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An image of two dogs meeting at a pet shop has gone viral on Reddit, where it received 11,400 upvotes at the time of this writing.
The image shared by Reddit user evvaroseshayk shows a tiny golden retriever puppy on a leash with its nose touching the nose of another little dog also held by a leash.
Socialization takes place throughout the first year of a dog's life, but the first three months are the most important window for young puppies to learn about their environment, explained veterinarians Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg in an article for VCA, one of North America's largest animal hospital chains.
"This critical period is when the puppy develops social relationships with other dogs and with other species, including humans. Therefore, this is not only the optimal time for the puppy to spend time learning to communicate and play with other dogs, but is also the most important time to have human contact," as well as exposure to other species with which it may live, such as cats, the veterinarians said.
When introducing your dog to another dog, it's best to do so in a spacious neutral area (preferably outdoors) to enable them to become familiar with each other without any territorial behaviors, with plenty of distance between them, says the Animal Humane Society.
The animal welfare group advises: "Watch carefully for body postures that indicate a defensive or wary response, including hair standing up on the dog's back, teeth baring, growling, a stiff-legged gait or a prolonged stare."
When there are any signs of such posture, owners should "immediately and calmly interrupt the interaction by interesting the dog in something else."
But if both dogs seem relaxed and comfortable, owners should feel free to shorten the distance between them and "offer treats to the dogs any time they look at each other in a relaxed manner," the group said.
The latest viral image has delighted users on Reddit.
In a comment that got 203 upvotes, user StnMtn_ said "Nose Bonks are soo cute," to which the original poster replied "The best hey! He is like almost 1 and still does it! Curious little critter. [crying laughing emoji]."
User Expensive_Trouble said: "Nose boops of friendship. By puppy law they must now hang out at a park together."
The original poster replied: "I took the other puppy's owner's details and we ended up having play dates once the pups were fully vaccinated. [tearful eye face emoji] they are best friends. First time dog owner so I'm like in awe. [floating hearts smiley face emoji] never knew your dog could become your world."
User dancingglitter noted "They're both so fluffy!!!!!," while user s_hinoku said: "Can't get over the new friends' little feets."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more