My sister wants to adopt a second dog this summer and the shelter has asked that she bring her dog to meet the new dog at the shelter before adopting. How should she introduce the two dogs at the shelter?
It is an excellent idea for your sister to bring the dog she has to the shelter to meet the dog’s potential brother or sister. The shelter workers or volunteers can advise your sister as to when and where she can bring them together. Your sister should make an appointment with the shelter before actually bringing her dog and arrange to meet in a neutral visiting area.
There are so many animals on site who are either waiting to be adopted or being adopted. There is almost always commotion on site. ALWAYS keep your dog (with proper identification tags) on a leash when introducing her to another animal. There will probably be a special meeting room and/or a yard where your sister can introduce the dogs to one another and ascertain how well they may get along.
Making several trips to the shelter is an even better idea, so that the two strangers can actually get more familiar with one another. If there is loud barking, snarling, lunging or snapping on the part of one of the dogs, I would not view the potential adoption favorably. If they sniff one another and do not display any aggressive behavior, if their tails are up and their eyes happy, it could be a good match!
Dr. Pomerance is an animal behavior specialist and an expert on topics such as deciding which puppy is best for your family, how to pick out a rescue, and on healing from the loss of a pet.
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