In hopes it will be helpful to others in the same situation, I thought I’d outline how I handled the introduction of lovely little Maggie into the family. Here’s some background on the actors:
1) Willie: Eight-year old BC neutered male, at one point extremely aggressive to unfamiliar dogs, relatively comfortable outside now with new dogs, but tense when unfamiliar dogs come into the house. Willie is a classic alpha-wannabe: Fearful but desperate to maintain control. He is very responsive to acoustic cues from me, 99% of the time a sweet, lovely dog, but can lose his temper around other dogs and be downright rude and inappropriate when tired and/or stressed. Willie at his worst? Think Jack Nicholson’s face in the movie The Shining. Willie at his best? The best dog you’ll ever be lucky enough to have.
2) Maggie: Adolescent BC intact female, grew up with a pack of familiar and unfamiliar dogs on a ranch in Idaho. Lots of opportunities to learn to read dogs and how to behave politely in canine society, lots of opportunities to meet unfamiliar dogs (who came in for training), but hadn’t ever been away from her dam and natal pack. (I’ve learned this is a huge factor in a dog’s behavior toward other dogs. You simply can not predict how a dog will react to much of anything if they grew up with their mother and related adults, and then leave to a new situation where they are on their own.) Maggie is clearly afraid of unfamiliar dogs now that she is away from mom; she ran a good 40 yards away from Willie in a panic the first time she saw him.
3) Tootsie: Nine-year old Cavalier, spent first seven years in a mill. Greets other dogs appropriately and as if comfortable and interested, and then completely ignores. Never plays (with anything), never even acknowledges Willie when together in the house. Lives for laps, food and car rides. No worries about her and a new dog.
Okay, take a breath. I knew Tootsie would not be an issue, but I had two dogs who were both uncomfortable with each other and were destined to live together in a small farm house. Here’s a summary of how I handled their first two weeks.
1. FIRST MEETING. As I’ve already described in an early post, the dogs met in a huge, fenced field where they could both be off leash. No pressure on either of them. I ignored Maggie when she ran away from Willie, and only signaled Willie a few times just to keep things moving. (For more about first introductions, see Love Has No Age Limit and The Art of Introducing Dogs.) But what happens after the first meeting outside? How does one begin to integrate the dogs into the house?
2. PREVENTION PREVENTION PREVENTION. Given Maggie’s discomfort and Willie’s history, the dogs were never loose in house together until they appeared to be 100% comfortable outside.What could be more important than preventing a bad beginning? Jim and I moved heaven and earth to keep the dogs from scaring each other until they were comfortable. It takes some serious effort if both dogs live in the house, because you always have to think two or three steps ahead. “Let’s see, if I put Willie in the crate in the study and close the door, I can let Maggie out of her crate in the living room and take her outside and then put her in the crate in the car to take Willie out…” It was a bit tiresome and tedious, but well worth the effort.
2. HOUSING. I thought long and hard about where to put Maggie’s crate. Willie and Tootsie’s crates are in the study, and we had a third crate for Maggie all set up in the same room. But given the level of discomfort, I decided not to house the dogs in the same room. Doing so felt like it might be forcing them into a physical proximity that was over their comfort level. We set up a second crate in the living room for Maggie, which avoided the dogs being forced together, even if in crates. Right now, one month in, Maggie is learning to go into the study crate for treats. Once she is comfortable in the new crate, we can finally have our living room back. (It is tiny and the crate is huge.)
3. THE GREAT OUTDOORS. I am lucky to have a variety of fenced areas where I could let Maggie off leash safely before I was confident that I could keep her safe from the road. Four to five times a day I took all three dogs out, with Maggie on a leash until we got into the fenced areas, and then let the dogs interact freely. Maggie and Willie began running together from day one, but mostly avoided close interactions for a good week. Whenever they did begin to sniff each other, and one dog looked tense, I’d cheerfully say “Let’s go on a walk!” Keeping things moving is probably the most important thing anyone can do to help dogs become comfortable with each other. Thank heavens I knew that, I’m not sure what would have happened if I didn’t.
4. LEASH WALKS IN TOWN. On day 4 we began taking Willie and Maggie on leash walks in town through a neighborhood close to my office. It is relatively quiet, but has enough traffic that no dogs are loose in the yards. However, the lawns beside the sidewalks are full of the scent of passing dogs, which allowed Willie and Maggie to concentrate on other dogs, instead of each other. Everything is relative, and Willie became the most familiar “other dog” to Maggie, and they soon were nose to nose sniffing the calling cards of others. We did this three times, and it worked like magic. Both dogs were noticeably more comfortable with each other once we got home after each trip.
5. GATES IN THE HOUSE. By day 5 or 6, the dogs were comfortable enough outside that we put up gates between the study and the living room and let the dogs out of their crates at the same time. Willie would be in the study, and Maggie in the living room with a gate between them. Around day 7 or 8, Maggie began walking up to Willie with her body loose and fluid and sniffing him through the gate. A few days later I took the gate down and let them together in the living room. If one of them looked a bit tense, I’d distract them or put one back into a room or crate. In other words, more prevention prevention prevention.
6. TOYS AS A BRIDGE. Toys can be a problem if a dog is a resource guarder, and I was concerned that Willie would be aggressive over some of his favorite toys. I put all the toys except one away once I allowed them to be together in the house. I left one out because they began playing tug games with sticks when running up the hill, and because Willie’s favorite house game was playing tug with Lassie when she was still alive. Sure enough, Willie picked up the toy (a battered, de-stuffed fluffy toy) and offered it to Maggie. You would have thought that the clouds parted and the angels began to sing; it was a huge moment in their relationship, and yet another time when something seemed to have bothered my eyes. Darn those allergies anyway.
7. RESPONDING TO TROUBLE. There were moments when things weren’t all so lovely. Two times, while playing with sticks up the hill, Willie got snarky and went after Maggie. I corrected it with a loud and low HEY!, because I wasn’t confident he would stop on his own and it looked to me like he was just being a jerk. Maggie snarked at Willie once in the same context, (the only time she ever has) so I stayed mindful of their level of arousal. I still break things up with a “That’s Enough! Let’s go on a walk!” if I think they are getting overly aroused. I haven’t seen anything close to a snark outside in weeks, but I still pay attention.
On the other hand, during the first week if one of the dogs gave out a low growl or quick but inhibited lunge, I’d say nothing. Both dogs are super sound sensitive and easily corrected and I felt that they needed to learn that I wasn’t going to interfere with their needing to work things out themselves. I find this to be the most challenging aspect of introducing dogs: when do you stay quiet, and when do you interfere? I’d love to hear your thoughts on when, if ever, you intervene when two dogs are interacting in ways you believe are problematic.
