Friends are defined as individuals who by choice spend a lot time near each other and frequently engage in friendly behaviours. These ‘behaviours’ vary greatly between species. Baboons friends groom each other, dolphin friends touch fins while swimming, human friends enjoy meals and time together and dog friends play with one another. It may seem anthropomorphic to describe dogs playing together as a ‘friendship’ but studies have identified that dogs do become friendly or play more often with certain dogs. Canine friendships can start at a dog park, a neighbourhood walking group or at a training class. My very social toy poodle has more friends than I do, and she wags her tail on greeting all dogs, whether large or small and will happily play with anyone who will play with her. My Chinese Crested on the other hand, does not care for 4-legged friends and is overly selective on those she choses. Fellow Cresteds are preferred and any dog that tries to sniff her butt is immediately disregarded and not accepted in the pack. Both dogs have been raised in the same home and the same training, but one loves to be social and the other is aloof. Like people, sometimes dogs click and others times they don’t.
