What are the most sociable dog breeds?

All dogs are social animals, and in the wild, dogs form packs and family groups out of choice to provide security, comfort and company and to increase the chances of the pack as a whole surviving. This pack mentality and desire for company is also readily apparent in our own domestic dogs too, and assuming that a dog is properly socialised from a young age, dogs of all types naturally seek out the company of others and enjoy playing and spending time with other dogs.

However, some dog breeds and types are real dog’s dogs, and are at their happiest when playing or just hanging out with others of their kind, whilst some others tend to be a little more speculative and wait a while before getting involved in play with others.

Whilst it is very true that early experiences, opportunities for socialisation and how well any two dogs, or a group of dogs will get on can be fairly fluid, there are certain dog breeds that you can invariably find to be in the thick of it in the dog park, and keen to meet and play with other dogs that they have just met for the first time.

In this article, we will look at some of the most outgoing and friendly dog breeds that are usually highly sociable with others, and why. Read on to learn more.

The Siberian husky

The Siberian husky is a large, confident and adventurous dog that hates to be left out of things, and that will quite happily wander off to play with a neighbour or someone they see walking past if they get the chance!

This dog is a natural pack animal, and within their working roles, they are used to spending all of their time in close quarters with other dogs, and usually dislike being alone. Huskies love the company of others because they are mischievous, very lively and easily bored, and very comfortable with other dogs.

The beagle

The beagle is another breed whose working history involves pack life and the continual company of other dogs, who would be housed and worked together as a group. The beagle’s transition from a working dog to domestic life is a reasonably recent one in their history, and the suburban beagle retains all of the traits of their working ancestors, including high energy levels, a low boredom threshold, and a very excitable nature!

Beagles are happier with others than alone, and they will usually be very keen to introduce themselves to other dogs and join in with a game at the dog park.

The Labrador retriever

The Labrador retriever is always near to the top of the list of the UK’s most popular dog breeds, and for good reason. The Lab is a great ambassador for the canine world, being lively, enthusiastic, kind, intelligent and keen to learn – as well as being anxious to please and highly sociable with both other dogs and people.

Labrador retrievers tend to be very personable and have honest, easy to interpret body language, which reassures other dogs – and they are also very adept at naturally moderating their behaviour to take into account small, young and nervous dogs, as well as genuinely enjoying the company of others.

The Springer spaniel

The Springer spaniel is a British breed that was widely used as a working gun dog long before they made the transition to domestic pets, and the Springer, like the Labrador, can still be seen performing a range of working roles today.

This is another lively breed that needs lots of exercise and play, and they tend to be highly enthusiastic about everything and relish the chance to make new friends and find someone to get into mischief with! Springer spaniels like to have canine company, both in the form of dogs that live with them and dogs they meet out and about, and they will usually be quick to introduce themselves to others and get involved in a game in the dog park.

They also love retrieving and playing interactive games, with both people and other dogs.

The Staffordshire bull terrier

The Staffordshire bull terrier is another very popular UK dog breed that has a long-documented history within both working roles originally and later, as a pet. Their muscular builds, hard heads and bright toothy smiles can prove daunting to newcomers who do not know the Staffy personality, but generally, attempts to turn Staffordshire bull terriers into guard dogs fall flat, because the breed is not naturally aggressive and actually very kind and gentle.

Staffordshire bull terriers are very fun-loving and like to be around other dogs, although sadly many owners of other dog breeds avoid them, due to their strength and size, and because an improperly managed or socialised Staffy can easily harm another dog. However, this is true for any breed, and the Staffordshire bull terrier’s natural personality is affectionate, loving, gentle, and very personable with others.