8. PREVENTION PREVENTION PREVENTION. Wait, didn’t I start there? Yes, but that’s also where I’m ending up. Willie is much more likely to be grumpy in the house when he is tired, and I know from past experience that if he is really tired he can lash out with an inappropriate and unnecessary intensity. Mindful of that, I gradually increased his exercise with Maggie–first only one hard run a day, then two, with a maximum of three. I also watched him carefully for signs that he was tired and needed a break once back in the house. I discovered that he knew the word “upstairs” (who knew?) when one night I thought he looked tired and said “Willie, do you want to go upstairs?” I didn’t expect an answer, but he got up and walked to the staircase and looked up. I am lucky that Maggie is also an expert at reading Willie, and after a few snarks from him, she learned to avoid Willie when he was sending out “leave me alone” signals. For the life of me, I’m still not sure what they are, but both Maggie and I appear to be literate in Willie-speak, even if we couldn’t teach someone else how to translate.
ALL IS WELL. After a month, I can report that the dogs are doing beautifully together. Willie adores having another dog to play with–they play tug inside and run/chase/herd games outside. Willie does get tired–his exercise has radically increased since Maggie came. Maggie is brilliant at reading Willie, and has perfect social skills. She may be a bit uncomfortable around unfamiliar dogs (more on that later, she’s making great progress), but her social skills are off the charts. She is a lovely, stable dog who appears to be happy to fit in to Redstart and make the most of it. She is barely getting the exercise she needs (more on her and sheep later), and Willie and I are getting more than we’ve ever had. (Picture Trisha looking upward while at the base of the stairs around 9 PM.)
If I had to pick three things that were the most important part of ensuring that the dogs would get along, I’d choose 1) Prevention- never forcing the dogs together, 2) Parallel leash walks in unfamiliar places and 3) Being observant and honoring what a dog needs.
What about you? If you had to choose one or two tips to give to someone introducing dogs together, what would you say? How have your introductions gone?
Here are links to two books you might find useful when introducing a new dog: Love Has No Age Limit, and The Art of Introducing Dogs by Louise Ginman.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Lambs! Finally we have lambs. Lady Baa Baa had her first lamb last Thursday evening, a hardy little boy who is doing great. Lady Godiva had twin lambs Friday morning, now known as Salt and Pepper. (Someone on Facebook said it sure was good that one was smaller than the other, otherwise how would one tell them apart? Ha, love it!) So far no need to use ear tags, Lady Baa Baa’s lamb is black in front and white in back. Quite the trio. Only Barbie is left to lamb; her daughter Cupcake was bred but it didn’t take, so we’ll probably only have five lambs this spring. Quite a switch from 17 last spring! (And a welcome one at that.)
Here are the three newcomers, resting in the barn. All with warm mouths and full bellies, just like happy, healthy lambs should be.
And another sign of spring — have flowers ever been so welcome after the long, dark winter?
HFR says
What a wonderful primer on how to introduce dogs who need special handling. I am amazed at your patience (something I am not known for). I’m curious tho how Willie did with Tootsie when they were first introduced. I’m assuming Willie didn’t care about her at all since she showed no interest in him, but given his history of dog aggression was there any special handling needed for the 2 of them? Also, do you think the gender of the other dog has any effect with Willie? Forgive me if you’ve already gone over this, I can search for it if there is another post about that.
As to what I think is the most important thing when handling dog introductions, I think that has to be not to wait until something happens, as you mention above. In my observations of people with their reactive dogs, either they are super over-protective (which is understandable, but you have to wonder how that effects the dog) and never let their dog near another dog, or they approach other dogs but never know when to move on. So many times I’ve seen 2 dogs approach each other either in a dog park or on leash and as the dogs sniff each other, it’s almost as if the owner is waiting to see how long they can wait before something happens. I think it comes more from the owner hoping that their dog has somehow become a different dog, but mostly it can be a recipe for disaster. If I’m observing this, I will often think “Come on! Things are going well, now just move along!”
I’ve been very lucky in that my dogs have all been pretty good with other dogs. But I do remember years ago having made a friend with another dog owner in Central Park, we’d walk our dogs off leash together in the early morning hours. However, our dogs would sometimes get in a tussle. The 2 dogs were very similar in temperament, very self-confident. And every so often one would just tick the other off and they’d go at it. Our reaction? We’d start screaming at the top of our lungs and pull them apart. There was never any damage done, but neither of us had any idea how to handle it. Finally one day I asked if she was willing to try an experiment. Next time they got into it, could we both make a pact to do nothing? Let them “fight it out” and see what happened. (Looking back on it now, of course, this was a very stupid thing to do, I acknowledge.) Anyway, we tried it and, what do you know, they tussled for about 15 seconds (which felt like an hour) as both of us cringed and held our breath. Sure enough, they both stopped fighting and then went on their way. I’m not exaggerating when I say, they never had another fight. I wouldn’t give this advice to anyone else, but it is interesting that our interfering may have kept them from finding their own resolution.
Congratulations on your new family…they all sound like wonderful dogs.
EmilyS says
“I am lucky that Maggie is also an expert at reading Willie, and after a few snarks from him, she learned to avoid Willie when he was sending out “leave me alone” signals. For the life of me, I’m still not sure what they are….”
This is so fascinating! Dog language can be so incredibly subtle (to humans) that even an expert like Trish can’t read it. I’ve also observed dogs changing their behavior, in apparent response to something the other dog is doing, without really being able to tell. Sometimes I think I see a shift in eyes, or an ear twitch, but I can’t be sure. All I know is that (for example) obnoxious puppy decides he has somewhere else to be….. now.
Kara says
I so enjoy reading your blog and found this post especially interesting given that we are thinking about introducing a second dog into our family soon!
Our current boy, Huxley, sounds a lot like your Tootsie – appropriate greetings (wide approach, tail wagging, appropriate interest level), but within 10-15 minutes comes the inevitable disinterest. He is a rescue, so no idea about his background though he is a very calm, mellow dog, and only playful with a human interacting with him (won’t play alone or with other dogs). The pup we are looking at adopting, Brimley, seems to be just as mellow and submissive as Cooper so we are hoping it is a good fit.
I’m curious whether there is any reason that some dogs are so disinterested in other dogs? Is this primarily a matter of socialization? Huxley is a Belgian Sheepdog/Malamute mix so perhaps his focus on humans has to do with breeding?
In any case, he never will have the urge to socialize or interact with other dogs (though part of me hopes that he and the newcomer could “make friends”), but I know he will, like your Tootsie, be completely cordial. We’ve had many foster dogs through our house and he is largely indifferent to their presence (he does notice when they are getting a treat, though!). Thanks for your posts!
Julie says
Thank you for your great post. I particularly liked the part about the value of the walk together. One thing I did was to counter condition my reactive dog to the presence of the new dog. I would sit on the floor with the new dog safely in my lap and throw the ball for the older dog. He learned that good things happen when new dog is close to me. At some point, I reversed the game and the reactive dog had to wait his turn: one throw for new dog, a ball party for the older dog and so on. I am happy to report that overtime, the two dogs can play ball together without incident even if they are sharing the same ball. From time to time we have an occasional short lived sibling squabble, but they generally live peaceably together. I know that I did a better job adding the new dog to my house because I have read most of your books, listened to Calling All Pets for years, and read your blog. Thanks for sharing!
