This weekend, I’ll be in good company with Josie, Alex, Sarris and Dozer. Relaxing in the morning.
Josie was the first one to arrive early in the morning. I was glad when her mom said that she took my advice and took Josie to the vet. The growth I pointed out on Josie’s last visit, according to the vet, needs to be monitored but so far there is nothing to be concerned about. I was so glad to hear that.
The second ones to arrive were Dozer and Sarris. It took them a couple of minutes to get settle, and this is what they looked like after they sniffed Alex and Josie. The novelty wore off for all of them in a matter of 5 to 10 minutes. When I introduce dogs to one another, I always take them for a walk, let them sniff each other during our walk and after about 40-60 minutes we come home.
Although that is my routine for introducing dogs to one another, I was not able to do it this time because it was raining very hard today. So, what did I do? I put all of them on a leash and allowed them to sniff each other while watching their body language: relaxed, curious, but calm. After a couple of minutes I removed their leashes and collars, as you can see in the picture, and they were off to sniff our kitchen while I was watching them. I do prefer to walk them as a way of introducing them to a new dog, but when the weather does not cooperate I have to improvise. Always, and this is very important, look at the body language of the dog. If he is tense, fixated on one dog, does not move, etc., chances are that he is ready to strike. My best recommendation is: if you are bringing a new dog home, go for a long walk with all of them, 40-60 minutes, and then go home. Living with dogs should not be stressful, but rather enjoyable and rewarding, but it’s up to you to make this happen. Enjoy your weekend with your pack.
AllMyCanineCompanions 
Nice post tthanks for sharing
Love these pics. We have a weekend guest here ourselves; a friend’s dog who is a female blue and white pit bull mix. She’s such a great dog! Very dog savvy and it has been great for our dog H to have a new dog in the house…good socializing work. 🙂 Your tips about introducing new dogs are fabulous. People so often overlook dog body language, and that can end in trouble, often with the wrong dog getting blamed for a spat. We also prefer to do introductions to dogs on a long walk…good exercise and also starts building those pack bonds!
Exactly. Two things that are often overlooked are: body language and walking as a pack. Body language is something we humans need to learn because dogs do signal each other prior to a fight, and we, humans, many times don’t know how to read those clues. The walk is extremely important because that is what a pack of wolves do in the wild. The walk makes us one pack, that is why I am a big advocate of it. Yes, a lot of times, the “aggressive” dog is not the one to blame. Dogs, just like us humans, have to have manners and if a dog does not know doggie manners, the other dog will correct him and this is the one labeled “aggressive.”
This picture is sooo darling. Josie is a little doll! So glad to find your blog! 🙂
Thanks:) Josie is very photogenic.
What do you do if you get an aggressive dog?
I do not take food/dog aggressive dogs. Prior to any pet parent leaving her dog with me, I do a meet and greet accompanied by Alex, my 11 year old dog, and after a short walk I can tell by the other dog’s body language whether or not he is aggressive or not. When it comes to food aggression, usually the pet parents tell me themselves, but I also carry treats and while we do the meet and greet I watch how they react to food.