Short answer? No. Let me explain.
I’m not a huge fan of labels, but I know that labels and catergories can sometimes help to explain things and then be able to understand them better. So here is a bit of an over simplification of what is happening. I say “over simplification” because each dog is unique and has different thoughts, ideas, and feelings and different ways in which they express them. Relationships between dogs can sometimes be complicated (just like with people).
Cliff’s Notes version of “types” of dogs:
DOG SOCIAL:
enjoys the company of most (or all) dogs
usually seeks out new friends and opportunities to meet new friends
more tolerant and forgiving of other dogs
most puppies (although the puppy stage is when they start to develop their play and interaction styles-so a puppy who likes to wrestle and a puppy that like to chase may have a hard time finding middle ground for interaction)
DOG TOLERANT:
friendly or indifferent towards other dogs
most adult dogs
puppies usually transition into this stage
DOG SELECTIVE:
liking some dogs, but not all (can be picky about their friends)
can be picky and selective about energy levels and play styles of other dogs
can be less tolerant or less forgiving when another dog does something they don’t like
DOG REACTIVE
doesn’t care for the majority of other dogs
needs close supervision and managment
tend to have a shorter fuse and not be very forgiving or tolerant of other dogs
What factors contribute to this?
Physical Health: Older, physically different (think tripod dog), sensitivies to certain parts of the body (arthritis), injured/in pain, or generally unwell can cause dogs to be less tolerant of other dogs.
Genetics: Some breeds are more social butterflies and some breeds are more independent or may prefer the company of humans over dogs.
Past Experience: Both positive and negative experiences in social situations can directly impact future social situations and encoutners. This is why it is extremely important to find a Puppy Social Group for your puppy! Dogs who don’t have interaction with other dogs early on in their development, will have more difficulty with social interaction later on in life.
So what does this all mean? It means your dog is a unique indiviual. It means they may love the company of other dogs-that’s okay! It means they may not enjoy going to daycare or the dog park-that’s okay! It means they may have all the friends, a couple of friends, or no friends-that’s okay!
Just listen to your dog, learn what they do/do not like in a playmate or social situation, learn their body language (when they are happy and when they are uncomfortable), and if you know your dog dosn’t enjoy something, avoid putting them in those situations in hopes that one day they will. Sometimes WE want our dogs to be friendly and social (with people and dogs), but that’s just not who they are.
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