Does your dog have doggy friends? It always makes me happy to see the friendships that develop between dogs—even dogs who aren’t from the same household. Doggy friends can be neighbors, relatives (or dogs of relatives), school acquaintances (training schools, of course!), or others. Wherever the friendship starts, it’s renewed every time the two dogs meet.
Dogs can become friends for life, but the first few times they meet, handling the introductions is very important. Introductions between dogs can be easy if you understand a few basic rules:
Dogs will meet initially on very neutral territory.
Neutral territory is not the house or yard of either dog, nor is it a park or normal walking path for either dog. In other words, find someplace that neither dog has been. Before you get near enough for your dog to notice the other one, let your dog become familiar with the place. Allow sniffing and exploration on a loose leash, but call your dog back to you often for treats and praise. Your dog’s ability to recall instantly to you is a critical component of any successful meet-and-greet with another dog.
Dogs will first see each other from a distance.
Both dogs have had a chance to sniff and explore the new place. Both dogs are doing consistently fast recalls back to their handlers. Perhaps you’ve been there long enough for the dogs to eliminate (don’t forget to pick up anything solid and take it with you). When both dogs have settled into a good, calm walk, their handlers can approach each other more closely—but only just within in sight, please!
Continue to do recalls even as your dog sees the other dog. (This should be common practice—something that happens every time you walk your dog, whether there are other dogs around or not.) Your dog may show interest in the other dog, so up the rewards and praise for immediate recalls. Make attention to you consistently rewarding!
Dogs will get closer only when they are calm.
Should either dog display unacceptable excitement (like pulling or lunging toward the other dog) or overt stress (barking, whining, drooling, cringing), it’s definitely time to stop. In fact, the best time to stop is before any extreme behaviors begin. Pay attention before the tension ramps up. One handler may see that the other handler is having a hard time with her dog, even though his dog seems fine at the given distance. Don’t continue unless both dogs are equally okay.
Dogs will not get close enough to sniff each other on first meeting.
Don’t push your luck! Dogs that are comfortable with doing recalls to their handlers while twenty or thirty feet away from another dog are doing well! Leave it at that point and continue your walks separately. (Figure out a few signals beforehand so you humans don’t have to yell back and forth to each other, please. Yelling might be stressful for the dogs.) Arrange to meet again the next day and take it from there. Don’t be disappointed if it takes multiple meetings for you to feel sure it’s time to approach the other dog more closely. It is absolutely better to be safe than sorry!
Dogs will eventually be walked in parallel, but not close together.
In other words, your friend and her dog walk on one side of the street, and you and your dog walk on the other side of the street. As long as the dogs are walking calmly on loose leashes, it’s perfectly okay if they glance at each other—but both humans must be able to get their dogs’ attention with a quick few steps back into a recall, or the parallel walking should come to an end. Your goal is to be able to walk in parallel to each other without your dogs’ attention straying from you.
Again, you may stay at this stage of introductions for a while, if your dog (or the other) becomes easily excited or unruly when a second dog is across the street. Should you see no improvement in your dog’s behavior—or should the overly excited behavior actually increase—go back to much more distance apart, and repeat the steps you have already gone through . . . but much more slowly. Yes, going back requires patience on your part, but what have you got to lose if what you’re doing will make the actual introduction easier for your dog?
Dogs will be walked in parallel, moving closer together with success.
Success means that both dogs are still paying attention to their owners, as opposed to paying attention to the other dog. Obsessive interest in the other dog is the exact opposite of your goal. You are aiming for calm acceptance of the presence of the other dog. You want your dog to feel neither overexcited nor threatened in any way by the other dog. You want your dog to feel safe.
Dogs will walk side by side, several feet apart, with success.
Handlers should find a place to walk where they can gradually move closer together as the walk progresses. Should either dog become over-excited or unruly as the two dogs near each other, move apart and see if a little more distance helps. There is no rush!
Eventually, the goal is for you and your friend to walk your dogs side by side on a sidewalk or path that can accommodate all of you. Don’t get stuck in narrow spots by accident, where the dogs can get squished too closely together. If a narrow spot comes up, one of you takes the lead. When both dog-and-handler pairs are through that spot, reassemble in your parallel positions.
Dogs will be allowed to sniff each other on loose leashes.
In the middle of a walk, agree to stop and allow the dogs to sniff each other a bit, as long as their leashes remain loose. Each handler should practice calling his or her dog away from the other dog and to the handler, who will reward the dog with wonderful treats and the opportunity to “say hi” again—exactly what the dog wants! Leashes remain loose so that the dogs are not pulled into artificially threatening positions that might be misinterpreted by the other dog. Call your dog to you, don’t pull him away!
Stop for a loose-leash sniff for only a few seconds, please. Again, quit while you are ahead, so your dog is left thinking, “That was okay. I feel safe.” Start walking again with the dogs in parallel paths. Short, successful sniffing sessions should happen frequently during walks. Do not let the dogs interfere with each other during doggy eliminations. Each dog should eliminate privately.
Now two dogs and their humans can walk together!
Coming up—the next steps in introducing dogs to each other safely.
