Tips On How To Safely Introduce Your Dog To Another Dog

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It’s important to socialize your dog early and often, and this means that your dog needs to meet a number of other dogs. By exposing your dog to a variety of other dogs, you reduce the risk of your dog becoming aggressive. Whether your dog is a puppy or a full-grown adult, it is important to know how to introduce dogs to one another safely.

Getting Started

Until your dog is very well socialized, you will want to avoid dog parks where the dogs run free. Timid dogs can easily be overwhelmed by meeting a number of dogs at one time, and you don’t want to scare your dog, as this can leave a lasting mark on your dog’s psyche. Instead, you want your dog to meet other dogs one on one.

Start out somewhere neutral. For example, you could have your dog’s meet in your neighborhood or in a local park. You don’t want to meet in one of the dog’s homes or yards because the dog that lives there might get territorial.

It’s important to keep both dogs on a leash. Therefore, if you are bringing a new dog into your home, for example, you need to recruit someone to help you handle the other dog. Before rushing up to the new dog, let the dogs look at each other from a distance first. Then, slowly, let the dogs come closer to each other. If they show signs of aggression, lead the dogs apart and let them calm down.

Take a WalkIt’s often good idea to walk the dogs together either in single file or with a person between the dogs. This lets the dogs get used to each other while allowing them to use up some of their energy—meeting a new dog is exciting. If the dogs are calm, you can let them walk side by side after a while.

When the walk is over, let the dogs smell one another if they are interested. If they are calm, you can lead them back to a house or a yard where you can let them go off leash. However, it’s always a good idea to keep a close eye on two dogs that have just met. When you are introducing your dog to another dog, it’s important to take things slowly and calmly.