Lynn Jackson says
Interesting observation regarding dogs kept with their mom and assorted family members. Both of mine, border collies as well, (including a Maggie) were kept with the breeder until about 12 months. Both of them are uncomfortable with new dogs, mostly dogs of other breeds. You’ve given me some info that I will share with our trainers.
Frances says
Fascinating – thank you! When Sophy (Papillon) was young I planned to follow best practice advice and wait until she was around 18 – 24 months before bringing a second dog home. But when she was 8 or 9 months old it dawned on me that the time for a companion was now – she was a very mature, well scialised pup, with excellent social skills and well trained for an adolescent, and she desperately wanted a playmate her own size. My dog trainer – a qualified behaviourist – and all the other dog-canny people I talked to agreed, so I started looking, and was lucky enough to find Poppy a few months later. Poppy (Toy Poodle) was about 14 weeks, and could have done with more socialising, but was a happy, bouncy pup. I introduced them at my sister’s house where they were playing within minutes. Next day I brought them home, and for a while Sophy was a bit protective of her possessions – “My toy!” That’s mine too” “That’s my BEST one!” (ummm … were we talking about anthropomorphism recently…!). I solved it by putting down more and more toys, and more and more chews, until around 5 she lost count – there were so many resources they were no longer worth protecting.
I was very aware of the horror stories of how badly things can go wrong with two bitches, and did supervise very carefully at first, and later on when Poppy’s puppy licence was running out. I may have interfered a little too often when play got rumbunctious – they soom learned to play together very quietly, so I wouldn’t call a halt! I instituted the turn taking game very early on, and now they will even let the cats join in, all sitting politely in a row waiting for their name to be called; the game has had the knock on effect that I can, for example, tell Poppy “That’s Sophy’s!” and she will back off.
Fortunately Poppy is a born follower, and Sophy was born confident – even at 5 and a half Poppy is only too happy for Sophy to make all the decisions. I do try to build Pop’s confidence – taking her to classes and activities, playing special games and training just with her, etc, etc, as I didn’t want her to become a quivering wreck when Sophy was not there to show her what to do. I do interrupt if there are ever squabbles over a bone or a toy, although these are rare as there are always plenty to go round. Each dog has their favourite place, but they are encouraged to share even those. And with such tiny dogs, there is room for both of them on my lap and my bed, which are probably the most important resources to them after chicken!
jackied says
We had a tricky introduction, with an existing unsocialised fear-aggressive dog and an incoming rescue with unknown history. Why did we even try? Because we noticed that our FA dog was more confident around my parent’s dog, and remembered that he had also been misleadingly confident at the rescue (ie brave enough to approach humans at all!) where he had been kenneled with a very happy, confident dog. We made a big effort to find a new dog that was happy with both humans and other dogs.
Parallel walking at the rescue went surprisingly well, but at home, of course, it was hard for a few weeks. We crated them in separate rooms at night, or if we went out. In the daytime, we mostly used trailing house leads and I spent a lot of time either briefly body blocking the FA dog or, if things seemed to be escalating, separating them via the leads if he started to bully her – initially by herding her into corners (he’s a bc mix) , later by playing too roughly and ignoring her ‘cut it out’ signals. We were advised by the rescue to never tell him off for interacting with her, just to prevent trouble, and either by luck or judgement it never got as far as a real spat.
After those few weeks, she got enough confidence in her new surroundings to tell him off if he got too rough (snarl and a single snap but no intention to make contact), and he got the message PDQ and respected her. He actually pays attention to her calming signals these days when they are playing.
We reintroduced toys fairly early as we knew the FA one wasn’t that bothered about them; we had a bit of trouble with the new one over resource guarding food and treats but that has mellowed with time (and a bit of rethinking things like where we fed them to make her feel safer) except with bones, which we just have to manage carefully. It’s now a very long time since they had a disagreement over anything except bones. It’s so lovely to see the FA one finally having a canine friend he can play with.
Katy says
Keeping the dogs moving is definitely a useful tool. My Yuki is fear-aggressive and when he is meeting new dogs, I often will ask the owner to distract their dog with obedience work while I do the same with Yuki. With our foster dogs, I can do it myself simply by having the foster on leash and Yuki off-leash in my fenced yard. Yuki focuses on the treats and then comes to realize the other dog is not a threat (thankfully, he’s not a resource guarder). He is now great friends with my colleague’s golden retriever but it took several instances of careful introductions, both in the office and outside. But even now, if he gets stiff or tense, I just make him walk away (towards me) and things settle down.
Nic1 says
Thanks so much Trisha, it so kind of you to share this. This is invaluable and so very much needed for people like myself. There does seem to be little practical (and good!)information out there on how to introduce new dogs, particularly dogs who may have some social challenges, to an existing canine household. Knowing when to intervene in a canine dispute is an art in itself it would seem. The success of any introductions depends on the owners understanding of arousal and reactivity and also being able to read our own dogs. Fascinating to read HFRs experience. I would say, that in hindsight the decision to let the dogs ‘work itout’ seemed to be correct though? I guess you had the advantage of having had some introductions/play sessions that had previously gone well which aids your good judgement.
Knowing my own dog’s thresholds and triggers in terms of arousal and reactivity means that I have taken the decision to be a single dog household. The management and work required in getting her to enjoy living alongside another dog would very much outweigh any benefits, as there is no ‘cure’ for a dog who as an adult clearly does not enjoy the company of other dogs. We’d still have the same issues to contend with when out and about too. Also, I just don’t think it would be fair on another dog to be homed alongside her. Lily doesn’t even want to play with other dogs. The most we have managed is peaceful toleration. It means I have to be constantly ‘switched on’ as a trainer when other dogs are around and to be honest, it’s just not enjoyable. I was really stuck by your comment Trisha, ‘ What could be more important than preventing a bad beginning?’ I think my adopted dog has unfortunately had several bad beginnings, including with us, and we are paying the price for this. It’s no good regretting anything, but boy how I wish I had found your webiste in 2010 as opposed to 2011…We have since tried rehabilitation with a few good trainers and some classes indoors with other dogs, mostly as an aid to de-sensitise. There have been some improvements, but mosly, it’s easier to just manage her.
We’ve spent years trying to help her feel better around other dogs – it’s partly genetic/ temperemental but she definitely seems to learn and hold on to the bad stuff very well indeed. You live and learn…but reading your blog posts and especially the joy you have experienced with Willie and Maggie proves that with planning, experience, education and patience, dogs with other doggy issues can indeed start to thrive, given the right match. I want to stress the importance of education as there are an awful lot of ‘experienced’ dog owners who have chosen not to educate themselves. Not the people on this blog of course, but I feel that experience/ familiarity with dogs does not necessarily equate to a truly and fully formed understanding of canine behaviour. And that is why it is both an art AND a science. If that makes sense!
