Introducing 2 Dogs

[vnv]

Hoping to get some advice here. I recently took on a new foster dog, who got into a fight with his last fosters own dogs. The reason I took him on is because the way my house is set up makes it easy for me to keep two dogs seperate if necessary (I have a dog run for during the day and he is crated at night, my dog lives inside).

I have a desexed female, when I got the new foster he wasn't desexed but he was done on Friday.

My OH and I walked seperately to neutral territory with a dog each to introduce them (I had foster, OH had our dog). OH went before me, and I followed 5 mins after. When I got to the agreed meeting place which is NOT off-leash, I saw two SWF off-leash barking madly in my dogs face while she just sat there with OH keeping her focused on him. I was about 50m away and yelled out to the man with the SWF to please leash his dogs, he just waved. He didn't even have a leash on him. He finally wandered away calling his dogs, which he had very little control over. My OH called me on the phone because we were too far away to talk and he told me that one of the dogs BIT my dog in the face. Thank god she didn't react. I couldn't help but get angry, annoyed and a bit shaken up. I tried to calm myself down but I was still feeling angry.

Stupidly we proceeded with trying to introduce the two dogs. Everything I read said to introduce them on a loose leash but from about 25m away the foster was straining at the leash trying to get to my dog, barking madly in a really high pitch. I was already worried about my girl having already been bitten once that day, so I called out to my OH that we should try to walk them together. My dog was pulling on her leash at this point too so we tried walking them together but they both were going nuts trying to get to one another. I was still shaken at this point because I couldn't stop thinking about the a**hole and his SWF, and I was stressing a lot about the dogs getting into a fight, so I called to my OH that we would just walk each dog on a seperate route for the day.

At home the foster was in the dog run but my girl still needed to go outside to toilet so I was taking her out on a lead and keeping her clear of the run. At first the foster barked and barked, each time we went out he was a bit calmer and a bit calmer until I went out with my girl and the foster didn't even get up from where he was laying. My girl likes to go right down to the bottom of the yard to toilet and usually takes about 5-10mins to sniff out a good spot, so while I was out there I let her off the lead to do that, and she ignored the foster and went about her business. Both dogs seemed relaxed, foster wasn't barking so when my girl trotted back up I let her approach the run to see what would happen, I am not sure if this was a mistake or not. They sniffed each others faces, my girl bowed, then darted in one direction then came back to then run, I think this is playing??? Foster still barks or whinges sometimes when I let my girl out but I haven't let them out together because I am scared of a fight, and because the foster still has stiches in from his desexing.

What should I do? I really have no idea? Both dogs seem playful but I just don't know how to read their body language, I've read some conflicting things online. I think I should wait until the foster's stitches come out at least but I dont know if letting them play on either side of the run is benefitting or harming them.

Can anyone give me any advice? I have looked into getting a behaviorist but after finding out the prices I can't afford it.

[Cosmolo]

Whereabouts are you? Are you with a rescue group? Some groups have behaviourists they work with for little or no charge-particularly for this kind of problem.

[vnv]

I am in Sydney. The dog was not released from the pound by a rescue group.

I have volunteered and provided transport for some rescue groups but not very much and I am not with any rescue group.

[Nekhbet]

what breed is the foster?

PM me or email me in my siggy and I'll give you a hand if you were closer I would visit but I need more info on you and the goggies

[persephone]

These two need a chance to have a good sniff!!

Try gently holding them both... so they can sniff the tail end of the other..one at a time.

Give your girl first go.. it is her house ;) maybe have her in a crate ,, and back him up to it,so she can sniff.

Then do the same.. him in crate, and her backed up.

this puts you in control,and takes away any eye contact-/ threats from the other dog

Often new dogs will try & sniff, but the other one will not stand stil... and sometimes things get a bit tense...This way, their curiosity is satisfied!

Edited January 5, 2009 by persephone

[vnv]

Nekhbet - thank you so much!! I will PM you, I really appreciate it.

persephone - thanks, I will try that. They have sniffed each others faces (noses touching) through the dog run but I will try out your suggestion. I know the bum's the important bit when it comes to dogs sniffing.