James, pups to pounce in this weekend's Puppy Bowl

After hearing our James will be featured on this Sunday’s Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet, I will have a front row seat! For one, it will be nostalgic seeing “little tiny James” again, now that he’s grown into a bigger boy! Secondly, it will be very cool comparing his different behavior now as opposed to then, because not only has he grown in size, but he’s become much more respectful in his interactions with other dogs. That said, I might be wincing a bit as I watch. Sometimes people are shocked to hear that I generally don’t like to watch the Puppy Bowl. The usual response is, “What? How can that be? The puppies are adorable and what’s not to like about watching puppies playing?” Well, yes, puppies are indeed adorable, beyond words, but unfortunately there is much not to like about a puppy “free for all” if the play ends up reinforcing undesirable behaviors. Puppies are not football players, and their interactions need to not only be supervised, but managed with play breaks and redirections when necessary. In other words, it shouldn’t be misconstrued as cute or fun to watch a puppy “tackle” another unsuspecting puppy that really would rather not be tackled and prefers a calmer, gentler play style.

Here are some tips for appropriate puppy play groups:

1) Not all puppies are created equal and size DOES matter. A 12-week-old Labrador Retriever puppy might already be close to 20 pounds and might be a bit much for a two-pound Chihuahua puppy of the same age.

2) Play style is just as important as size. Even if puppies are close to the same size, some puppies have a rambunctious, very physical play style and others prefer less physical interactions. Nothing positive can be gained from forcing a quieter puppy to accept being repeatedly bowled over and pounced on by one that is more boisterous.

3) Frequent breaks are a must. Puppy play should be interrupted often allowing for the 3 R’s: Rest, Regroup, and Refocus. A five-minute play session should be followed by a five-minute break, and this cycle repeated throughout the duration of the play session. They always need to be reminded who is the most important being in the room – they’re humans!

4) Reward good manners and appropriate behavior. When a puppy is playing nicely, mark the behavior and follow up with a reward. During group play, food rewards should be discouraged, but verbal praise followed by a pat or stroke will go a long way.

5) Always be ready to step in. Don’t fall in to what I call “dog park syndrome” in which the humans take a back seat and allow the dogs to direct the interactions. The humans must always remain in control and it is our responsibility to step in immediately when the interactions become inappropriate.

It’s always a good idea to learn as much as you can about canine body language so you can interpret the signals you’re dog is trying to transmit. Some dogs like to chase, but not all dogs like being chased. If a puppy is being chased by several other puppies and his tail is tucked, head down and it appears that he’s trying to find a hiding place – he probably isn’t having a lot of fun. The best thing to do is stop the chase and redirect the attention of the dogs in pursuit toward something else. This is a great time to pull out a squeaky toy and get the dogs to chase you instead of the other puppy. So, yes, I’ll be watching the Puppy Bowl on Sunday with fingers crossed that our little James gets some airtime. One thing I do like about it is that they only use rescued puppies. Like James, most are already adopted by the time the program airs. Even with its flaws, it’ll be far better than watching the real Super Bowl (by the way, who’s playing again?)

Laurie Williams is a Stafford business owner and certified professional dog owner. Reach her at onesmartpooch@aol.com.
Editor's Note: Look for James under the name Tigger in the Puppy Bowl - his pre-adoption name. And, catch his photo on Animal Planet's Web site at http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/about.html. He can also be seen in this youtube video commercial in a sneak peek (hint: catch him at the end in a close-up): http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/starting-lineup/starting-lineup-continued-08.html

Check out James (AKA TIGGER) in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl!
Feb. 7
3 to 5 p.m. before the Super Bowl