Wonderful to read and look forward to reading more about Maggie settling in and how she gets on working the sheep.
CJ in Canada says
Thank you SO much for this post! I’m hoping to add a second dog in the next year or two, and I love having a great protocol like this. My current dog is a bit reactive (mostly with other reactive dogs, though pushy ones can also set her off), and it’s valuable to have this as a resource for the future (in addition to the books). And so wonderful that things are going so swimmingly!
Judy Norton says
I so appreciate the time you took in writing up this detailed description of Willie and Maggie’s introduction. I’ve already shared the link with a client who just brought home a rescue dog.
As I was reading, I was asking myself “how snarky is too snarky?” So hard to know, especially with new dogs.
I think the two most important things when introducing new dogs are having lots of room and to keep moving. Problems are more likely to occur when the humans are standing around.
Trish Kirby says
It’s been 8 months since I introduced Bella a (3 or 4 mo. at the time) border collie to Simon a bc mix who was also aprox. the same age. We let them meet at a park in the neighborhood that Simon wasn’t use to going to. Poor Bell was thin and frightened of most everything and kept her tail between her legs for a few weeks. The initial meeting was very good. Simon is a sweet natured boy and seemed to enjoy having a canine companion. For the most part they just played constantly.
I did notice at feeding time that they both seemed anxious and ate their food very fast so I started to feed Bella in the mud room/back door entrance way room. The closet in that room is also where I stored the dog food. Bella became very territorial over that room and the food closet. Before and after feeding time she would lay in that room next to the closet. Simon could barely look in that direction and Bella would growl and get up and chase him around showing her teeth and kind of stalking him. They wouldn’t fight because Simon would walk away and or lay on the gound and whine. At first I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t know if it was Simon aggravating or Bella being possesive. My solution was to start feeding them in the same room about 10 feet apart and around the counter out of eye sight of each other. It worked! Either that or Bella is just more secure now. They eat at a normal slower pace now and are more relaxed. The back room to the back door and where the food closet is was still a problem. Bella felt she owed it. I didn’t realize I had a routine of letting Bell in the back door first and then Simon…but every time Simon came in Bell would get that slow moving stare and intimidate him. Problem solved, Simon comes in first and the back room hasn’t been an issue since.
Two times I’ve intervened when I thought they were fighting. Once it was over food they thought they’d be getting and once because of a toy. It probably lasted less than 5 seconds. And 10 seconds after that it was like nothing happened. I do use the THATS ENOUGH when play seems too exciting.
Lastly, I do believe their relationship is growing and changing and the dogs personalities are changing a bit. Simon doesn’t cower and whine anymore when Bella gets MOODY. He actually lets her know when enough is enough. Nothing too harsh at all but she seems to get the message and she isn’t overly sensitive about it. I would love to see a video of a well balance dog. Simon may be on his way to being one. Also when you say snarky is it like a growl, chase and maybe a little bite? Or starting a fight?
Kelly says
I very much enjoyed this post, especially in regards to when/if people should interfere in escalating play. I’ve been taking my Aussie (and sometimes Lab) out for off-leash walks with a group of dog-saavy people and dogs, up to nine dogs in the group! We joke that we have our own travelling dog park. One dog is very attached to her house-mate, but has played really well with my Aussie – she is also a herding breed, they are both females, around the same age and the same size. We thought they would enjoy a walk without the other dogs, however when it was just the two of them, the other dog would roll over every time my girl came near her! Eventually she would snap when my Aussie would try to get her to play. Usually my Aussie is very responsive to other dogs and won’t push a dog who doesn’t want to play with her, but this time she would not let up. I suspect the other dog did not have enough confidence to play without her housemate present, however I can’t figure out why my Aussie wasn’t being respectful? Sigh. Will have to keep an eye out and correct her I suppose, I don’t want her to turn into a bully 🙁 Both dogs are approaching two years old.
HFR says
This is somewhat off topic, but I thought of your discussion about play between dogs and animals. The end of this article talks about the increase in oxytocin when inter-species animals play with each other:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/04/does-your-dog-or-cat-actually-love-you/360784/
Nic1 says
I’ve just finished reading ‘The Art of Introducing Dogs’, recommended here. It’s useful and very systematic, which I like as there are clear guidelines for novices. Louise mentions using ADAPTIL, homeopathy and rescue remedy in the dog’s water when you have brought the new dog home. I’m a little sceptical of homeopathy and don’t think there is much literature of efficay of ADAPTIL (DAP appeasing pheromones). Has anyone tried this in conjunction with introduction of new dogs to the home and think it’s effective?
Robin Jackson says
@Nic1,
There have been a number of small studies on DAP, some double blind. In most, it has shown measurable reduction of some kinds of stress related behaviours for many dogs. However, the same studies did not show decrease in aggressive behaviours or resource guarding. So it may help a dog who feels unsettled in a new place relax more quickly, but it probably won’t help with sibling rivalry type stuff.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839826/
Trisha says
Regarding DAP: I purchased some for Willie and Maggie because I have had some success with client’s dogs with it. On a whim I let Willie smell it before I plugged it in and his face immediately became tense. Tense doesn’t do it justice; anthropomorphic or not, all I can say is that he looked angry. Really really angry. Needless to say, I didn’t plug it in and took the package to the office for someone else to use. That’s the first time I’ve heard of a dog reacting as if the scent was related to an unfamiliar dog, but I did have a client’s cat who responded to a Feliway plug in by marking it with a stream of urine.
Trisha says
Several readers have asked “When IS it appropriate to intervene, and when should we let the dogs continue growling, snarking, playing rough, etc?” Ah, the million dollar question! There is no perfect answer, because it is so specific to the dogs, but I’ll write a blog post about it in the near future. It deserves more space than I can give it here, because it is such a good question.
Nic1 says
Many thanks Robin. I had a DAP collar on my dog when she was first rehomed with us. I left it on for a couole of weeks on advice from the shelter. I’ve no idea if it helped her at all but good to know that there is evidence that it can help calm stressed dogs. Not much out there on Rescue Remedy, but probably as effective as a placebo in humans from what I can gather.
Trisha – can we please have Willlie’s movie star equivalent of his ‘angry face’, just so we can get the full picture?? 🙂
LisaW says
Not the same context as dog introductions, but I used a DAP collar on my somewhat fearful and anxious dog when she tore her CCL and was in lock down for many months. It seemed to help but not sure how one knows for certain since there were so many other factors. I also gave her L’Theanine and still do, but we stopped using the collar when she started to regain some freedom.
Our other dog, a female, had no reaction to the DAP collar when she smelled it or when our other dog wore it. I wonder if males respond differently to the phermone?
