dog behavior training

Dogs are naturally sociable, and if encouraged to socialize with other dogs from early in life, they will not normally develop problematic behaviour. There are exceptions, one of the most common being the natural instinct of rivalry between the same sex of the same breed, for example female German Shepherds, even though there isn’t a male in sight! This type of exception is normal and generally you just avoid putting them together if they haven’t been together from an early age. The terrier groups of dog generally tend to be more difficult with other dogs.

It is natural for dogs to enjoy rough knockabouts and play-biting with other dogs. Normally this shouldn’t be stopped unless there are signs of more serious biting developing, in which case the dogs should be separated quickly.

Problems tend to arise with older dogs that have not had as much contact with other dogs as perhaps they should. In these cases their territorial instincts often cause them to try and dominate the other dog. The territory in question could be your house, their own “space” or in some circumstances, you. These situations can often involve other factors. They can in most cases be overcome through repeating the experience, observing and carrying out appropriate training based on understanding the whole context. However, if you are watching the dogs as they approach each other, signs of one or both taking dominant postures should alert you to possibilities that you can head off before they develop.

If your dog continuously barks when in the presence of other dogs, in most circumstances a standard training command should stop it. If it continues, over time you will know your dog better and find the right reaction; actually simulating a bark yourself at your dog has been known to work, despite the strange looks it can attract!

Pulling on the leash is a common trait when sighting another dog. The most effective response, as with most leash pulling, is to stop for a few minutes, and if necessary make the dog sit or even lie down before moving on. Repeating this, even if every few steps and many times if necessary, will normally get the message across.

I’ll return to other aspects of socializing dogs in future posts.

Introducing a second dog into your home needs a little care. Initially, in almost all cases, your first dog, as the current incumbent, will make sure that he or she is higher in the pack hierarchy than the “intruder” into the territory. This is perfectly normal and the new dog and you as the owner (and as the alpha) should both be able to get along with it until things settle down.

Some behaviors from your original dog may include fighting, some rough and tumble, possibly taking everything the new dog shows an interest in, including food, and all forms of dominating behaviors such as trying to stand over the new arrival at every opportunity while it establishes the pecking order, or nestling alongside it then when looked at, the first dog deliberately looks away, to signify its superiority.

It is unlikely that the new dog will react too strongly to any of this. Any prospective second dog that takes a prolonged and/or violent exception to this is going to give you problems and you might wish to reconsider your plan in some instances if the dog behavior training actions described below are also clearly failing.

The actions you should take to help ease the new introduction include:

• Separate the dogs for a little while, e.g. in different rooms. They will each know the other is there through their sense of smell. This gives them space and a little time to acclimatise to the new situation.
• Treat both dogs equally when they do meet. Favour neither of them over the other and this sends them both the right signals both immediately and for the short-term while they get used to each other.
• Take them separately for walks if necessary for a short period, observing the same practice with each while the other can see how his “rival” is treated.
• Use separate bowls of food and water for each dog, but give your original dog hers first, reinforcing her position.

By following the above guidelines, after a relatively short time they will settle into a routine and any competition that occurs will be relatively minor as they sort it out between themselves. It is advisable not to leave them both together unobserved for a little while, so that any friction doesn’t escalate but generally, don’t get involved or over-react unless there is a very clear problem. Eventually, they’ll become friendly with each other and even though their rank in their own hierarchy might change over time, the preparation outlined above will normally work well.