Why do some dogs not play with other dogs?

I think that it’s a good thing, in most cases, for your dog to play with the other dogs in your pack. However, there are some instances why your dog shouldn’t play with your other dogs. You see, if your dog is spending all of their quality time with another member of your pack, and you’re just watching it, it’s going to create a problem. The major problem that I see that it creates is that when you call your dog off of a very powerful distraction, they’re not going to come. I recently mentioned in the blog that maybe it’s a good idea for your dog not to play with senior dogs, though, because sometimes those puppies tend to be a bit over the top and too much for old dogs. Some dogs just prefer to hang out with the other dog, and that’s where it begins to create a problem.

If your dog was not exposed to other dogs at a young age, they might simply be overwhelmed or afraid of them. Even if your dog was socialized with other pups early on, it could be that your dog only interacted with those whose play styles were similar to theirs. Play styles actually vary quite a bit by dog breed. A Labrador Retriever, for example, will play very differently than a Bichon Frise. Another possibility is that your dog is simply more of a “people dog” than a “dog’s dog.” It’s not uncommon for a dog to prefer the company of humans to that of other dogs.

Dogs become socially mature roughly between the ages of 2-3, and as a result, we fully expect some changes in their behavior. Typically, we should expect our adult dogs to play less in general, be more selective about who they will play with, and be less tolerant of what they consider rude behavior. Why should dogs be expected to play with every other dog who shows up or to put up with rude behavior. Dogs who are hurting often respond with what looks like aggressive behaviors, telling other dogs to move away is a reasonable response if getting bumped or jumped on hurts. Undiagnosed pain is often the source of behavior problems, and treating the underlying issue - or merely treating the pain - can often help dogs be more tolerant of other dogs. Fear is easy to install in animals and it can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to resolve, and dogs can become afraid at any age. If your dog is healthy and not afraid, it’s absolutely okay for her to simply not want to play as much. I’ve seen dogs who haven’t been able to socialize - for any number of reasons - get a wee-bit out of practice, they might be a little too forward or they might be a little more timid than they used to be. Given the last year, many dogs haven’t had as much opportunity to interact with other dogs, those dogs might get rusty social skills, or they might be just dying to say hi to others of their own species. We often see these dogs pulling, growling, barking, and snarling at other dogs when they are on leash and come upon another dog, but these dogs may simply be frustrated that they can’t get to the other dog to say hi.