Bully For Him – Travis’ XL Girlfriend
Travis has a robust natural play style. Whilst he’s quite good at adjusting and reading emotional signals from other dogs, he is still an adolescent dog with a tendency to go barrelling in, all guns blazing.
As his recall is still a work in progress, I am careful about letting him off lead where I think that other dogs – and more often other owners – cannot cope with a lively puppy. I also have to make sure that he is going to be safe with another dog.
Whilst size is a factor, play style is much more important. Some dogs enjoy chasing, others tugging, other wrestling. Travis like to chase and wrestle – and hump. He also has a bulldozer trick, using his head to shove other dogs, often much heavier than he is. As long as the other dog is fine with it and gives as good as he gets, then I leave them to it. He has played very happily with a tiny Pom and currently has an XL Bully friend, about a year and a half older than he is. If anything, Travis has a more vigorous play style than she has. Not only is she a very sweet dog with a super temperament, her owner is very responsible and knows more about his dog than many a cockerpoo owner I have encountered.
What is in store for her if the proposed ban goes ahead? There is plenty of peer-reviewed evidence to show that breed-specific legislation doesn’t work; we have obviously not learned lesson from the pit-bull debâcle. If her owner voluntarily muzzled her every time she was out and confined her to a lead, he could arguably be accused of being in contravention of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Surely we are creating a ticking time bomb if we restrict dogs unnecessarily, with it far more likely to lead to potentially dangerous frustration behaviours.
Travis will certainly lose the chance to play with a good friend if the ban is enacted but he at least will be able to find other friends.
Next week: He Stoops To Conker
Meanwhile, why not check out R+Dog Training Puppy Social Walk and Adult Social Dog Walk in Chiswick House grounds for help with your dog’s playtime.