The fact that dogs are social beings does not necessarily mean that they have to get along with all the other members of their species. Conflicts often occur between dogs, either due to a lack of social skills, problems emitting or interpreting communication signals, overexcitement or poor management by the guardians when, for example, they insist or force the animals to interact with each other even when they don't want to or feel uncomfortable.
Of course, we all want our dogs to interact, play and socialize with other dogs, but first we must learn how they communicate with each other in order to identify when we should intervene or when it is best do nothing. In this article on our site we give you some keys to learn how to introduce two dogs and we tell you about some of the most frequent mistakes made by guardians in this context. Do not miss it!
Aspects to consider before introducing two dogs
Dogs are herd animals, which means that they need to socialize and interact with other individuals, including other members of their own species. However, introductions between two dogs do not always go well, as sometimes conflicts arise between them that can even end in a fight.
The first step in preventing such conflicts is Getting to know your dog very well, his temperament, preferences and social skills of the. This may be easier if you have been the one who has raised him since he was a puppy, but if you have adopted an adult dog or are considering doing so, it is important that you inform yourself as much as you can about his previous experiences. Early separation from the mother, lack of socialization, isolation, abuse, physical pain, altered hormonal status, traumatic experiences and even the genetics of the dog and its environment are some of the reasons why the dog may develop difficulties in communicating effectively with peers.
On the other hand, it is essential that, as a tutor, you learn to interpret the signs of tension that both your dog and the others emit dogs when they find themselves in an uncomfortable situation. Before starting a fight, dogs send messages to each other through their facial and body expression to alert each other and try to dissuade each other. Knowing how to identify these movements is very useful to be able to intervene if necessary and thus avoid conflict.
Some of the signs before a potential fight are as follows:
- Hard, staring gaze.
- Tensioned muscles.
- Immobility or very slow pace.
- Stiff and high tail.
- Head up and ears facing forward.
- Jaw clenched tight.
- Piloerection.
- Wrinkled snout showing teeth.
- Low growls.
If your dog has behavioral problems or you would like to understand and communicate better with him, a canine educator or ethologist can help you in this regard.
How to present two dogs on the street?
During walks with your dog it is normal for you to find other guardians walking with their dogs, which offers your furry the opportunity to socialize. Before starting any approach, you should pay attention to the body expression of both animals. Even if your dog is sociable and wants to say hello, you don't know if the other dog has the same desire to interact as yours, so the most sensible thing to do in case of doubt is to ask his guardian if you can get close to them
Even if I say yes, never force a direct approach if you see signs of tension, insecurity or fear in either dog or if they begin to desperately pull on the leash to get closer to the other individual. An approach that is too abrupt and invasive on the part of one of the animals can cause a lot of discomfort in the other and they may not be able to manage the situation well and react in an unwanted way. If your dog is very excited or nervous, continue the walk, let him sniff and explore the environment and wait for him to calm down before joining him with other dogs.
If the dogs are relaxed and both want to greet each other, you can approach calmly and try not to tighten the leash at any time The Dogs with good social skills and who do not want to start a conflict avoid direct eye contact and do not approach head-on, but instead take a short detour to the side of the other individual and thus begin to sniff their rear. The animal's level of arousal will determine the height and speed of its tail movement, but its facial expression will remain relaxed and friendly.
The best thing to do to end the interaction is wait for one of the dogs to decide to end it and continue with the walk. If neither seems willing to do so or you notice that they start to play with too much intensity, you can try to get your dog's attention and encourage him to approach you while you walk away. As much as possible, avoid pulling your dog off the leash, grabbing him or picking him up as a way to end the interaction.
How to introduce two dogs at home?
