Mixing and matching dogs for play can be a challenge. When it works it's a joy to see!
We started things off with Jasper and Deirdre who had never met though they have both played with other dogs. We did an on-leash intro but dropped the leashes pretty quickly as they were both keen to play.
We then brought over new adorable little dumpling Eclair to see if she'd like to join in. She had hung out with Morty the day before in a play session so we thought she might be a good candidate. As it turns out, she was a bit overwhelmed by the active antics of Jasper and Deirdre. Note the tail between her legs. She didn't appreciate the forward invitations to engage from Deirdre. She was much more interested in the humans present and sought refuge with them. We ended up taking her out due to her discomfort though sometimes it is valuable to let a shy dog work through their nervousness.
Then it was time for the party to get started! Bear came over to fire things up with the more than willing Deirdre.
We love Zoomies!
We ended the day with some calmer dog intros. Morty has been introduced to a lot of shelter dogs at this point. He's always been a gentleman; he's just not inclined to play. Enter Deema. She hadn't shown much interest in other dogs until she met hunk Morty. It was great to see her looking excited about something (she often appears anxious). Look at the doggie smile!
Given that Morty and Deema's interactions were so low-key we decided to bring Eclair back over so she could hang out with less "in your face" canine buddies.
Deema came on stronger with Eclair than Morty but eventually we dropped the leashes. Honestly, there wasn't really any true doggie play between them but it was at least a chance to be around other dogs.
For the record, some of the other dogs we tried out included Brawny, SeaShell and Grape. We didn't find the right mix with them but we'll keep trying!
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