dogs that are known to be calm and gentle.

Start training your dog the Watch Me exercise in a quiet place indoors where it’s just the two of you. Once you can do this at home, you can progress to the garden where there are more distractions from sights, sounds, and smells. Once you’ve mastered that, you can start going out and about – but stick to quiet places where you can avoid other dogs until you and your dog are experts at this. Distract them when meeting other dogs Once you know how to get your dog to start responding to their name by giving you their attention, you can start using this technique in the presence of other dogs. Start off a long distance from them – beyond the point where your dog would usually react. All you want your dog to do is look at you, and you will reward this. Make sure your dog still gets a chance to play and interact with their chosen doggie friends. Give play opportunities so set up play dates or dog walks with a chance for off-lead play regularly with your dog’s best friends. Practice can take some time and results can vary depending on your dog’s personality and breed so be prepared to allocate sufficient time and effort for training sessions.