Help Introducing/Integrating Dogs

S

StormeSixx

New member
Good day, everyone,

First of all, I hope this is the correct forum to pose this sort of question. I have been looking everywhere for answers and guidance because it’s been weighing on my mind a lot. My apologies if this is not the place, even for this Off Topic board. (Any directions to the correct sort of forum will be greatly appreciated, though.) It’s a bit to explain so, please bear with me.

SITUATION 1: We had two dogs – littermates. We lost one very suddenly about a month ago and her sister hasn’t been herself since. She is mopey sometimes, she’s barkier when we go on walks – more so than usual, sometimes she won’t eat but one meal. I know she’s grieving. We are too. Still. We are trying very hard not to upset her world anymore than it already has been but …

SITUATION 2: My brother is in the hospital. My husband and I have been going over to feed his dogs twice a day. However, it is turning out that my brother will be in the hospital for an extended period now and I can’t see leaving his two dogs at the house by themselves for mostly 24/7. Due to work schedules, they get maybe an hour of human contact a day and I feel really bad for them. So, we thought we could bring them to stay with us. This led to …

SITUATION 3: The weekend before Thanksgiving, we tried to introduce our dog to them, starting with the smaller of my brother’s two dogs – another female. This took place in his front yard. From a distance, you had the usual barking but no one had any raised hackles, tails were up and wagging, and they both looked interested/curious. I was walking our dog and my husband was walking my brother’s dog. They stopped barking as we walked closer. However, when we got within about three feet of each other, my brother’s dog snarled and lunged at my dog. This led my dog to completely turn and started to walk away. She was done. We swapped with the second dog (bigger and male) but my dog was not interested to try. She kept turning away and would lean up against the back of my legs. We didn’t try again until the next day. We started with the male dog this time. No barking and my dog was actually pulling to go towards him and my husband but when we got closer (maybe 30 - 50 feet away), she changed her mind. Again, she turned away. We walked them round and round a parking lot. The male dog was curious about her and wanted to meet her but my dog wouldn’t even look his way.

We have never seen her act like that before but she’s also never been lunged at before. At least, not in our presence. She’s never had to fend for herself. Her big sister was always there to protect her and scare away anyone else. Now, her big sister is gone and we’re trying to introduce her to two strange dogs. The earliest we can try the introduction again is mid-December because my dog just had surgery. In the meantime, I’ve been scouring the internet on how to introduce/integrate them without (more) drama/trauma. My priority is my dog, of course. We are very aware that she is probably still grieving her sister so we don’t want to add more turmoil to Situation 1 for her but, due to Situation 2, we also want to do right for my brother’s dogs. Hopefully, without a repeat of Situation 3.

Is there something else we can do or try? Do we need to have professional help? (e.g., a trainer to help introduce/integrate/facilitate)? Any guidance/insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!
 
First I like to say hope your brother feels better and second sorry for your loss.

Introductions are sometimes tricky especially when we are observing some type of aggression. Normally when we are observing argo with intros it’s usually related to fear, anxiety or both. I would have to get more history on all dogs and it’s always easier to observe the dogs to get a better read (hiring a pro would help).

The way I do intros with unfamiliar dogs is usually putting the calmer dog in front and walking and have the other dog back far enough where they both are not reacting. I would walk them and communicate to them using basic obedience. Reading body language as I would try and get back dog to get closer and take a quick sniff and out and reinforce if that goes well (we can feed feed front dog as back dog takes a quick sniff) . If one or both dogs are leash reactive we have to back up and do a few sessions of walks under threshold so they can learn there is no threat (just walks from distance). Here we can add some DS/CC desensitization and counter conditioning techniques which might help change the CER of the Reactive’s dogs. (Conditioned emotional responses) I’ll add a link to explain this further.

If this does not go well we can also introduce muzzles and desensitizing the tool where dogs wear them like a collar. Dogs act totally different on leash than off because of fight and flight. Doing intros and all these techniques with muzzles is best for safety because the first correction with unfamiliar dogs are the scary. We don’t know what level the first correction will be from each dog. We can get an idea from a history report on any bite inhibition.

My third approach will be letting the dogs live in the same house with baby gates or separated by floors or rooms. Managing the environment where no dogs can jump gates or get to each other. This sometimes teaches the dogs that there is no threat. Then reading body language we can gauge how to raise the criteria with all these approaches. For example taking a sniff through a gate

Getting a professional in can help because they can read all the dogs and help with the protocols.

Just remember not all dogs necessarily like other dogs or need friends.

How old is your dog? Have any of these dogs been with unfamiliar dogs on leash and off leash before?

Welcome to forum :)
 
Wow, Vinny, thanks so much for your detailed response (and your kind wishes.) I have some reading to do, it looks like. My dog is 11 and she’s foxhound-ish. We used to bring our dogs to doggy day care and the report is they bark their heads off upon entering the play area and then they dive right in. (They’ve always been loud dogs and have to announce themselves wherever they went.) They, apparently, got along great with another pair (males) who used to go on the same days. Little sister has always been the more timid one, I think. Like I said, her big sister was always her protector. I remember walking them when they were 1.5 – 2 years old and a Great Dane charged out of an open garage and knocked little sister and my husband down. Big sister was beside herself, wanting to rush over to tear into the Great Dane. Thankfully, we were far enough away and I was able to hang on to her so there was no altercation. (It seems, according to one of your resources, this encounter with the Great Dane could make a dog leash reactive but she’s had other non-volatile interactions while leashed – obedience class, PetSmart, vet. So, I’m not sure I understand her turning away after being snapped at other than being intimidated.)

I know one of my brother’s dogs (the female) is 6 and the male may be like 4 or 5. Both my brother’s dogs are pitbulls. We’ve known/played with them since they were puppies and they’re both very sweet dogs. I know he used to take them to doggy day care too but later found out they weren’t allowed to play with the other dogs because the doggy day care’s insurance doesn’t allow pitbulls. They were always segregated and my brother stopped doggy day care after that. I don’t know if he tried somewhere else. Other than that, we don’t know how they are with other people or other dogs. They behave at the vet.
 
In my experience one incident can make a dog leash reactive because they understand they are on leash and it takes away the flight option. Some dogs also learn on leash if they bark the other dog leaves, because owner usually gets them out of the situation therefore the behavior works. Dogs are reactive on leash for a few reasons etc. a frustrated greeter, fear or true aggression. I would say most leash reactive dogs are fearful and anxious.

As for your dog turning away that can be an appeasement jester letting the other dog know she is no threat. A calming signal like an averted gaze. It’s a great tool to learn some basic body language.

From the history it seems like you might get them to live amongst each other with some work. Always go slow and steady and trust your gut. Try some of the suggestions on this thread and see how it goes.

Always feel free to ask...
 
Thanks again for your guidance, Vinny. While my dog is healing from her surgery, we'll be studying the resources you provide so we can try the intro again. I think Try #2 with the male dog worked better so the next time we try, we'll start with him and switch off on who is in front of the walk. We have a lot to think about and plan. Thanks bunches!
 
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