What makes a perfect introduction?
1. Set goals that are reasonable. Understanding the background of each dog—especially how well they were trained and socialized—will help you anticipate what might occur. It's important to respect the fact that your current dog might see the new dog’s arrival as an invasion of their established territory, and this can cause them great stress.
2. Conduct the first introductions in neutral territory, rather than in the home or yard where your resident dogs feel more territorial and protective.
3. Keep calm and go slowly. To help prevent physical dominance or fear-based reactions from happening, introductions should be relaxed and slow-paced. Ensure there is no restraint from leashes or collars so the dogs feel relaxed and welcome to investigate each other.
4. Make sure that all dogs are up-to-date with vaccinations. This will help you eliminate the risk of any infection that could occur.
5. If you have multiple dogs already, introduce each dog to the new one individually. This will help prevent the newcomer from becoming overwhelmed by the group.
6. Ensure you are always in control of the introduction. In the event that it's unclear how your dog will react, take the necessary precautions to keep the dogs (and humans) safe, such as a muzzle for each dog.
7. Never leave the dogs unattended together. The situation can change very suddenly when dogs are getting acquainted for the first time!
As always, if you need some extra one-on-one guidance, your local Bark Busters trainer would be happy to help you!