Laceyh says
Thinking about those hormones – since I often had fosters coming fresh from a spay, often an abortion-spay, I concluded that I wouldn’t try them. Somehow I didn’t feel that a scent of a nursing mother would be soothing to them.
Kat says
I love blog posts like this. I am so often operating on instinct and wouldn’t be able to articulate why I did something and then you’ll post something like this and I’ll think of course, I kept the dogs moving around because they are more relaxed/calm in motion and there’s less time for them to think themselves into a negative reaction.
Ranger is the kind of dog that seems to know automatically the best way to deal with an unfamiliar dog. I’ve seen him use a wide repertoire of behaviors with a huge number of different dogs and very very few conflicts arise so I wasn’t terribly worried about introducing a new dog to the house and Finna had come from a situation where she was part of a large pack of dogs (animal hoarders) so presumably had some decent canine social skills. Still I wanted to make sure that they got off on the right paw with each other so after the initial meet and greet at the shelter (in a nearby grassy area near their walking trails) which went very well we brought Finna home the next day. I knew her day had been a very distressing one since some wires had gotten crossed at the shelter and while all the paperwork indicated she’d been adopted the adopted tag didn’t get on her kennel and she’d been pulled for an outreach event (not a good choice for a fearful unsocialized dog). Knowing she wasn’t at her best be took the dogs for an especially long walk together through the neighborhood before we even brought Finna into the yard. Once in the yard we released Ranger and let him manage the interactions. Whenever Finna seemed to focus a little too intently on him we’d walk her around the yard. When she seemed fairly calm we let them both in the house. Ranger got to be off leash but Finna remained on leash. She only got to be off leash in the house when Ranger was outside, otherwise Finna was tethered to a person. We kept that up for about a week before they were allowed loose together indoors.
By the time Finna showed us who she really is, a very high drive, totally unsocialized psycho bitch from hell, Ranger totally had her number and could tell at a glance whether she was in a mood to engage with him or whether his best choice was avoidance. There’s the occasional snark–sharp bark, aborted lunge, open mouth muzzle punch, or the like–but they get along well for the most part and Ranger has been a huge help in teaching Finna what things really are worth alerting about. Finna would alert about something and Ranger would charge up to support her, look at the kid down the street on his bike, give Finna a look of what I can only describe as contempt (You alerted on that!?!) and stalk back to what he was doing. Now if Ranger alerts on something Finna acts as if the end of the world must have come because there is so little that Ranger considers worth an alert. Ranger still checks to see what it is but he’s only ever agreed with her assessment and alerted me once.
I think what cues me that I do need to take a hand is some of the subtle dog language cues, that miniscule shift of weight, tightening of the face, hardening of the eyes; things that are almost subliminal but the more I’ve watched dogs the more I’ve learned to see them even if it is on a subconscious level.
Donna in VA says
To Trish Kirby – “snarky” is my interpret of a “snap” and accompanying sharp bark, there is usually no contact but the message is “back off”.
My poor Sheltie is rather socially inept. At the monthly club meeting he was having a “flirt session” with another Sheltie as another member labeled it – intense and prolonged sniffing behind the other dog’s ear and along the shoulder while wagging his tail furiously. Excited play bow then back to the sniffing. The other dog got tired of this after about a minute and gave Max a snap and a bark. I should have gotten the message sooner.
Earlier we had been sitting near another Sheltie that Max clearly wanted to approach. She lifted her lips so high I could see ALL of her teeth and a lot of gum, so I reeled him back in and she retreated. Poor guy, he wants other dogs to like him but apparently gets too excited about it. The other dogs that he meets regularly on our walks he seems to handle better.
em says
I love posts like these. Like Kat, I often find that I operate on “instinct” when managing dogs, and after years of daily dogpark (my local park is fantastic and fantastically exceptional- enormous, reliably but lightly attended, and unfenced- literally miles of trails, swimming, woods, fields -mowed and meadow- it’s awesome.) meeting and off-leash walking with literally hundreds of different dogs, it does become second nature. One of the things that I love so much about this blog is that it has taught me to try to think and express what it is that I’m seeing when the “dogs are tense” alarm bell goes off in my head. I also try my darnedest to figure out what my DOGS are seeing when one of my extremely social pair looks happy/worried/relaxed/tense at the approach of a newcomer. I try to track how they react over time. When and if does the worried reaction resolve into comfort? When does it escalate into greater tension? What techniques work for tipping the balance one way or another?
I sometimes forget that not everybody makes a hobby out of analyzing their dogs’ social behavior, and not everybody has the opportunity to do so even in they wished to. I’m extremely spoiled in that way, and it colors my recollections of how Sandy’s introduction to the household went. If someone had just asked me in conversation if I had done anything special to introduce Sandy, I would have said, ‘nope’.
In actual fact, I did almost everything recommended (except the gating and crating). We met off leash in a neutral spot, walked together, kept it moving, set up very distinct and separate feeding areas (in the same room), watched them closely and stayed out of their way.
I CAN honestly say that I had no trouble at all. Maybe a moment of hard eye contact over who was going to sleep on the big dog bed. (It’s Otis). But that’s it. Not a snark, not a bark, not a growl, nothing. I USED to say that I couldn’t take credit. They loved each other at first sight, they both have great social skills, and easy, forgiving personalities. Now I realize that, consciously or not, I WAS setting them up for success, so yay, me! ( I so often am in the opposite position- kicking myself for dunderheadedness or ham-handedness, that I’ll take these celebrations where I can get them) 🙂
HFR says
Reading everyone’s interesting stories about their dogs, has made me think about how my dogs get along. She is a good ol’ generic black dog mutt, mostly some kind of herding dog (altho the DNA tests say pug, samoyed and Jack Russell, huh?). The boy is a purebred hunting/sporting dog twice her size, but half her amount of moxie. She is 6 years older than him. I always wanted a big age difference so that I wouldn’t have 2 old dogs at the same time (altho one is now 14 the other 8, so fortunately that’s happened anyway).
I’ve always thought she never understood why we needed another dog in the first place, but she’s accepted having him around. He sometimes tries to get her to play but the most she will do is tug once in a while. She has no interest in engaging him at all. I’ve always felt sad about that because, like most of us, I love to watch dogs play. But I realize now that they just have a really comfortable relationship. They will often walk side by side on trails and they will lay down next to each, sometimes touching, while gnawing on frozen raw marrow bones. When he gets bored with his bone, he will get up and stare at her while she is chewing her bone. He will sometimes let out a high pitched bark. She completely ignores him….until she is ready. Then she will leave her bone and go take his abandoned bone and he will take her bone. It’s really one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen between dogs. They have this language of letting each other know when they want to switch and somehow they do so peacefully. I smile every time I see them do it.
She will sometimes growl (without acknowledging his existence in any other way) if he gets too close to a bone that is lying close to her, even if she isn’t doing anything with it. I know her growls so well tho. This is her completely innocuous growl…purely just telling him everything around me is mine. He does back off, but continues looming until she moves.
