Introducing Dogs to Each Other Part Two

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Linkin and Brady started their meet 'n' greet the same as all dogs do; by sniffing each others butts around in a circle of constant movement. Brady fell madly in love with Linkin the moment Linkin decided he was okay. He seemed to be attached to Linkin's face, jumping and kissing him all over.

I was a little nervous at first, but tried not to show it, worried maybe Brady's over excited puppy behavior would annoy Linkin and cause him to react aggressively. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that Linkin seemed to have a lot of tolerance for this little puppy. Probably a result of our kitten mauling his face all the time while he tries to sleep.

Once things seemed to calm down between them, I was able to let Coal in as well and the three of them chased each other around the room, noses up butts.

The key things to remember when introducing dogs together are as follows;

• Take it slow, two dogs at a time until everyone is comfortable with one another

• Stay calm and assertive. Be close by in case you may need to step in to break up a fight or remind everyone of the rules.

• Before "throwing them together" let them sniff each other safely; in crates, on leashes, or with a fence between them.

• If anyone appears to be getting annoyed or uncomfortable, they need to be removed from the situation right away and placed in a "safe" environment (this is where crate training can come in handy).

• Never leave strange dogs together unsupervised!

There were a few moments I had to step in and separate dogs. Mostly because energies rose too high. When one dog gets too excited it seems to rub off on another, and before you know it it's a frenzy of teeth and fur! Stay close and pay attention to what everyone's doing!

The dogs learning how to play together, since Brady is still young and learning doggy communication skills and my two had never played with a dog so small before!