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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Ev lives the Lower Mainland of Beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she has been training dogs since 1969. She is experienced in many methods including clicker and motivational training. Ev is an original Superdog Performance Team member and her own dogs have travelled and performed with the Canadian SuperDogs since 1984. She has also served as an A.A.C. judge ans is an original Member/Trainer with the Dogwood Pacesetters Agility Club.
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8/8/2005
We have owned a rescue dog since 12/04. She is spayed ShihTzu/Cocker mix. She is about 8 years old as close as a vet could tell. We want to get another little dog & want to know the best way to introduce our dog to one at a shelter that we are going to visit. The dog we are going to see is a 4 year old, neutered, Lhasa Apsa (sp?) crossed with a Poodle. We very much want another small dog, but the last time we went to see a ShihTzu (she was deaf) our dog curled her lip & snarled. We wondered if our dog sensed there was a health problem or do we just have her so spoiled, she will never adapt to having another dog in the house. Our dog was always around other dogs before at the rescue. She doesn't growl or curl her lip at other dogs in the neighborhood when we walk & they meet. We need to know the best way to introduce our dog to a prospective new one. Thanks.... Karen in NYS (Karie1943, New York)
For a little more insight to what you 'may' be dealing with; small breeds can get cranky with age and some small breeds age faster than others with regards to this attitude. It is possible that your female rescue may never take to a second dog in the household but you can certainly try if that is the direction you have decided to take.
- Definitely go 'opposite sex' as your chances are better that the two dogs will get-along.
- Try not to aim for an elderly dog or a puppy - you want to acquire a dog that is old enough to have some basic manners and respect for other animals - but not too old that they too, are getting cranky and want to be left alone
- Always introduce both dogs while they are contained (either within a fenced or caged area or on-leash)
- Do Not coddle - this is an overwhelming response with 'owners' of small breeds.
- Most owners feel because of the dog's smaller size that they need to be treated delicately or with lots of hands-on or holding - WRONG.
- Dogs should be introduced on the ground like a dog and with a set of rules already established for the Introduction [e.g. lifting lips, growling, charging, barking, etc is reprimanded with a low voice-tone and firm command of "NICE!" or "WRONG!" whereas positive behaviour like wagging tails, elbows down to the ground or excitable spins on the leash are rewarded with a happy voice-tone of "Good Dog ... Play Nice... good nice."]
- Try to keep any leash used - slack. Do Not tighten on the leash when approaching the other dog for introductions as this will be felt, by the dog, as a sign of 'caution' and will initiate a negative behaviour.
If at all possible, allow the dogs to play on either side of a fence in a small area away from you but within supervised distance [e.g. 2 kennel runs, side-by-side]. A lot of dogs tend to go into 'protection mode' when the owners are standing beside them when introduced to another dog.
Another idea is to ask a professional Trainer or Behaviourist to accompany you when you wish to introduce your dog to another. A hands-on approach will better assist you on how best to handle any given situation that can not be guessed at in an email.
It is also possible that any health problems or handicaps (like deafness or blind in one eye) can be detected by your dog and rejected for that exact same reason, so I would not evaluate your dog based on that one incident.
I find that the whole environment of a shelter, can throw dogs off - making them nervous or excitable and just not themselves so it is not the best place to do any type of introductions. Ask that a professional take the dog out either on a leash, outside for a walk with you or placed in a kennel run outside where the dogs can meet on neutral ground.
There's not much else I can help you with via the written word so I wish you luck and suggest you seek out a trainer/behaviourist that is close-by for more personal advice.
Canine Caretaker Training/Consulting
http://www.k9care.ca
"United We Stand."
http://www.standunited.ca
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