Even tho he is not a pushover himself, he submits to her authority. For instance when I am getting their food ready in the morning, he will always go thru the dog door and wait on the porch (cutely poking his nose thru the flap to make sure he knows what’s going on) until I am done making the food and then he’ll come in to get his food. I’ve also noticed if I give them biscuits while they are standing together, he will want her to take hers first. Altho if they are across from each other, he won’t care.
Anyway, I’ve realized that even tho I didn’t get the playful dogs I would love to have had, they have the beautiful knowing relationship of an old couple that’s been married for 50 years. That’s kind of cool too.
Laura says
Such great stories.
As far as new dog introductions have gone, I’ve only had to do it once. For me at least, introducing two incredibly well socialized guide dogs was very easy. I just brought Torpedo in and had him on leash for the first 6 weeks of our time at home. We’re told to do this once we leave the school regardless of whether there is another dog in the house. It teaches the dog that, beside you, is the best place to be. I also think it helps in keeping them grounded in a new transition. You’re the only one they know and it really reinforces the bond. After the 6 weeks were up… ok a bit before that, I could tell that both dogs really wanted to play with each other. I let them, and they immediately began playing wrestle games as labs do. They would take each other’s toys all the time. Marlin was notorious for this… little stinker, and Torpedo didn’t care what he took. It was hard for me to ever tell if the dogs were just nurtured that way, or if it was their personalities. At the school, they have weekly “toy day,” where the staff will bring in tons of toys into the play area and make all the dogs share. Also, I think the ease with which the dogs interact has a lot to do with their being around so many other dogs when they’re young. at 3 weeks old, they are taken from their mother and they share a kennel with their siblings. At 8 weeks, they go to puppy raiser homes and usually, there are often pet dogs in the home. The puppies are introduced to all sorts of other dogs during their time with the raisers. I saw this first hand when I went to visit Marlin’s raisers. There were adult, career changed dogs, very young puppies and dogs in between that and they all got along fine. I’m not saying all interactions go well. One of my friend’s had to rehome her retired guide because she and the new guide were fighting over my friend, but for me, it has gone great. Seamus is such an easy going dog, I’m hoping, when the time comes for me to bring home his successor, introductions will go well.
Natalie Light says
Great blog post and it inspired me to order the book and write a review. I hope that you enjoy it! http://natdogs.blogspot.co.uk/
Robin Jackson says
After 9 years of amicable co-tenancy, we’re now back to the prevention, prevention, prevention stage of our dogs first few months together.
Tulip, our 14 year old, is a typical bossy female border collie. In the last 6 months she’s developed both significant hearing loss and a compressed disc that requires daily pain medication.
Dilly, 5 years younger, is a big goofy klutz. He outweighs her by 50 pounds, but has always deferred to her on everything.
Now, though, she snarks if he gets within 3 feet of her, won’t let herself be shut alone in a room with him, and chivvies him over things that never used to bother her, including his running towards the entry when one of my adult kids is coming over. And while she always used to wake instantly if he approached her on a dog bed, she’s now often sound asleep until he gets right next to her–and then it’s super snark. No contact, but air bites and snarls.
No signs of cognitive decline on her part–I think she just literally doesn’t want to be bumped. And the combination of hearing loss and pain meds means for the first time in their lives together it’s possible for him to get close before she’s aware of it.
Which means we’re back to prevention. Added more dog beds, but spaced much further apart, so they can always find an empty one at a distance she approves. We no longer let her go in the giant size crate at all, but reserve that for him–it’s become his safe space, where he can’t accidentally annoy her. They always ate in separate rooms, but now if we have workers in the house and the dogs need to be kept out of the way, we put them in separate rooms. We don’t let him approach her at all if she’s sleeping. If a kid is coming to the door, I call him over to wait with me while she does all the initial greeting. After the visitor is in and away from the door, he gets released to say hi.
Walks help a lot, but in our case it’s one handler per dog and she walks about 15 feet in front. He’s happy to follow and she returns from the walk with what appears to be an endorphin high–much more mellow for the rest of the day, and more tolerant of his “indiscretions.” Interestingly if they are walked separately, on her return from a solo walk she goes after him with a vengeance, literally driving him out of any room she’s in, and sometimes chasing him from one room to another, not in a playful way. But if he trails along with a separate person while she leads, when they come back she tolerates him equably, even if they’re both on the couch, as long as he isn’t actually touching her.
Again, these are two dogs who got along just fine for almost 9 years, with very little human intervention required. But now they need a lot of traffic control to get through the day without a snark incident.
I don’t know that it would ever escalate to actual bites, but she’s quite fragile because of the disc and he’s literally 3 times bigger, so we’ve settled on a new household routine of prevention and very early intervention. It’s much more inconvenient than our previous practice, but I think we’re at a life stage where a ” better safe than sorry” strategy is called for.
So I’ve found learning to read our dogs is a lifetime commitment. Physical changes, whether it’s a temporary injury or a new life stage, can significantly change the social dynamic, even with dogs who know each other well. Two young healthy dogs with similar physiques and play styles may be able to work some things out on their own, but once there’s a real disparity, a lot more intervention may be needed. Especially in our house, where my ability as a wheelchair-dependent person to physically respond quickly or subtly is much more restricted than someone who is ambulatory.
Trisha says
Love the married couple analogy HFR! Such a good point that we can hope for a specific kind of relationship, but it is up to the dogs to decide. Tootsie and Willie aren’t even an old married couple; Tootsie pretends that Willie doesn’t exist, and he’s given up trying to engage her in any way. (Maggie is still trying but Tootsie turns her head away and looks at me beseechingly.)
Trisha says
Natalie: Thanks for linking to your review of The Art of Introducing Dogs. I agree completely in that it is a very useful book. I actually read it on the drive to pick up Maggie and also found that even though I was familiar with much of what was written, it still was helpful to be reminded of certain points, especially “go slow!”
LisaW says
@ Robin: You are spot on when you say “Physical changes, whether it’s a temporary injury or a new life stage, can significantly change the social dynamic, even with dogs who know each other well. Two young healthy dogs with similar physiques and play styles may be able to work some things out on their own, but once there’s a real disparity, a lot more intervention may be needed.”
Our two dogs are 9 and 4+ years old (not sure on exact age for one), and while one is 30 pounds bigger, they used to play together, share toys, share bones, beds, and were very happy to hang out together. Since the younger one’s injury and subsequent curtailment of her physical activity, they are more like two teenagers who have to share a room again because a sibling moved back into the house. They can’t bond over rough play or tugs or wrestling anymore and therefore all resources are more valuable. Walks are fine, but not the same as free wheeling play and running. Luckily, the older one is a total peacenik or we’d have a lot more tension than we do. Prevention and management has become second nature.
Interestingly and I suppose it’s logical based on her personality, the one with a history of injury is much more magnanimous when she isn’t feeling well. When she feels fine, she’s much more snarky and stingy.
