Introducing two dogs

Few days shape two dogs' future together like the day they first meet. Done well, an introduction is almost uneventful: two dogs walking, settling, deciding side by side that the other is no cause for concern. Done carelessly, it can plant a grudge that takes months to undo. Here are the eight practices we follow for giving two dogs the best possible beginning.

1. Exercise comes first.

A dog carrying a full tank of pent-up energy is the wrong dog to bring to a first meeting. High energy and excitement can read to the other dog as disrespect, or as imbalance, and the meeting sours before it begins. Give your dog sufficient structured exercise beforehand so the tank is not full when the dogs meet. A long walk, a jog, a bike ride, a swim, a backpack that gives the walk a job: all of these drain energy well. Ask the other family to do the same with their dog. Two exercised, settled dogs make everything that follows easier.

2. Know the other dog.

If you have never met the dog yours is about to meet, arrange to see them first. It is not always possible, but wherever it is, I recommend it. You want to understand what kind of energy you will be bringing your dog around. Ask the owner how the dog does with other dogs. Then watch the pair of them together. Is the human practicing leadership, and is the dog under control? Is the dog balanced? If not, this may not be the right dog for yours to be around, and there is no obligation to continue.

3. Stay calm and confident.

This holds for everything we do with dogs, and never more than here. If you project nervous or anxious energy during an introduction, your dog feels that instability, and they may conclude that the new dog is causing it. That can turn them protective, and protective is how bad outcomes begin. Calm projects a balanced energy that can never harm the situation. Confidence tells your dog that you have control, which lets them feel safe and comfortable about the stranger they are meeting.

4. Meet on a walk, not face to face.

Letting two dogs meet face to face is confrontational in a dog's language, and it sends the wrong message about the day. Instead, ask the other owner to bring their dog out, and take a long walk together. Walking side by side awakens what we call pack drive: the feeling of migrating together as one pack, with humans in charge. Begin with the dogs on the outside and the humans between them, and focus on proper leash walking. Use your instincts to read the energy of both dogs. When both are calm and in a follower state of mind, bring one dog at a time to the inside. Excitement often rises at this moment, so address it as it appears, correcting gently and reminding the dogs to stay calm. If everything continues well, you can stop and allow the dogs to smell each other calmly, rear first. Guide your dog's head to the rear of the other dog, and have your walking partner do the same. Keep the leashes loose and your energy quiet. If you notice tension or confrontation, calmly remove your dog from the meeting. Nothing is lost by ending early.

5. Take your time.

There is no clock on an introduction. Some dogs are compatible from the first minute. Others warm slowly. Some never take much interest in each other and simply learn to live peaceably side by side, which is its own success. You may finish the first walk without ever bringing the dogs to the inside, and there is nothing wrong with that. Walk again another day, and take the next step only when you both feel comfortable. Patience, as always, is the key.

6. Let tools serve your calm.

No tool will ever replace calm and confident energy, but the right tool can help you find it. A muzzle is the clearest example. Most people think of a muzzle as bite prevention only. It is that, but in my experience it is at least as much for the human as for the dog. When a dog wears a muzzle, the fear of a damaging bite leaves the equation; the worst that can happen is a lunge that harms no one. Knowing this, the humans relax, and their calm raises the odds of a good meeting, exactly as we discussed above. Leashes are equally valuable. But the greatest tool of all costs nothing and is already with you.

The greatest tool you have is your energy.

7. Rules, boundaries and limitations.

A good walk is not the finish line. After a successful walk, resist the urge to simply let the dogs do whatever they want. If you take the next step and bring both dogs into the home, keep the leashes on for the time being. One arrangement we have found consistently successful: settle each dog on their own bed or place in the same room, at a distance, and hold them there. The place command can be practiced well before the meeting ever happens. Over time, release one dog at a time while the other stays on their place. Advocate for the dog who is holding their place; if the free dog rushes them in excitement, it is your job to step in as leader and correct the excitable one. As successful repetitions add up, both dogs can share more freedom together, always supervised. Letting the dogs drag their leashes is another good idea, since it gives you immediate access if a correction is needed. Through all of it, stay calm and follow the laws of dog psychology.

8. When to call a professional.

It is never a mistake to bring in a professional with experience in introductions. Be honest with yourself about how you feel. If the plan is to put on a game face and fool your dog into believing you are calm, think again. Dogs have X-ray vision for energy, and they will read how you truly feel. A professional can guide you through the process, especially the first time, and set you up for lasting success. They may recommend that your dog first socialize with some of their own balanced dogs, so they can learn what is and is not acceptable in company, how to read the cues other dogs offer, and how to answer them. Do your research, and look for a trainer or behaviorist with real experience in this area and the testimonials to stand behind it.

Followed patiently, these eight practices turn a fraught day into an ordinary one. The dogs simply go for a walk together, and come home a pack.

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