Reintroducing Dogs

By Minou Tpain

Reintroducing Dogs

*Continuation from the last post*
The first thing would be to rule out any health issues. Dogs that are in pain or discomfort can act aggressively.

If that has been done, then during the management phase it is important to begin training! All dogs involved would need some form of obedience training allowing the owners to build a way to communicate with their dogs and hold them accountable.

It would be important to train each dog individually at first until each one has a solid foundation. Training would involve advanced obedience tasks and impulse control activities such as holding positions for long durations, during high distractions and from a distance.

Training is a great way to provide mental stimulation to all dogs but every dog’s needs are different so it may not be enough. It’s important for the owners to identify the physical and mental needs of each dog and make sure they are fulfilling those daily.

Once this has been accomplished after several weeks, the owners can slowly start reintroducing the dogs but not face to face. It may be that each owner works with one dog simultaneously, practicing the same activities as before but adding in the other dog now adds in a new challenge. In the beginning, they would work from a distance that is comfortable for both dogs, a distance where neither dog seems concerned and then overtime they can decrease that distance. This would be for short increments of time (at first), and then back to separating.

This will give the dogs time to build memories (or pictures) of being around the other dog but in a positive, safe and structured way, allowing those repetitions to become the norm versus the fighting. It will also allow them to see their owners in a new light, one of confident leadership.

Over time, the dogs can slowly be reintroduced through a greeting but for short periods of time and they must be monitored.

However, it is also possible that the dogs will continue to not like each other even after training. That is why the owner will need to be prepared to consistently manage their behavior and the situations they put the dogs in.

#dogtraining #dogtrainingtips#dogtrainingadvice #dogtraininglife

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