Chris Vereide says
Introductions have been pretty good, we’ve mostly fostered other greyhounds. I think due to their upbringing on the track, greyhounds generally get along with one another pretty well. I’ve been at greyhound events with 100-200 dogs and you hardly hear any barking or snarking. Anyway…The worst introduction we had was a year ago. I have two greyhounds and we brought a shepherd mix foster dog home. She started lunging and barking at my dogs when they were together in the back yard, even though the introduction at the shelter had gone well. I emailed some trainer friends and told them I thought I was in over my head, please help! It didn’t take long for her to become comfortable with my dogs. I think my dogs had more to do with her being comfortable than I did. They are very laid back and gentle. They would ignore her if she acted aggressively toward them. (At first, she would bark at them if they walked past her in the kennel.) Also, I started teaching her some basic obedience. She learned to settle around my dogs and started to sit whenever she wanted something. She was very smart and a quick study. I learned a lot from that failed first introduction at my house. I would do things a lot differently if I could do it over again.
Annie R says
One other suggestion I’d like to throw in is a technique from TTouch, of using body wraps and/or a t-shirt or Thundershirt to help dogs relax. I introduced two elder males (ages 12 and 13) a few years ago, who ended up being great companions together for the next couple years; they were a little tense the first day, especially the established-resident dog, Cody, who had been attacked a month or so earlier by a foster I’d taken in who was very uptight and not a good match for us at all; that dog had gone back into his rescuer’s home.
The first afternoon, I took the two old boys for a walk, out around the neighborhood together, which relaxed both of them quite a bit; and then when we came back into my small house, I put each of them into a full body wrap using Ace wraps (this is illustrated in many TTouch books) and just left those on through the evening including while they ate. I had never used crates with dogs at that point in time and did not use crating at all with them. Over the next couple days I walked them together several times and taught the new guy, Teddi, an Australian Shepherd, to use the dog door out to the back yard, which he caught onto quickly and loved doing.
Both of these dogs were pretty mellow and socially skilled, but they were visibly nervous with each other the first day, due to Cody’s recent trauma and Teddi’s being very aware of Cody’s worry and being the newcomer. After that first evening in wraps, they were both much more relaxed and by the next evening, appeared to be actually enjoying one another’s company.
I am not a TTouch expert, but have taken a couple of weekend workshops, and I wonder if the tension Willie feels when he’s tired might be calmed somewhat by putting him into a wrap; not anything as tight as a Thundershirt perhaps, but an Ace-wrap or t-shirt. It’s a similar kind of comfort for them as our putting on our favorite robe as we settle in on the sofa.
I certainly appreciate your thoughtful approach and description of easing the transition for two intense, active and potentially problematic-behavior-prone dogs; it’s a much more intense pair than I am likely to have in this lifetime, but the approach is a great framework for working with even an older and more mellow pair who are uncomfortable at first. It’s also so helpful to read about your own thought process and inner reactions as you work through it!
Emily Douglas says
This is such a substantive, wonderful post. I’ve got dog-dog interactions/intros on the brain right now because I’m trying to decide whether or not to bring a shelter dog undergoing HW treatment home to foster during her treatment. They’re having a hard time keeping her calm at the shelter because she’s so amped in the outdoor kennels near other dogs, which means she gets stuck in a tiny run indoors all day and night.
I’ve got the appropriate space and resources to house her calmly at my home while keeping her isolated from our four other dogs and cat, if she is in fact incapable of remaining calm enough (per her HW treatment needs) around other animals. But if some minor level of introduction and temporary integration is possible, I’d love to do it. But there are just a lot of unknowns and it may be an unrealistic project to attempt any intros for what will only be 4-5 weeks of fostering.
Anyways, a little off topic but the details in your post really got my wheels turning. I too have a couple decent sized fenced in areas to work with and lots of space and gating/crating options in the home, including a separated downstairs with walkout. But I also feel like more HUMAN resources are often needed to really handle complex intros/dynamics well. I know my wonderful spouse will happily help with whatever, but it’s nice to have more than one person (other than myself) who’s got some decent handling skills and good instincts when reading and working with dogs’ behavior. I would very much like to clone myself . . . or even better, you. 😉
Beth says
Reposting in the proper place:
It took three readings of this post for me to have my “aha” moment. Your mention that Maggie’s reaction to strange dogs changed after she left her natal pack made me finally understand the behavior of our Maddie when we brought her here. She lived for several years with her breeder, mom, and a few siblings (she was kept to be bred once and we got her when she retired) She was obviously well- socialized and was fine when the breeder brought her to meet Jack at a neutral location. But when we brought her here, she hid behind us when presented with our neighbor’s ancient and mellow beagle and seemed generally fearful of other dogs. The breeder said she could not recall a single incident of Maddie being afraid of dogs before. She improved quickly, since she was socialized, but new dogs can still make her a little anxious if they sniff her and she does best if she watches Jack interact with the new dog first. She is great with dogs she has met several times.
Thank you for helping me finally put a puzzle piece in place.
Marion Kaltenschnee says
Thanks for this lovely article. I am not planning to introduce a second dog anytime soon, but we do have problems with human visitors with our border collie mix, Mia, and I am always looking bits of wisdom that help to re- and re- and re-introduce visitors, like my daughters’ girl friends. Prevention, distance, separators, patience, distraction and intervention is what we practice. Going for walks together is not always possible with visitors but it is definitely valuable advice.
We recently had a visitor for 10 days and after 5 days, Mia accepted the visitor. It was hard work but it showed me it can be done 🙂
Jenny says
I thought your comment about dogs who had not been separated from their mother/siblings was very interesting. Several years ago we purchased a male Sussex Spaniel. At the time we adopted him he was 1.5 yrs old. What we didn’t realize was that he was with his mother and sister until he was six months old. At that time the breeder sold his sister to another breeder in another state. But he remained with his mother. She also didn’t tell us that he was a kennel dog. We brought him home and I realized within the first 5 minutes that this dog needed a lot of work. Not only psychological work, but he also had a heart defect (possibly serious). He didn’t understand what it was to be in a house. He was not housetrained. If you took him out and even stayed out with him, he wouldn’t do anything and then pee on the floor the minute you brought him inside. He also started showing signs of separation anxiety. I have aquariums and spend some of my evening in the basement, where the dogs are not allowed. The entire time I was down there I could hear him pacing all over the house. Within a week of bringing him home one of my family members was diagnosed with cancer. Knowing that he needed more attention than I could give him, I called the breeder and arranged to take him back. It is the only time I’ve ever done this.
