When someone volunteers to foster a dog, one of her very first questions is always going to be, “Does this pet dog get along with other dogs?”
Sometimes the response to this question isn’t known since the pet dog hasn’t been provided the possibility to interact with other dogs under proper settings.
The problem is, when a pet dog is taken from a pound atmosphere or a shelter environment, he is going to be stressed as well as full of pent-up physical, emotional as well as mental energy. If you remove him from this atmosphere as well as place him directly in front of one more dog, there is a pretty great possibility there will be at least some growling from one or both dogs. adding tense leashes as well as tense people to the situation is a sure set-up for failure!
But this is precisely exactly how many dogs in need of foster homes meet other dogs!
Since I’ve had my fair share of foster animals as well as other four-legged guests at our house, I’ve learned that it’s always best to take introductions very slowly. For many dogs, there is not a black-and-white response to the question of “Does he get along with other dogs?” It just depends on the energy of each situation.
So what can a volunteer do if she is thinking about fostering a dog? right here are some suggestions.
How to introduce my foster pet dog to my own dog
1. get as much info as you can about the potential foster dog.
The very first step is to get some feedback from the people who have interacted with the potential foster pet dog the most. Does he growl at other dogs near his pen? What does he do when he sees other dogs during walks? has he had the possibility to walk with or play with other dogs in a controlled setting? exactly how has he done at adoption events? has he lived with other dogs before?
You likewise want to think about a pet dog that is going to compliment the energy as well as personality of your own dog. For example, my pet dog is pretty laid back, so he doesn’t like when I bring house a hyper, young dog. He prefers to hang out with much more mellow, older dogs.
2. Take the potential foster pet dog for a walk before you choose to bring him home.
Take some time to get to know the pet dog you are interested in fostering by going for a long walk. Make sure to observe exactly how he communicates with other dogs you occur to pass.
This preliminary walk will provide the two of you a possibility to begin forming a bond without the distraction of your other animals. because dogs are so scent oriented, the potential foster pet dog will smell your animals on you as well as begin to associate them with you. When you get home, your animals will smell the potential foster pet dog as well. just think of yourself as the messenger. who knows what kinds of info dogs learn by smelling one more pet dog on a human, however clearly they should learn something!
3. Take the potential foster pet dog as well as your own pet dog for several walks together.
Bring a buddy along to manage one of the dogs. There’s no need to let the dogs sniff one one more best away. Do your best to prevent head-on greetings or prolonged eye get in touch with between the dogs. wait outside with your own pet dog while someone brings the potential foster pet dog out. Don’t have them meet in a small, crowded room.
Walk the dogs side-by-side as well as then one in front of the other so they can get used to walking as a pack. They can smell one one more from a distance just fine. If all goes well, let them interact a bit at the end of the walk. The walk doesn’t have to be very long. even 10 minutes or so would be fine. Obviously, the longer the better. walk for a half-hour or much more if you can.
Return as well as repeat this walking step two or three much more times before bringing the potential foster pet dog home. Doing so will assist the dogs associate something positive with each other – fun walks!
4. use a infant entrance to produce non-stressful separation between the dogs.
When you do choose to bring the foster pet dog home, don’t put both dogs loose in your vehicle together. Take your pet dog house very first or put them both in kennels if there’s room. Or have your buddy take one of the dogs in her car.
Once you get home, this is a fantastic time to take both dogs for one more long walk with the assist of a friend. I’m talking about a great 45-minute walk or longer. Bring house your foster pet dog on a weekend or during a time when you will have at least two full days off from work.
After the walk, put the foster pet dog in a bedroom or other small area with the door open as well as a infant entrance as a barrier. Kennels as well as closed doors typically produce aggravation as well as anxiety, however a entrance will enable the dogs to interact safely.
The entrance will enable your local animals to technique the foster dog, however it will enable for some safety if one of the dogs chooses to snap. Of course, make sure to supervise as well as distract either or both dogs if there is any type of tension such as raised hackles, staring or frozen body positions.
The infant entrance is likewise a safe way to let local cats remain free, however once again, you want to make sure to supervise just in situation the foster is able to jump the entrance or knock it down. as well as additional curious as well as brave cats will not hesitate to jump best over the entrance to greet the newcomer. So use typical sense.
