Man's best friend's best friends? Other dogs

It’s false to believe that your dog doesn’t need contact with members of its own species just because it has you and gets plenty of loving care from you. Photo: dpa

If you've ever seen two dogs racing around chasing each other, mischievously nibbling at each other’s chops or cuddling up together in a basket, it’s obvious that dogs need dogs.

“Having experienced that, you know that no human being can replace a fellow dog as a dog’s buddy,” says Patricia Losche, chairwoman of Germany’s Professional Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants and Trainers (VdTT).