If what we want is to introduce a second dog at home or take our furry friend to someone else's house where one or more dogs already live, we must take into account a series of things when to introduce two dogs to get along. In the first place, the sudden invasion of a space that the dog considers to be his own can be a conflict trigger, especially if it is caused by an unknown dog or with whom he does not have a good previous relationship. To avoid this, dogs should be introduced on a leash beforehand in a neutral location, such as the street, a yard, or a park. Once the dogs have been able to greet and sniff each other, it is best to go for a walk together so you can get to know each other better and relax. At the end of the walk, they will go home together and, as a precaution, the invited dog will go in first and be given the opportunity to explore the space without the other animal present. Only when we see that both feel comfortable, we can release them and let them freely relate to each other. However, if when the time comes you still do not feel sure about the reaction they may have, the ideal is to have an auxiliary fence or gate installed at home that acts as a physical barrier between the animals, but that allows them to see and smell each other without trouble getting used to each other.
A fundamental point to keep in mind when we put two or more dogs in the same house is that in that environment there must always be more valuable resources than dogsThat is, we must place several independent beds and feeders, two or more separate waterers and a sufficient number of toys or entertainment so that the dogs do not feel the need to defend any resource or fight for access to it, since that the main reason for dispute in this context is the scarcity of these resources.
These techniques are used to introduce two male dogs as well as two female dogs or a male and a female. Once the presentation has been made, we recommend you consult our article on How to introduce a second dog at home to find out the rest of the things to take into account.
Frequent errors during the presentation of two dogs
On many occasions, a fight between two dogs has its origin in poor management on the part of the guardian and not in a real problem between the animals themselves, because, unwittingly, it is possible that our way of act, our movements or our words trigger an unwanted conflict between the dogs.
Here are some common mistakes that can trigger a dog fight:
- Show nervous If your dog has shown reactive behaviors in the past, problems when interacting with other dogs or has been seen previously involved in a fight, it is normal to be afraid that it will happen again. This insecurity on your part can cause you to act strange and tense when other dogs approach yours. Sweating, holding the leash more tightly or changing the pace of the walk and the tone of voice are signs that your dog can easily detect and that can put him on alert, causing him to react even more intensely.
- Tighten the leash On many occasions, when a tutor does not feel safe about the reaction that some of the animals may have during a presentation, he tends to keep the leash taut and yank his dog away from the other. What many people do not know is that the tension in the leash is one of the main triggers of a fight between two dogs that are tied, since it does not allow them to interact with freedom of movement and generates a lot of communicative interference. The situation worsens if the dog wears a punishment collar or some uncomfortable restraint such as the nose hitch.
- Release the dog without having a good call When you walk with your dog loose it is important that you take him through a clear area where do not pass tied dogs or that you have very well trained the exercise of the call to prevent your dog from approaching another that is wearing its leash. Although your furry friend is sociable, you don't know if the other dogs are or if they are training with their guardians, so you must prevent them from running towards them or invading their space. Discover How to teach a dog to come to the call if you have not yet trained it.
- Abusing the dog park The important thing when socializing your dog is the quality of the interactions and not the quantity of these. Taking your dog to a pipicán or dog park every day can end up being counterproductive, since this is a limited space where a huge number of dogs of different ages, sizes and temperaments come together and, in addition, they tend to crowd into the door of the enclosure to greet everyone who enters in an invasive way. As a consequence, in these places there is sometimes a lot of tension between the dogs and it is easy for one of them to end up "exploding" and starting a fight, which the others can join.
- Overprotecting the dog Something that happens very often, especially with small dogs, is that the guardians fear that other dogs can harm and tend to pick up their furry ones or to separate them abruptly from other animals to avoid interaction. By doing this, the dog can learn that other dogs are a threat and is likely to develop behavior problems derived from fear and insecurity.
- Introduce the new dog all at once On many occasions, probably due to lack of information, there is a tendency to introduce the new puppy all at once, without prior presentation or making an improper presentation. As we have seen, when we adopt a new dog and already live with one, it is essential to make an initial introduction in a neutral territory for both in order to avoid a dispute. This is especially important when the new member is a puppy, since, in addition to affecting his relationship with his partner, it influences his socialization. If you want to introduce two dogs that are going to live together, remember to follow the steps in the previous section to achieve a good coexistence.
