I'm moving, my roommate has a dog, I have a dog...how do I introduce them?

Question

The best thing I ever did: I had a dog (#1) then I adopted my current dog(#2)..what I did was let 1 in the backyard and distracted him by knocking on the back door...then I secretly let 2 out the other door in the backyard...then I just watched from a window! they were great together! 2 is prone to agression, but with 1 he was fine. Do you think this will work with my roommates dog? Her dog is agressive...but only in a sense that her "bark is worse than the bite"...my dog just bites...no barking.

The weird thing is he does FINE at the vet! Would this be a good idea or should I do the whole "meet at a park in neutral ground"?

one more thing, both dogs are the same size, moving into roommates house so her dog has dominance...her dog is a female, mine is a male.

Answer 1

You should try to introduce them when they are both leashed. The park would be a good place. Maybe have them meet up to play at the park a couple of times before you move. Does your roommate already live in the place you're moving to or are you both moving to a new place? Keep in mind that the dogs may be territorial, especially if one of them has already lived there for awhile. I'd ask a vet for more advice, but it seems like a good idea to introduce them when they are both on leashes and you and your roommate can pull them apart if necessary so nobody gets hurt too badly if things go wrong.

Answer 2

It doesn't matter where they first meet, they will like or dislike each other no matter what. I have a heeler and pit bull and they are both pups and are growing up with each other. Maybe depending on how your roomies dog is aggressive with other innocent bistanders may depend on how your dogs' will be when they meet the other one. They may fight the first time but not the second. I would take your dogs on a long walk to get them a little exhausted before meeting the new one and have the roomie exhaust his/her dog as well. Dogs are usually more 'casual' for anything is they aren't so full of energy. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Many dogs live peacefully with other animals, such as cats, rabbits, birds, and rodents. Not all dogs, however, are suited for a multi-species household. Introducing a dog to a small animal is potentially risky and needs to be planned carefully.

You can be more confident that a dog will accept other animals in the home if the dog has lived with other animals in the past. Puppies who were raised with cats or other small pets are much less likely to prey on them. For instance, if your puppy grows up with rabbits, as an adult he will be less likely than a dog who did not grow up with them to chase and kill a rabbit. However, some dogs will learn to accept a particular rabbit, but not other rabbits. There are also dogs who are completely trustworthy with the family cat, but would chase and kill any other cat.

Warning Signs
Watch for certain behaviors in the dog that indicate he might not be compatible with small animals:
- The dog has killed another animal.
- The dog is aggressively possessive over food, toys, chew bones, or even the water bowl. - When on walks, the dog is obsessed with chasing squirrels, rats or rabbits.
- When excited, the dog becomes unruly, uncontrollable, and doesn’t listen.
- When on walks, the dog stares intently at other animals, and perhaps even stalks them.

Introduce Gradually
For introductions, the general rule is to proceed slowly! Enlist the assistance of a family member or friend so there is a person to control each animal in the room. If you don’t have someone to help, confine the small pet (cat or other small pet) in a cage or behind a secure gate. Have the dog on a 4- or 6-foot leash. Have tasty treats (chicken, liver, cheese, etc.) for the dog within reach. Practice each step for a minimum of 10-15 minutes. Remain at this level until the dog is able to stay relaxed and focused on you for at least five minutes at a time. If the dog is unable to remain calm do not progress to the next step.

1. Have the small pet settled in one room, at the far end from the door, attended by your assistant. Bring the dog in the room and remain by the door. Sit down on the floor with the dog and engage the dog to interact with you. Ask the dog to sit, stay down, and any other commands he might know. Keep his interest. Praise him for paying attention to you. Stroke him if this helps him to relax. If the dog is more interested in the other pet and will not attend to you, use treats to entice the dog to turn away from the pet to face you.

2. With the dog paying attention to you, have your assistant entice your small pet to walk a few feet back and forth. If the pet will not move willingly, the assistant can support the animal comfortably and hold him just above the floor. Move the animal a short distance. Permit the dog to look, and then try to redirect the dog back onto you. Use treats if necessary. Help the dog to stay calm and relaxed, even while watching the pet move about.

