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Dog Introductions

Video: A Fear Free Approach to Introducing Your Dog to a New Dog (Fear Free Happy Homes)

Video: Introducing Your Dog To Other Dogs On Walks (The Battersea Way)

 

Go slow. It’s far easier to take your time initially than it is to repair a broken relationship later.  Give both dogs plenty of choice, the ability to opt in or say no to further interaction. 

Plan ahead. You will need another person to handle the second dog, and you’ll need to have a coordinated plan before you start. Remember, you may also need a backup plan if the dogs don’t get along right away. This involves management; using baby gates and other barriers to keep dogs separated until they’re ready to try again. Be ready for this ahead of time, instead of scrambling if things don’t go well. 

Avoid conflict with a careful introduction. Here’s an outline of the process:

  • Outside on neutral territory:
    • Walk the dogs with separation; one dog following or side by side with plenty of distance. Avoid having the dogs approach directly face-to-face. Watch body language carefully for signs of stress/relaxation. Slowly decrease distance if the dogs appear comfortable with one another.
    • Keep the first close greeting (sniffing) BRIEF - 3 SECONDS. Count to three - one alligator, two alligators, three–, and move away. 
    • Take a short break. 
    • If dogs seem eager for another greeting, allow them to re-engage, and gradually increase duration of engagement with breaks in between.
    • Move with the dogs; if they circle, circle with them to avoid tangling leashes. Keep leashes slack!
  • Outside in the secure yard:
    • After the dogs are doing well on neutral territory, take the new dog into the backyard. Give him time to sniff and explore without the resident dog present.
    • Add the resident dog to the yard, starting with the dogs well apart. Let them see each other at a distance and have the choice to engage or not.
    • Allow them to approach at their pace. 
    • Keep the greeting BRIEF. Take a short break. Let them re-engage, and gradually increase duration with continued breaks. 
    • Having them harnessed and on leashes gives you a way to separate them if needed.
    • If things are going well, drop leashes to allow them further freedom to engage. 
  • Moving inside:
    • If the outdoor interactions were successful, take the new dog into the house. Give him time to sniff and explore without the resident dog present.
    • Reintroduce the dogs in an open area (avoid doorways and other pinch points). Keep harnesses and leashes on in case you need to separate the dogs quickly. 
    • Let dogs drag leashes for added safety.
  • Even if the dogs are getting along, limit their time together. 
    • Supervise closely especially during the initial decompression phase - we’re talking days, not minutes or hours.
    • Time apart should outweigh time together for the first 1-2 weeks, or longer if one dog needs more space than the other. 
    • Keep early play sessions short. Be prepared to intervene by separating the dogs using their leashes, a squeaker or rattling a treat bag.
    • If dogs are choosing to play, make frequent use of consent testing to ensure that both are having fun.
    • Separate them before over-arousal takes over and tempers flare. Remember, it’s hard being the guest, and it’s exhausting being the host. Too much togetherness creates tension and stress.

Additional Tips

Pay attention to pinch points and confined spaces. Doorways, narrow hallways, and tight spaces between furniture are common pinch points to avoid. Make sure dogs don’t gather or get stuck in these spots. Don’t corner dogs with your own body here, either. 

Be mindful about your body language. Dogs are astute readers of our emotions; peace, as well as poison travels down the leash. When introducing dogs, our body language can make or break the interaction. Relax. Take a deep breath, and let it out. Lower your shoulders, use a calm, quiet voice, keep movements steady. As they are engaging with each other, don’t hover. Take a step or two back, keep leashes slack. Breathe again. 

When there are multiple dogs, introduce them one at a time. Choose to introduce the dog you believe will be the easiest first. This may be the calmest dog, the one with a matching energy level, or a female/male combination.

For leash reactive dogs, an initial on leash greeting may not be possible. Many behave very differently on leash vs off. Lunging, barking and growling can be misinterpreted as “aggressive”,  and may trigger a negative response from the other dog. Taking leashes out of the mix may help a dog who struggles with reactivity. 

  • If possible, first introduce the dogs using protected contact through a fence or gate where the dogs can see each other. You could also use an x-pen or a baby gate though those options are not as secure. Note that some dogs are barrier reactive, so this will not work for them. 
  • Depending on the level of leash reactivity, you may be able to progress to parallel leash walking after meeting through a fence.
  • It can also help to first let the dogs get acquainted through scent. Give the reactive dog a chance to smell the scent of the other dog, e.g. sniffing where the other dog peed.
  • Introduce the dogs in a yard as described above. You may be able to have the reactive dog in a harness and dragging a leash/long line, which feels different to him than being restrained.

If they don’t get along at first:

  • Stop and use your backup plan. Just because it didn’t go well initially doesn’t mean that it never will. It takes time to build trust, which is the foundation of a good relationship.
  • Don’t raise your voice. Calmly move them to separate them to areas of the home. 
  • You may need to keep the dogs completely separate for a period of time (a few days, or longer).
  • Allow protected interactions such as seeing and sniffing each other through a baby gate, x-pen or crate.
  • Reward the dogs for calm, appropriate behavior with one another. 
    • When offering treats, do so with arms spread wide to avoid mouths in close proximity, even with the barrier. 
    • Carefully placed treat scatters can be helpful. Toss a small handful of treats behind one dog, then toss another small handful behind the second dog. 

Learn dog body language. Being able to read both dogs’ communication is key to intervening before things go south, allowing appropriate and friendly engagement, and keeping everyone safe. 

Additional Resources

Dog Body Language

Dog Play

Management

Dog Sociability is a Spectrum (PDF)

Copyright 2025, Jeanne Spreen and Angela Amundson. All rights reserved. Please ask us before reproducing in any way. Please link to the articles rather than copying content to your site. Thank you.

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