A dog is a man’s best friend, but have you ever wondered if dogs have their own, furry besties? The search term ‘can dogs have friends’ increased by +75% in the past 12 months, so people are curious to know!
To find the answer, dog-friendly holiday letting specialist Canine Cottages studied three dogs to find out if they indeed had a best friend. A PetPace heart rate monitor collar was fitted to each dog in advance of them meeting their best friend to find the average heart rate. The dogs’ heart rates were then monitored when greeting their best friend to see if there was a substantial increase in beats per minute.
When they met their best friend, the heart rate monitor revealed that their heart rates leapt by 116%!
How to tell if your pooch has a best friend
Canine Cottages also teamed up with a dog behaviourist, Joe Nutkins of Dog Training Essex & Suffolk, to look at the tell-tale signs that show a dog is happily greeting or playing with their ‘best friend’:
1. Ears
According to Joe: “Ears can be very expressive indeed – they will vary enormously from dog to dog as there are so many types of ear shape and style but there are some signals with ears that are seen between dog friends, such as the base of the ear lifting and also the ear being relaxed and floppy.”
2. Tail
“Tail wagging is a great visual indicator and can vary a little between breeds but mostly will be a nice high-up tail with anything from a slow wag to a full fast wag!”
3. Vocalisation
Some dogs love using sounds to express their emotions, and Joe explains: “Sometimes dogs can use vocalisations in their play such as light-hearted barks, whines, moaning, and even higher pitched shrieks of joy. Some dogs will sound like they are mumbling, and some breed types may growl but this is a pleasant sound!”
4. Play
“Dogs can play in different ways, and this may be determined by their size and character, the other dogs they grow up playing with plus may change to suit different dogs they see. Some dogs like a full-on wrestle, while others enjoy a run around together with no touching at all. You may find mouths and paws being used or it might be all about playing tuggie together.”
Commenting on the findings, PR Manager at Canine Cottages, Sarah Pring, said: “We wanted to run the experiment to see if man’s best friend has friends of his or her own, and were pleased to the see the results that came through.
“Dog-friendly staycations are so popular right now and we know that many people will be planning to go on a multi-dog household holiday over the spring and summer months. With this in mind, it’s always important to check that the dogs are getting along. If you think your dog has a furry best friend, why not let them enjoy a short break together?”
To read more about the study and see more examples of how to know if your dog has a best friend, please visit Canine Cottages’ blog here: https://www.caninecottages.co.uk/blog/pooch-pals
