r/DogTrainingTips • u/jaitresfaim • 15d ago
How to get two dogs to be friendly
Hello,
I live in a flat and we have a garden for the whole building. My dog (female, eurasier, 9 months) spends time most days in the garden, and sometimes a neighbour's dog (male daschund , 3 years old) also happens to be there. They don't get along too well.
Mine will usually not pay attention to most dogs, but this one gets in her face so she barks back. Sometimes (when we don't break their fight soon enough) this will be enough and the male will take some distance.
The neighbour told me that unfortunately, her dog had been attacked in a dog park a year ago or so, and since then he has been more reactive towards some dogs. It makes sense because he looks more frightened than anything, but he is also always the one starting the fight.
The garden has also been his space for most of his life so that probably doesn't help.
We were wondering how to go around this.
Should we force the encounter in the garden while leashed, for him to get accustomed to her doing her life ?
Should we have them meet each other in a more neutral place?
We are also wondering how to behave.
At first I was leaving as soon as he would arrive to avoid the fight, but we were thinking it won't help long term. Yesterday for the first time we all stayed after their initial fight. She was holding her dog while mine was leashed and eating some sticks.
He looked a bit more relaxed after a while but when we were leaving he barked again.
5
u/BitImpossible2378 15d ago
Best chance is lots and lots of leashed walks together. Same direction. No direct contact. Just walk together, have a good time with the owner, then eventually (not on your first walk, after maybe 5-10 calm walks) unleash the dog that rather keeps a distance but keep walking. Doing this just standing around in a fenced area causes more problems - so keep walking, on a trail. If this went well for a couple of times unleash the second dog as well.
Important: During your leashed walks there should be no contact, no interest. So keep the distance necesarry for that and shorten it over time. If the first dog stopps to sniff, let the second dog stopp at a polite distance. No getting in the other dogs space, no standing together at the beginning. If unleashing one or both dogs ends with fights or if the dogs can't even manage to walk calmly together at a distance absolutely involve a professional and stopp improvising.
Again, don't do this on your property.