July 19, 2024, 4:04 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Is it safe to greet older dogs and let them play with puppies because the puppies have a kind of ‘puppy protection?’ No! Even if the legend of puppy protection persists, there is no special tolerance for puppies. PETBOOK explains what dog owners should keep in mind.
When my dog Rudi meets a puppy, he gets really excited: he jumps and romps around like a young dog. I didn’t realize for a long time that this wasn’t a natural thing. I had always thought that older dogs were generally nice and patient with puppies. At least that’s what they used to say almost 30 years ago when my family had our first dog. “He still has puppy protection,” we said back then, assuming that adult dogs wouldn’t hurt a puppy.
In reality, however, there is no such natural protection for younger dogs — at least not across the board. What really lies behind puppy protection and what you as a dog owner should look out for when meeting puppies.
What is “puppy protection”?
“Pretty much everyone has heard it before: supposedly puppies have protection — nothing can happen to the puppy because adult dogs won’t do anything anyway”, says dog trainer Steve Kaye.
Puppy protection is thought to be a kind of safety net for young dogs, suggesting that puppies are generally not attacked by older dogs. True to the motto “You don’t hurt someone who is weaker”, tolerance is supposed to prevail in the animal world, although this cannot be proven in reality.
However, the idea of puppy protection is a human construct that stems from our own moral concepts. While we humans tend to feel compassion and protection for the weak and vulnerable, nature is often less forgiving.
Puppy protection only applies to your own pack
In their own pack, puppies and young dogs probably do enjoy a certain form of puppy protection. However, even there, it is very limited. In the case of wolves, who are the relatives of dogs. Such protection applies exclusively to their own pack and is only observed during the first eight weeks of life.
This limited protection of puppies within their own pack does not mean that older dogs do not generally reprimand boisterous puppies. Quite the opposite: if young dogs are very boisterous and pushy, it is quite possible that older members of their own species will reprimand them harshly. Through such corrections, the puppy learns to behave in a socially appropriate manner and to recognize boundaries.
Patience and tolerance are not the same as puppy protection
“Age makes you wise” — to a certain extent, this also applies to dogs. The older the four-legged friends are, the more lenient and calm they become. Life experience and training ensure that older dogs are usually friendly and calm.
However, it can also happen that older dogs get annoyed at younger dogs. Especially when they get boisterous, as they often don’t keep their distance, move in an uncoordinated manner, and are unpredictable.
Sometimes, young dogs do not take the warning signals of other dogs seriously, which is why older dogs prefer to avoid them. In such situations, it is not uncommon for the older dog to avoid the younger dog or react violently if its boundaries are overstepped, possibly even biting them. It is therefore important to observe the interactions between young and older dogs carefully and react appropriately to avoid unwanted conflicts.
When puppy encounters become dangerous
“Puppies are usually just ‘lucky’ in that they smell differently, move differently, and are therefore not perceived as competition at all,” says dog trainer Steve Kaye. Many adult dogs are therefore not interested in puppies at all. Puppies are completely neutral for many dogs.
Depending on their individual distance, other dogs can also feel annoyed by puppies. “For some dogs, puppies may even fall into their prey pattern. Then it can become really dangerous for the puppy,” says the dog trainer.
How to make the encounter between a puppy and an adult dog a success
When a young dog meets a strange adult dog or a senior for the first time, a healthy degree of caution is generally required. If you take your puppy for a walk and meet another dog of the same species, you should approach slowly. Especially if the puppy is on a lead, in order to avoid too stormy a greeting. Talk to the owner of the other dog and inquire about their dog’s behavior towards puppies.
Continue to closely monitor the dogs’ interactions even after unleashing to ensure play remains safe and controlled. This is especially important if there is a significant size difference between the dogs, as a larger dog could accidentally injure a small puppy.
Only intervene if you see an immediate danger to your puppy, such as a scuffle, or if the older dog reprimands your puppy too harshly. Experiences like this teach your puppy to react appropriately and be more careful next time.
Going to puppy and young dog groups makes sense
Learning social behavior through interaction with other dogs is important for puppies and young dogs. Your puppy should have regular opportunities to interact with other dogs of different ages and breeds. These encounters enable the young dog to learn to communicate with others, develop self-confidence, and make friends.
A puppy school provides the ideal environment for this. There, the puppy can play under the guidance of experienced trainers, learn social skills, and complete exercises, thus also strengthening the bond with you.
As well as attending a puppy school, it is also good for your puppy to spend regular time with a well-behaved adult dog. This could be a friend’s dog that you walk together or that your puppy can visit regularly. Such meetings help the puppy improve its social behavior and react appropriately to other dogs.
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Conclusion
The term “puppy protection” is often used to suggest that young dogs are respected and spared by older members of their species and others in their environment. But in reality, puppies can also come into conflict with other dogs. To encourage your puppy’s social behavior without any nasty surprises, you should therefore attend a puppy school or playgroup. Here, your dog will come into contact with other young dogs and learn appropriate behavior.