Fast forward 2 years, we purchased a Boston Terrier from a breeder. We already had purchased two previous Bostons from her. When we went to pick our latest puppy up he was 4 months old and had been with his sister and mother the whole time. At the time the breeder had him she had 17 dogs/puppies and told me herself she hadn’t spent as much time with him and his siblings as she normally does. She also admitted to me that she would never leave her puppies together as long as she had with Eli and his siblings. Eli also has separation anxiety. He used to panic when we would be out in the yard and he was inside. He could see us, but being separated from us caused him stress. We’ve worked through this, but from time to time he still gets anxious. One time I was out shoveling snow for about 40 minutes. I came in and while I was eating breakfast he chewed a corner of my boot off. To this day (he’s now 5) I would say that he stresses more easily than our other two dogs, but has really come a long way. He’s been to obedience classes and I regularly work with him around the house. He still has his moments, but he is wonderful and I’m very proud of the dog he has blossomed into.
Cate says
Wow, I thought that I was being really paranoid about the preventions I was taking but it seems that I was on point. The crates in different rooms, gates, fenced in areas are exactly what I do. And the loud “hey”. One time at a dog park 2 other dogs were getting a little too rowdy. My Aussie boy looked like he wanted to jump in, so I yelled “hey” to him but of course all of the other dogs heard it too. Well it worked & the other dogs all broke apart & everything was good. But I felt so embarassed that I apologized to the other “pet parents”.
Dina says
Hi, don’t know if anyone still reads comments to older posts but just in case….also, please bear with me if this gets too long; I just want to make sure I don’t miss any important details!
We have a 13 year old border collie mix that’s always been a little nervous (probably due to getting hit by a car @4 months). When we got him @ 5 weeks we had a lovely 4 year old chow-terrier mix and they were perfect together. Looking back I do realize how lucky and blessed we were. Trixie had to be put down last year @16 due to tumors on her tongue. Mackie has bitten people (2x), more scratches from snapping than a grab and hold bite, both times when he had been suddenly startled. He’s easily managed and never has bitten myself or my kids ( all grown now).
My oldest son still lives with me and we recently adopted (for him) a small lab mix with probably pit bull in there also. We’ve had her 3 weeks. She was apx 9 weeks when we picked her up and had mange so she spent the first week quarantined in my sons room. She is an absolute doll but of course very hyper and excitable. We did not allow the 2 dogs together without supervision. Scout has an exercise pen in the living room where she goes when we can’t supervise. One day (I was at work), there was a little too much togetherness and my son was in the kitchen with them both but not paying close enough attention and Mackie snapped her hard enough to draw blood. No punctures but I caught her ear and so she lost the smallest part of the edge. My son separated them immediately. Until this time Mackie had shown a mild curiosity but mostly ignored her. He still does the same for the most part and she has learned some caution but doesn’t, thankfully, show any fear.
For now, when they are out loose he is wearing a basket muzzle just to prevent any serious interactions but we haven’t really seen any. The muzzle of course makes it easier for us to relax which can only help.
We recently learned about clicker training so I started that with Mack to reward him when she’s bouncing around and he stays calm. I let him give a growl by just ignoring him and tell him no and distract him if he starts staring intently ( not a “hard” eye). On the clicker training, by the 3rd click he knew a treat was coming!
I think we’re doing ok with this so far but its early days and I’d really like some feedback from others with more experience. She’s a very small mix, about 7 pounds @ 12 weeks and Macks about 18.
Also he lives peacefully (my sons doing)with my sons cat although previously he would always chase and attack cats. And we haven’t let him associate the muzzle with the puppy by varying when/where we put it on and by sometimes leaving it on even when the puppy is put up. We walk them together every evening in a big field near our apartment. He tolerates the muzzle well and will doze with it on. He only gets his fave treats with the muzzle on which helps.
Thanks!
Zanda Seaberg says
Can you help with tips helping a new smaller alpha 4 year old Border Collie “share” we humans with the larger 5 year old Aussie/BC mix, Cooper, who lost his alpha playmate 7 months ago (age). We adopted Allie as a rescue almost 3 weeks ago. However, he is very possessive of we humans and will growl at Allie. Allie, in turn, wants to nose her way in and snarls back at him. We think Cooper has accepted that “she isn’t going away” and they are starting to play together. The problems are when they share us, especially me. Cooper always demanded more attention that the other older female so he acts alpha when it comes to attention. I have been reading and getting confused since Cooper was always omega to the other dog (also smaller so similar dynamics) but Allie is definitely alpha….
Michelle says
I’ve just discovered your blog and although this is an old post, it was incredibly valuable to me. I adopted my first dog in 2014 and she was a dream from day 1. I had two cats already and she melded into the dynamic perfectly. She was scared of them for a long time, but always looked to me for directly if she was scared or just nervous/uncertain about what to do (like when my king of the house would rub against her). She showed aggression only once, when one of the cats tried to sniff her food while she was eating. I corrected her, took the food away, waited a bit, then gave it back. She never showed aggression again.
She’s now 14 and though in great health, I decided to get a second dog more because I didn’t want her to develop health problems and pass away, and then I’d have no dog to cuddle. Somewhat selfish reasoning, but I love senior dogs and knew it would take time to find the right one.
So a few days ago, I brought home the second dog. My dog has, of course, been a dream. She’s always been great with other dogs – very polite and well-mannered. The new dog is also pretty calm, but from the little I know about his history, he’s had a rough few months. He was found as a stray (though I’m convinced he had humans at some point), entered a shelter, sat there awhile without interest, was claimed by a dog in my province, went to foster until he could be transported, then was driven to Edmonton, AB from California. He was then fostered for a month and I brought him home. So a lot of upheaval in different home environments over a few months.
Overall, he seems really great. He has a sweet and relatively mellow personality and seems to get along great with my dog. However, there were a few times where he was on the couch with me and my dog or one of the cats approached … and he jumped down and snarled at them. I immediately identified it as resource guarding, but wasn’t sure how to deal with it. When he snarled at the cat I panicked (I took a long time looking for a dog that was good with cats, as I did not want to risk it), but when it happened with dog #1, I actually got even more emotional. I felt guilty that he did that to her. She wasn’t all that concerned, so I know it was just my own emotions that caused my reaction.
I talked to a friend who trains dogs and she told me to separate them at night and to not allow him on the couch. I didn’t have a crate yet, so last night I locked him in a separate bedroom. It definitely helped me to relax knowing I didn’t have to worry about my cats at night. Today he’s been pretty good, and I have a crate now. I’ve also decided to not allow either dog on the couch, even though I love snuggling with my girl! This is a really long comment, but I guess I’m wondering if this will have to be permanent? If not, how do I know when I can start allowing them on the couch again? It seemed that the couch (and me) were what he was resource guarding. I know it’s only day 2 and he needs more time to decompress and learn the rules (and he needs basic obedience training). I just hope I’ll be able to a point where he can sleep in my bed and cuddle on the couch without having that resource guarding issue.
Trisha says
Michelle, might not have to be permanent at all! Teach him that good things happen when he shares the couch. Sorry I don’t have time to explain in depth now, best I can do is direct you to Feeling Outnumbered booklet which talks about teaching dogs to share. Go to my website http://www.patriciamcconnell.com and go to shop. Good luck!