|
|
|
How to Introduce Your Dog to Another Dog in 10 Easy Steps
*Prior to meet n greet, be sure all dogs are exercised, wearing a harness, & using a standard leash. (NOT retractable leash)
1) Take the dogs on a walk "together" - single file and apart from one another. Your temptation will be to let the dogs meet and sniff each other first. Don't do that! The reason that it's often a bad idea is that as two dogs approach each other, the emotional energy runs very high - so it is the riskiest time in doggy introductions. You and the other person should decide which direction you're going to walk in, and one of you should start off in that direction, with the other person following, but with good distance between you. Let's assume that the other person starts, so you're the one following behind, for
the time being.
2) Praise your dog, no matter what they do. Your goal is to help your dog (and the other dog) RELAX in this situation. The only way you are going to do that is by being a supportive, calming voice/presence for your dog. Any barking that they are doing is just their way of letting out steam. As you move on the walk, you will be by letting the steam out in a positive way - teaching your dog an alternative to barky spastic-ness and aggression. Think of yourself as saying "good dog, thanks for letting me know how you're feeling right now".
3) Keep it moving. As mentioned earlier, one of the most difficult aspects of a dog-on-dog introduction is the emotional intensity between the two dogs. If they are focused exclusively on each other, there is no way for this energy to dissipate (unless you're lucky and they just start playing together, which is the way that some dogs handle the intensity). As long as you can keep walking, you can keep the energy of the situation moving, and make it much less intense for the dogs. Instead of them being both "about" each other, they will be "about" the walk they are taking
4) Slowly let them sniff each other as they are walking. Since you are following, it will most likely be your dog that makes the first sniff - in the rear of the other dog. Hey, that's what dogs do! A dog sniffing another dog’s rear end is their way of saying “hello”. There may be a slight pause in the action, which is ok (still, though, try to keep it moving after a quick sniff). The dog being sniffed will be reacting as well, so both owners need to be vigilant about what's going on. After the trailing dog sniffs the forward dog it's generally a good idea to trade positions, so that the dog who just got sniffed has a chance to do the sniffing. At this stage you want to avoid too much stand-still (which can lead to confrontation), so just move past the other dog, get the walk moving again, and THEN let the other dog move in for their turn to sniff. Keep taking turns with each dog having repeated opportunities to be in the lead over the course of the walk.
On the hundreds of dog intros that I’ve been on, it still amazes me how most dogs are A-OK after a good rear end sniff of one another. It’s like they high-five each other and say “Oh, hello and very nice to meet you!”
5) If one dog poops or pees, let the other dog sniff it - after the dog doing the pooping/peeing is DONE. Make sure you move the pooing/peeing dog away before you let the other dog in to sniff. The sniffing of poop and urine is an important exchange of information and energy between the two dogs. Think of it as a non-verbal way of communicating. Once the two dogs are eliminating in each other's presence, that's a very good sign that the dogs are getting used to each other.
6) Watch for signs of play between the two dogs. If one dog makes a play bow, that's an EXCELLENT sign. You will be tempted to just let the dogs play with each other at this point - but NOT YET. For one, if they're still on leashes that you're holding then you are running the risk of them getting tangled and the excitement of the moment turning into a spat. If they're free to run, you're still running that risk - so keep walking, giving them a chance to chill out a little bit, and be happy that they're showing you signs that they'll be able to get along.
7) Also take breaks and give the dogs long, slow, relaxing massaging strokes down the length of their body. Your goal is to get your dog as PHYSICALLY relaxed as possible, so imagine that you're a massage therapist in charge of giving your dog the greatest degree of physical relaxation possible.
8) After you've been walking for a while, and the dogs have had a chance to sniff each other repeatedly, move so that you're walking next to each other. It's not important for the dogs to be right next to each other (in other words, you can be between your dog and the other dog). What you do want, however, is for all of you to be walking next to each other - it will give the dogs a chance to experience more direct contact between the two of them while keeping them aligned with a common purpose - the walk. Plan on walking together for at least a good 20-30 minutes, if you have the time.
9) If there is a fenced in backyard, the next step is to enter the backyard with dogs still on leashes. Begin walking around the yard and let the dogs sniff and explore as they please, while leashed. Begin letting them continue to sniff rear-ends until everyone is confident that the dogs are coalescing nicely. Remove the leashes (but keep harnesses on. Better to grab a harness than a collar for any redirecting needed) and let them explore the yard while interacting with each other if they choose. If everything is positive, plan to enter the house.
10) Before entering the house, make sure all bones and food are picked up off the floor. These can be trouble- instigators when bringing a new dog into the house dogs’ home. Put dogs back on a leash for the first few minutes and let them mill around in the house. When everything is on a positive note, remove the leashes.
That's it! You are teaching the dogs a healthy way to deal with the stress of getting to know each other. The way that two healthy dogs will handle that stress is through the dynamics of play - but "play" isn't always a necessary component by any means. Just remember to keep the indoor environment as relaxed and low energy as possible.
