Why We Change Dog Playgroups

Dog friendships aren't fixed seating plans. Who a dog enjoys spending time with can change depending on mood, energy, confidence and what's happening that day.

Changing playgroups thoughtfully can give dogs different social experiences while helping us avoid combinations that are too intense or simply don't suit each other.

The goal isn't to make every dog play with every other dog. It's to find combinations where dogs can communicate comfortably, move away when they want to and enjoy themselves.

Sometimes the best match is obvious. Sometimes it's the friendship nobody would have predicted.

That's one of the reasons we watch the dogs rather than organising them by looks, breed or who the humans think should be mates.