Two dogs have gotten used to walking side by side, visiting each other’s yards, and interacting in a friendly manner. Both dogs offer instant recalls away from each other and back to their owners. The dogs appear to enjoy each other’s company and seem to play together without hostility or fear. The dogs appear to feel safe with each other outside their homes.
What’s next?
It’s time to invite one dog to visit the other dog’s house—inside! Here’s the plan:
Prepare beforehand by choosing as “neutral”—and large—a space inside the home as possible. Also:
- Remove all dog toys and dog chews from the area.
- Remove all food bowls and even water bowls, for now.
You want nothing in the room that could become a “bone of contention” for the dogs—no “personal” possessions of the dog who lives there. Why? You can guess that the visiting dog will be interested in toys or food bowls, and you don’t yet know how the resident dog will react. It’s far better to remove anything that might cause either dog to argue about possession.
Meet up at one dog’s house, but start from the sidewalk or street.
- One dog comes out of his house on leash with his owner while the other dog waits in neutral territory on leash with his owner.
- Take the two dogs on a short walk together.
- Return to the house. Let the dog whose house it is enter as he normally does, with his owner. The other dog waits outside. If it’s possible for the second dog to enter the familiar space of the fenced yard without going through the house, that’s good.
Ideally, allow the two dogs to play together in the escape-proof outside area as they have done in previous visits.
- Practice recalls away from the other dog.
- Wear the dogs out as much as possible!
Leash up the dogs again before they go inside.
- Avoid crowding or rushing through when you get to the door. One dog goes first, gets inside (leash still on, please), and is moved away from the door before the other dog enters. It’s entirely up to the owners to decide which dog goes first.
- Remember that the dog who lives in the house won’t have seen his buddy in this context before. You want this first indoor interaction to be as calm and as peaceful as possible. Neither dog should lose that feeling of safety.
Move both dogs into the indoor area.
- Don’t put them in a situation where they may feel crowded. Both dogs should have lots of space to retreat from each other if that’s what they want to do.
- Do not force any interactions! Allow the dogs to decide to approach each other or not.
- Allow the visiting dog to move around the area freely, still on leash, to explore the unfamiliar room. The dog may be far more interested in sniffing the floor and furniture than in interacting with his dog buddy at that point, while the dog buddy may well be ready to play.
- Give the visiting dog all the time he needs to explore without interference from the resident dog.
- This first visit should be short and sweet. Leave the leashes on.
The dogs may choose to interact. Do not allow the interactions to become too wild and crazy, even if the dogs appear to be enjoying themselves together. Each dog should still be willing to leave the other dog for an immediate recall, returning to his owner to “check in” before being allowed, as a reward, to return to play with the other dog. No matter how much fun the dogs seem to be having, don’t push your luck. Quit while you’re ahead and schedule another visit soon!
Give the dogs several visits at each home on their leashes before you attempt the visits off leash. Continue to move the dogs from the outside area into the house on leash, for safety’s sake.
- When you decide you’re ready to try it off leash, do that one dog at a time.
- The first dog to be off leash should probably be the visiting dog. I say that because the visiting dog is in an unfamiliar place and will be curious to have a look—or a sniff—around. The resident dog stays on leash to allow the visitor to explore without interference.
- When one dog seems comfortable and is still responsive to the owner off leash, it’s time to give the other dog a chance to be off leash, too. You may decide to leash up one dog while his buddy is free—that’s entirely up to you. Your goal is two dogs who feel safe together, so do what seems best to you to accomplish this ideal. You may back up to the previous steps anytime you feel there might be an issue. Even when they are off leash, never take your eyes off your dog!
Expand the area in which the two dogs are allowed together inside as seems appropriate. Add in short visits to the outside area. Again, leash up for ins and outs if you so choose.
Trade visits to each other’s houses regularly, so the dogs get used to being together in either place. Continue walking the dogs together before the inside visits and even after the inside visits, since that is an excellent way to take the edge off their eagerness for exercise and reduce the likelihood they will perform “dog zoomies” together in your home, endangering your breakables!
Once the two dogs have both experienced many successful short visits in each other’s home, consider the possibility that you might plan to have one owner leave his or her dog at the other dog’s house for a few minutes—step out to the car to get something, for example—to see how the dog reacts to the absence.
- In theory, leaving for very short amounts of time, then returning immediately, will help convince your dog that you will always “be right back.”
- Expand on the time the owner leaves—from a few minutes to fifteen minutes, from fifteen minutes to an hour—while the owner at the home keeps a close watch on the two dogs together.
- Again, in theory, the more times you leave, then return fairly soon, the more likely your dog will be not to fret about your absence. What you want is for your dog to concentrate on hanging with his buddy, not on the fact that his owner isn’t right there with him all the time.
These short visits during which the owner leaves briefly are the build-up to having your dog stay a few hours then, eventually, overnight at his doggy friend’s house. Yes, that’s right—you’re building a dog-sitting relationship with your friend and your friend’s dog. Imagine what your dog would choose: this long, slow, careful process of building confidence in another dog and another owner and another house . . . or being checked in for a weekend at a boarding kennel he had never seen before?
It takes time, it takes patience, it takes consideration—all of which you have!
Doggy friendships—and the human friendships that develop with fellow dog owners—can be a very important part of your dog’s life and your own. Not all dogs will get along, but, by taking it slowly and surely, you give your dog the best possible shot at developing friendships that will benefit him through his life. Take the time your dog needs to do it right. It will be rewarding to both of you!
