At Paws to Consider we have plenty of dogs that make great pairs for our pack walks, and often times get specific requests to find walking companions for our clients! Pack walks have many benefits for you pup, which include providing a more stimulating walking experience, socialization, and you pup makes a new friend they get excited to walk with every day!

What steps do you take to introduce two dogs?

-Analyze the dogs: we try to gather as much information about the dogs we are trying to introduce. We only introduce dogs after having worked with them for a while to ensure all parties are comfortable with a meet and greet, and the dogs make strong candidates for a pack walk.

-Neutral territory: the meeting of the two parties should be a slow and careful process, we would never throw them in a dog park or back yard to let them work it out. Furthermore, the location should be neutral, so neither dog feels territorial about the encounter.

-Leashes in hand: dogs remain leashed and we’ve found that introducing two dogs is often best practiced by letting them do what they do best, walking together! Aim to keep 10 feet of distance between the newly introduce dogs to prevent unwanted greeting, the idea being that it is best to slowly acclimate them to each others presence, without adding any tension.

-Let them play: if all the steps taken so far have worked and both dogs are exhibiting positive behavior toward one another, it is now time to let them interact. Walking at first, but if you have adequate space outside in a fenced in area you can let them interact more freely and let them play for a few minutes before ending the session. End each session on a good note!

Paws will never walk your dog with an unfamiliar dog without your consent. We are careful about picking which dogs we believe will work well together and take all the necessary precautions during introductions! Let us know if you are interested in a pack walk and we’ll be sure to find one or two other local dogs that would make good candidates for an introductions.

Animal Humane Society