The Best Way to Introduce Two Dogs

All dogs react differently when coming in contact with another dog. They respond in one of three ways: aggressively, submissive or calm and collected. You often do not know how your dog will react to meeting another dog, so taking the steps to correctly introduce the two will save you, a massive vet bill should the two attack each other.

Instructions

    • 1

      Introduce each dog in neutral territory, such as a park or on a walk. Introducing dogs in neutral territory allows them to meet in a place where they will not be territory aggressive, such as their own yard.

    • 2

      Keep each dog on a leash. No one can predict what will happen when two dogs meet for the first time, so you need to maintain control, if something goes awry.

    • 3

      Introduce the dogs head to butt. Allow both dogs to smell one another from behind, which reduces the time they see one another face-to-face. Head-to-head triggers assertiveness in dogs, while head-to-butt is a non-assertive way for dogs to communicate, according to The Greyhound Adoption Center.

    • 4

      Praise and talk to each dog. Speak to each dog and praise them for a good job as they are smelling one another and assessing the situation. This tells dogs that they are behaving correctly. Keep a friendly, non-threatening tone in your voice.