Cardiff played host to a huge gathering of dogs last week in an effort to socialise a super-friendly and empathetic breed actively
Dog lovers brought their furry family members Cardiff for a unique event that was designed to help their pets socialise with other animals this week.
Over 35 pugs and their owners turned up to the event that allowed the animals to roam, explore and play with other dogs of the same breed.
The ‘Pug Café’ was a great hit with dogs and owners alike, including Kristian who brought his two pugs to the event. “It’s just sheer fun for the dogs just to run around with dogs of the same kind,” he said. “Just seeing my dog’s face to seeing she’s so happy, and it makes me happy, I love being around dogs.”
The event allowed the animals to roam, explore and play with each other in a safe off-lead experience.
Event organizer, James Morgan said, “There are about 35 little pugs, and it is quite harmonious experience with all the food. And we form lots of little walking groups and communities, also, if you notice, humans that like the same breed of dog have a lot of similar characteristics. We are the same age demographic and we like the same things in dogs, so we’ve got that shared bond with.”
A 2023 research entitled Understanding the Role of Therapy Dogs in Human Health Promotion demonstrates that dogs can provide a range of physical, mental and social benefits to humans, but little attention has been paid to its impact on dogs’ health, welfare and so on.
James was inspired to launch this kind of socialization event through experience with his own dog. “I used to do this for my dog,” says James. “He was a pug and I loved him so much, but he was not very well. He had a spinal surgery when he was about two months old. We never thought he would actually make it. So we did this to socialise him as a puppy. But now he’s passed on. And I see a lot of the dogs that used to play with. So it’s really nice for me to see all the parts here.”
This event is also important for owners’ mental health. Kristian said, “My wife has joined these events because she keeps in contact with all the people from here on social media. We have met a lot of friends.”
Pug-owner Greg said, “I think it’s really, really good for socialisation. The venue is fantastic and the dogs as well. Pugs helping out the pugs. “
Each month there are meetups for different breeds of dogs in different cities across the UK, like dachshund, cockapoo, Pomeranian, Pomeranian. You can click on the link to find an event near you: https://popandbark.com/events/
