You can find lots of advice on how to socialize puppies during that critical socialization window that essentially ends around 12 weeks of age. Most puppies though don't get into puppy class or out and about much until well after that age. Which is unfortunate.

Who should puppies interact or play with to develop great dog-dog social skills? Certainly, interacting with an appropriate adult dog who has impeccable social skills and loves puppies is ideal. But not everyone has easy access to one of those dogs!

Play with other puppies can be good or bad. But really, who else loves to play the way puppies do better than other puppies! I am a fan of puppy play dates as long as they are done properly.

The video here is at the end of one of our Puppy Preschool Group Classes. We set aside the last part of class for play and social time so they puppies can burn some puppy energy and work on their social skills.

We supervise carefully and talk about what is appropriate or inappropriate play and how to tell which is which. Puppy play can be great if it's done correctly.

We find that the puppies tend to pair off. They find – hopefully – a good match for their play style and tend to pair off with that puppy.

A good match for play is not always about the same size. One of the best play matches I ever say in my puppy classes and puppy socialization sessions was a tiny Silky Terrier and a very large Boerbel (South African Mastiff). Those two were at opposite ends of the size chart but they always paired off and were oblivious to anyone else. The Boerbel was very very gentle with the Terrier and we always supervised carefully. And they loved each other to pieces.

Good matches tend to be dogs with similar styles of play and similar energy levels. Do they wrestle? Play chase? Play tug with a toy? Dogs with very different styles or ideas of what play should be sometimes do not make a good match.

Ideally, I want a puppy who can adapt to the play mate in front of them and play in a variety of ways. I also want a puppy who can amp up or calm down depending on the energy level of the other pup. I don't mind a pup who loves to play rough and tumble as long as he can tone it down for others who do not care for that level of play.

Hopefully you can find some good matches for your pup!