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Puppy licence: does it apply with people too?

The «puppy licence» is something people talk about between dogs – what the idea means for contact with people, and what it does not mean in law.

You hear about the «puppy licence» at every dog meeting: a young dog is supposedly allowed to do anything, and the adult dogs let him get away with it. The next question is often whether this also applies towards people – for example when a puppy jumps up at someone or nips them. The short answer: no. And even between dogs the puppy licence is less reliable than the word promises.

What the puppy licence means between dogs

Many adult dogs are patient with young dogs for a while and react more mildly to boisterous behaviour – roughly up to the fourth or fifth month of life. That is not a law of nature. How much a dog lets a puppy get away with differs from dog to dog and from situation to situation, and it has its limits. So a puppy is never automatically safe with dogs he does not know. Stay with him during meetings and end tricky situations early instead of relying on the puppy licence.

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This article is no substitute for veterinary advice. Source: DOGSY editorial team.