5. let the foster pet dog roam around with his leash on.
If all goes well after a day or two of the entrance stage, it’s ok to let the dogs interact without the gate, however keep the foster pet dog on a leash. You do not want the foster pet dog running all over the home exploring as well as sniffing every corner, claiming everything. For one, this is an open invitation for accidents or marking. however it’s likewise going to boost the energy levels of all the animals as well as might result in a fight.
I typically keep the foster pet dog “tethered” to me for at least a day until I know much more about the dog. Is he housebroken? Does he mark in the house? Is he ok with my cats? Possessive over toys? The leash is typically around my waist or ankle or looped under a nearby chair or table.
6. let the dogs interact without leashes.
After a day or two of interacting with leashes on, provide the dogs some supervised time together off leash. I still would not provide the foster pet dog full flexibility of the home for a few much more days. flexibility is a privilege. You may want to use the infant entrance once again to block the stairway so the foster pet dog can’t get upstairs. At the very least, keep all your bedroom doors closed. It ought to be a privilege to go into specific areas of the house. For example, don’t enable the foster pet dog on your bed quite yet (if ever!).
7. continue to use typical sense as well as keep your cat’s safety in mind, too.
Always keep the foster pet dog confined to a single room or a kennel when you are not home. This is for the safety of all animals. keep two barriers between the dogs such as a kennel and a closed door since it is relatively typical for a pet dog to bust out of his kennel. I’ve had several pitbull-type dogs use their huge heads to push or bend the kennel doors open within seconds. Impressive, I know! This might be a very hazardous situation if the two dogs do not get along.
If you have cats, you ought to have three barriers between them as well as the foster dog. For example, put the cats in one bedroom with the door closed as well as put the foster pet dog in his kennel in one more bedroom with the door closed. My very first foster pet dog busted out of her kennel as well as proceeded to tear apart my bedroom door frame. My feline was loose in my apartment or condo on the other side of that door. Luckily, this pet dog was friendly as well as had no objective of hurting my cat. however that is not always the case, as well as I’ve heard some very sad stories. Fostering teaches some difficult lessons sometimes.
8. go back to previous steps, if needed.
If there are any type of problems during any type of of these steps, revert back to the previous steps. This ought to assist set your foster pet dog up for success at your home as well as a “good with other dogs” status on his adoption profile.
Make sure you are unwinded when interacting with the dogs. If you are tense as well as concerned about a fight all the time, that will not assist the dogs relax. keep the dogs well exercised as well as calm, as well as chances are whatever will go just fine. pretty soon your foster pet dog as well as your own pet dog will be napping on the couch together.
9. Take it slowly with every new pet dog the foster pet dog meets.
Just since the foster pet dog gets along with your pet dog doesn’t imply he will get along with all dogs. Every situation is different. It’s always much better to take it slowly as well as set the dogs up for success rather than rush these kinds of interactions.
10. Take precautions if a dogfight does occur.
If a small scuffle or a full-on fight does happen, try not to freak out. These things happen. typically a loud “Hey!” will stop the fight instantly so you can re-gain control. never throw yourself between the two dogs or try to pull them apart with your hands. never bend down as well as put your face at their level. Instead, use something else to get their attention. try throwing a blanket over one of the dogs, squeaking a loud toy or even throwing water onthem. A strong voice adjustment has always done the trick for me, however this won’t be the situation for all dogs.
11. Remember, there are always much more dogs to foster.
If this particular fostering situation doesn’t seem to be working out, no worries. Every foster pet dog will not work out in your home. we all have to return a foster pet dog at some point. Take comfort in knowing there are plenty of other dogs that need foster homes.
The shelter or rescue group ought to be prepared to work with you to discover the best match for you as well as your own pets. The pet dog will likely go to one more foster house or back to the shelter. That’s OK. You gave it a shot. The much more you foster, the much more you will understand which types of dogs will work out at your house.
Thank you for giving fostering a try!
For those of you who have fostered dogs before, what suggestions do you have for introducing a foster pet dog to your own dog?
This appeal is Vixen, a pet dog we fostered back in January of 2009. She was adopted quickly, after just two weeks. She as well as Ace got along for the most part, however every now as well as then we had a few scuffles.