Training & Behavior · Dogs
The Safe Puppy Play Date Protocol
Teaching Canine Etiquette and Body Language
More dog friends is not better dog manners. 12 modules on play quality over quantity, toy-breed fragility, loose-wiggly vs. stiff-frozen body language, the rule of reciprocity, spotting the rude bully and protecting the shy wallflower, enlisting a wise adult-dog professor, 60-second consent checks, weight-class and style matching, the 15-minute exit, and private Sniffspot play dates. Overlaps with The Real-World Socialization Blueprint (Sniffspots) and The Micro-Language (reading body language).
About this course
A puppy pile at the park looks like socialization, but unrefereed play teaches a lot of puppies to fear other dogs. This course makes you the referee. You'll learn to read a loose, wiggly, play-bowing green light versus a stiff, frozen, whale-eyed red light; to check that roles are trading like a tennis match; to pull your puppy out of a bully's game and to protect a wallflower from being flooded; to borrow a calm adult dog as a professor; to pause play every minute for a consent check; to match by weight class and play style; and to leave at fifteen minutes while everyone still likes each other. Toy-breed owners get a dedicated module on fragile bones and open fontanelles.
What you'll learn
- Why play quality outranks quantity and what unrefereed puppy groups actually teach
- Toy-breed vulnerability: fragile skeletons, open fontanelles, accelerated timelines and daily tooth brushing
- Green, yellow and red-light body language and the rule of reciprocity (roles must trade)
- Spotting the rude bully, protecting the shy wallflower, and enlisting a stable adult-dog mentor
- The 60–90-second consent check and matching playmates by weight class and play style
- The 10–15-minute exit before fatigue, and hosting play dates in private enclosed venues
Course outline (12 modules)
Quiz & Certificate
Knowledge quiz
After completing all lessons, take a short quiz to test your understanding.
Go to quiz →Completion certificate
Pass the quiz and earn a shareable certificate of completion.
View certificate →Ready to get started?
$9.99 · Lifetime access · 12 lessons