By Minou Tpain

Introducing

One of my favorite ways to introduce two dogs is by starting with a training session. This training session can either be where both dogs are working with their own handlers around each other, practicing a place stay or even walking past each other with enough distance in between you that is comfortable for each dog. Never let them meet and greet while on leash though, that can lead to reactivity.

This gives your dog some necessary processing time. Even though they are several feet away, they will be able to collect information about one another through what they can smell, see and hear. They will have time to detect if the other dog is friendly or a threat. They will be able to be around each other while in a fairly calm state helping each other to feel confident in the other’s presence.

You can do this as many times as you want before the official greeting day.

Once this has been done and both dogs seem comfortable, head over to a familiar fenced in area. I would make sure it is an area that both dogs have had a chance to sniff individually before hand or in the past. Being in a new environment AND meeting a new dog can be too much for either dog. Release both dogs off leash and let them meet and greet at their own will. At this point, you should be watching carefully for any signs of stress.

(See the comments for what to do if either dog can’t handle the training session)

This is good practice even if you feel your dog is friendly with other dogs. More often than not, those that feel their dogs are friendly actually have very intense greeting rituals that involve charging. This will help to minimize that.

Lastly, If the playdate doesn’t work out, that’s ok. If nothing negative happened, be patient and try again another time but if if is clear that your dogs are not getting along, then accept it for what it is and move on.

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2 comments

  • If one or both dogs do not seem to be doing well during the training sessions, it may mean that your dog just isn’t ready for that level of training, so back up a few steps and try something easier. Maybe you’ve never really trained at all, so then you would start back in your house, just you and your dog.

    On another note; if the other dog can not handle the training session, and the owner isn’t willing to work on it then abort immediately. There are plenty of other dogs out there.

    Bouzid med amine on

  • If one or both dogs do not seem to be doing well during the training sessions, it may mean that your dog just isn’t ready for that level of training, so back up a few steps and try something easier. Maybe you’ve never really trained at all, so then you would start back in your house, just you and your dog.

    On another note; if the other dog can not handle the training session, and the owner isn’t willing to work on it then abort immediately. There are plenty of other dogs out there.

    Bouzid med amine on

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