Wednesday, May 25, 2011

How to introduce dogs


It drives me nuts when people want to stick their dogs in Tinky-Winky's face so they can "make friends." That's not how dogs make friends. This, on the other hand, with a fence between them, is perfect. Now they have no choice but to be polite. Well, they can walk away, I suppose, but most dogs are curious about other dogs. So they sniff noses through the fence for a while, then she pees on her side of the fence and walks away. It's like people leaving their card. If they meet outside the fence now, they're properly introduced. They might not become "friends", but at least they're starting off on the right foot.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm, unless the dog on the other side of the fence happens to be a 140-pound rottweiler with major barrier frustration. This kind of introduction will just result in a lot of noise and a dangerously leaning fence that will need to be replaced a few years earlier than originally planned.

Or maybe that was just my experience. Heh.

I always appreciate it when other dog owners ask if their dog can approach my dogs, because then I can tell them my Shiba's NOT interested in making friends, rather than letting them find out for themselves when he snaps at their way-too-friendly dog's face.

Mongoose said...

I've never had that problem. They sniff noses, each pees on its side of the fence, then they're good.

My shiba is interested in knowing other dogs, she's just not comfortable with their pushiness. So she's happy to sniff noses or sniff their trail after they've walked by, and then work up to something more intense.