"Meet your dogs needs!""Don't forget enrichment!""Those are species appropriate behaviors!""Are you focusing on decompression?""That type of dog needs tons of activation!"

Do you often bring your dog to the dog park? Are you a dog daycare that wants to gain better insight into playgroups? Maybe you're a shelter considering starting up playgroups as part of an enrichment program? Or maybe you just want to better deepen your knowledge about dogs in groups? If yes to either of those questions - then this blog post is for you!

We have all heard the phrase "pack animals" when speaking about our canine companions. Usually this statement is followed by more generic statements such as "dogs need a strong pack leader!" and even further down the line of these mindsets you might get encouraged to "set boundaries" in order for your dogs to respect you, feel safe and secure in the human world. Usually these boundaries include things such as not being allowed on furniture or no begging/sharing our food. Oftentimes this train of thought can make a lot of sense to the untrained ear, but let me help you debunk why your dogs actually THRIVE when co-sleeping and sharing meals with you.