3. Move the dog one to two feet closer to the pet. See that the dog stays calm for five minutes, and then have the pet move around a bit. The dog should look at the pet while remaining calm, and then, turn and listen to you while you talk to him. Praise and/or offer him a treat. Allow the dog to look at the pet again and gain his attention back to you. Continue until the dog is comfortable looking at the pet and looking back at you, all the while remaining calm and controlled.

4. If possible, allow the pet to move freely about the room. Do not do this if the pet is inclined to approach you. Can the dog still remain calm and relaxed? Can the dog see the animal moving about and still switch his attention back to you? If so, great! If not, stay at the previous step longer. If, at any time, the pet attempts to approach within the dog’s range, have the assistant move the pet away. To be safe, you do not want the dog and pet sniffing for the first time while the dog is sitting or lying next to you, especially if he knows there are treats nearby.

5. Stand up and allow the dog to move to the end of his leash. Continue to speak to him intermittently to be sure he will pay attention to you. If the pet approaches the dog, allow them to sniff noses. Keep the dog’s leash loose so he doesn’t feel that he is restrained. However, be very vigilant because if the dog lunges at the animal, you need to be close enough to pull the dog away before contact is made. If the other pet is so small or fragile, and/or the dog so large or powerful that the dog could kill it or inflict serious damage with one bite, have the dog wear a muzzle when they first meet. While the dog is sniffing the pet, call him to you. If he turns and comes away from the pet, fabulous! If he needs a bit of coaxing, that’s okay--as long as he is able to focus on you once you get his attention. If the dog becomes totally engrossed in the animal and won’t come away, then go back to a previous step and work at that level a bit longer before trying this step again.

6. The final step is to allow the animals to interact more freely. Begin with short periods of time together, especially after the dog has been well exercised. Keep a close eye on the dog. To be absolutely risk-free, muzzle the dog until you are confident that he will not harm the other pet. As you gain more confidence, give the animals more time together. Make sure there are plenty of escape routes and safety refuges for the small pet, such as kitty condos, shelves and areas behind furniture to which the dog cannot reach.

7. We’ve heard numerous anecdotes of dogs who were fine with a small pet until the animals were left alone together. We recommend that you keep the dog crated or otherwise confined away from the other pet during your absences. It is not sufficient to keep the small pet caged and the dog loose. The dog could harass and frighten the pet, or even break into the cage.

Answer 4

I LOVE animals! I'm a pet person. okay, you're roomate has a dog that's aggressive and you have a dog that's aggressive. you might want to keep them from each other for a little while, but on the other hand, just give them time, they living together, they are going to have to get used to each other, and they will, trust me i know, I have a cat, and my sister has a dog, the cat used to beat up the dog, cause the dog aint got no meanness in her at all! but now, they are best budds, they play together, and no they didn't grow up together.

Answer 5

Meeting at the park is probably the best thing. Unlike cats, dogs are pack animals. Another thing you can do- and I've seen this time and again in various animal-care magazines- is bring your dogs something with the new dog's scent on it so they won't be caught by surprise.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Meeting on neutral ground is the way to do it! I don't know if you have ever hear of the Dog Whisperer on National Geographic channel, but he is incredible. He also has a book out Cesar's Way. Check it out!

Answer 7

put them both on leashes and slowly walk toward the other dog. let them get to know each other while still on the leashes. if they seem to be fine then take one of the leash. if they react well with doing that then take off the others leash. if none of this works contact the dog whisperer. lol

Answer 8

Look at Cesar Milan The Dog Whisperer's website.http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/dpc.php He is awesome. Maybe there's something on there that can help.

Answer 9

This is what I did when I got my puppy. I had them all (total of three) in the kitchen blocked off so it was easy supervision. If someone got too snippy, then I let them out of the kitchen for a moment or two, then put them back in for another try.

Answer 10

Dogs are one of the few animals that will introduce themselves to each other. They will simply sniff each others butts and bam! They are introduced....Now...If one of the dogs dislikes the other dogs scent...could be a fight.