Play’s the thing. The importance of play for puppies cannot be over-estimated as they learn manners and gain co-ordination.

Finding a suitable play mate for Travis has not been easy. He is quite a big puppy and dwarfs a lot of the puppies – and adult dogs – that we see on our daily walks.

It is important that dogs have play styles that match. Travis is full-on in everything that he does so needs a robust dog to counter his enthusiasm – and sometimes rudeness.

I have found that basal breeds – Siberian huskies, Akitas, Shar peis and similar are often happy to roughhouse with him, even as adults. He also had a great romp with a tiny Jack Russell terrier although she was a month older than him and half his size.

Getting to understand your dog’s play style is essential  and more important than considering size differences – although they do matter – so that you can avoid incidents and enable your puppy to gain co-ordination and learn manners. The more you can learn about dog’s emotional signals, the better so that you can understand when you need to intervene to break up unsuitable play, but not interrupt play that is fine even if it seems rough and noisy.

Next week: Showing Off

Meanwhile, why not check out R+Dog Training Puppy Start Right Courses  and the new Puppy Social Walk in Chiswick House grounds for help with understanding your puppy and finding a chance to play safely.