*Prior to meet n greet, be sure all dogs are exercised, wearing a harness, & using a standard leash. (NOT retractable leash)
1) Take the dogs on a walk "together" - single file and apart from one another. Your temptation will be to let the dogs meet and sniff each other first. Don't do that! The reason that it's often a bad idea is that as two dogs approach each other, the emotional energy runs very high - so it is the riskiest time in doggy introductions. You and the other person should decide which direction you're going to walk in, and one of you should start off in that direction, with the other person following, but with good distance between you. Let's assume that the other person starts, so you're the one following behind, for
the time being.
2) Praise your dog, no matter what they do. Your goal is to help your dog (and the other dog) RELAX in this situation. The only way you are going to do that is by being a supportive, calming voice/presence for your dog. Any barking that they are doing is just their way of letting out steam. As you move on the walk, you will be by letting the steam out in a positive way - teaching your dog an alternative to barky spastic-ness and aggression. Think of yourself as saying "good dog, thanks for letting me know how you're feeling right now".
3) Keep it moving. As mentioned earlier, one of the most difficult aspects of a dog-on-dog introduction is the emotional intensity between the two dogs. If they are focused exclusively on each other, there is no way for this energy to dissipate (unless you're lucky and they just start playing together, which is the way that some dogs handle the intensity). As long as you can keep walking, you can keep the energy of the situation moving, and make it much less intense for the dogs. Instead of them being both "about" each other, they will be "about" the walk they are taking
4) Slowly let them sniff each other as they are walking. Since you are following, it will most likely be your dog that makes the first sniff - in the rear of the other dog. Hey, that's what dogs do! A dog sniffing another dog’s rear end is their way of saying “hello”. There may be a slight pause in the action, which is ok (still, though, try to keep it moving after a quick sniff). The dog being sniffed will be reacting as well, so both owners need to be vigilant about what's going on. After the trailing dog sniffs the forward dog it's generally a good idea to trade positions, so that the dog who just got sniffed has a chance to do the sniffing. At this stage you want to avoid too much stand-still (which can lead to confrontation), so just move past the other dog, get the walk moving again, and THEN let the other dog move in for their turn to sniff. Keep taking turns with each dog having repeated opportunities to be in the lead over the course of the walk.
On the hundreds of dog intros that I’ve been on, it still amazes me how most dogs are A-OK after a good rear end sniff of one another. It’s like they high-five each other and say “Oh, hello and very nice to meet you!”
5) If one dog poops or pees, let the other dog sniff it - after the dog doing the pooping/peeing is DONE. Make sure you move the pooing/peeing dog away before you let the other dog in to sniff. The sniffing of poop and urine is an important exchange of information and energy between the two dogs. Think of it as a non-verbal way of communicating. Once the two dogs are eliminating in each other's presence, that's a very good sign that the dogs are getting used to each other.
6) Watch for signs of play between the two dogs. If one dog makes a play bow, that's an EXCELLENT sign. You will be tempted to just let the dogs play with each other at this point - but NOT YET. For one, if they're still on leashes that you're holding then you are running the risk of them getting tangled and the excitement of the moment turning into a spat. If they're free to run, you're still running that risk - so keep walking, giving them a chance to chill out a little bit, and be happy that they're showing you signs that they'll be able to get along.
7) Also take breaks and give the dogs long, slow, relaxing massaging strokes down the length of their body. Your goal is to get your dog as PHYSICALLY relaxed as possible, so imagine that you're a massage therapist in charge of giving your dog the greatest degree of physical relaxation possible.
8) After you've been walking for a while, and the dogs have had a chance to sniff each other repeatedly, move so that you're walking next to each other. It's not important for the dogs to be right next to each other (in other words, you can be between your dog and the other dog). What you do want, however, is for all of you to be walking next to each other - it will give the dogs a chance to experience more direct contact between the two of them while keeping them aligned with a common purpose - the walk. Plan on walking together for at least a good 20-30 minutes, if you have the time.
9) If there is a fenced in backyard, the next step is to enter the backyard with dogs still on leashes. Begin walking around the yard and let the dogs sniff and explore as they please, while leashed. Begin letting them continue to sniff rear-ends until everyone is confident that the dogs are coalescing nicely. Remove the leashes (but keep harnesses on. Better to grab a harness than a collar for any redirecting needed) and let them explore the yard while interacting with each other if they choose. If everything is positive, plan to enter the house.
10) Before entering the house, make sure all bones and food are picked up off the floor. These can be trouble- instigators when bringing a new dog into the house dogs’ home. Put dogs back on a leash for the first few minutes and let them mill around in the house. When everything is on a positive note, remove the leashes.
That's it! You are teaching the dogs a healthy way to deal with the stress of getting to know each other. The way that two healthy dogs will handle that stress is through the dynamics of play - but "play" isn't always a necessary component by any means. Just remember to keep the indoor environment as relaxed and low energy as possible.
