Published on March 6 by Liza
Before initiating the initial encounter, it's essential to assess and evaluate the other dog to ensure it's a suitable match for your dog. Similar to how people are influenced by their social circles, dogs can also adopt behaviors from other dogs they interact with. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure the other dog is well-balanced.
To prevent unnecessary excitement during the first meeting, Steve recommends draining the dogs' excess energy through structured exercise.
Both handlers should aim to maintain their dogs at a calm or low level of excitement throughout the introduction.
Instead of arranging a close and overwhelming encounter, it's beneficial to have the dogs walk together on the periphery of the humans. This approach helps desensitize the dogs to each other gradually.
Repeating this step multiple times aids in familiarizing the dogs with each other, emphasizing the importance of patience and avoiding rushing.
Walking with the dogs on the outside prevents overcrowding and fosters a sense of pack drive, signaling to the dogs that they are united in this experience.
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