Most dogs like to make friends with other dogs. As pack animals, when dogs meet one another they immediately check each other out through sniffing and body language, to establish their pecking order. This is best accomplished by giving the dogs plenty of space.
When the aspect of protecting one’s territory comes into play, even the friendliest dog may behave uncharacteristically. That’s why the best way to introduce dogs to one another is on neutral territory. What this means is that it’s best not to invite a new dog friend over and have them enter your front door or yard until after the dogs already know each other.
A better idea is to take your dog out for a short walk in your neighborhood a few minutes before the canine friend is expected. A little exercise and sniffing will help tone down your pet’s initial excitement about being out for a walk on the leash.
When the friend arrives, introduce the two on leashes in neutral territory, such as out in the street or sidewalk of your neighborhood. Be sure to act relaxed (after all this is a friend), keep their collars loose and try not to let their leashes get tangled with one another.
Most dogs will do a little sniffing and shouldering of one another, and will then be ready to play. Ideally, if you have a fenced yard you can then walk them there and take their leashes off to play freely together.
After burning off some energy, marking their territories a bit and running free, most dogs will be just fine about heading inside the house with their new friend.
If the dogs don’t seem to get along right away, some obedience work can go a long way toward ironing things out. You and your friend can take the dogs for a walk side by side so they can coexist together without focusing directly on one another. After a while of walking, each person should work their dog through some basic commands, such as “sit” and “stay.” Chances are, after doing some of these exercises your dogs will likely be ready to be reintroduced and will probably get along much better.
Of course, if your dog displays aggressive behavior such as snarling, snapping, or growling, you may need to work with a knowledgeable trainer to solve the problem.
For the most part, dogs like to have friends just like people do. By taking some steps to introduce them correctly, you and your dog are likely to enjoy play dates and friends together without problems.
