If you have a dog that is nervous around other dogs, it might be difficult to find a way to introduce her to new furry friends without causing her anxiety. Simply allowing your dog to walk up to another dog is usually not the best way, as fearful dogs can often lash out at each other.
If you want to help your dog build their confidence, the place command can be a great way to do it.
What do you do? First, teach your dog the place command. This simply teaches your dog to go to their place. It is a good idea to have a sweatshirt on the ground or a bench at the park be one of your dog’s places, so they can easily find and go to that place. Then, have the other dog go to their place or simply stand calmly within your dog’s line of sight.
Your dog will be able to see and smell the other dog, but she does not have to have a physical confrontation with that dog before she has acclimated herself to his presence.
Why do this?
1. Eliminates a lot of the stress of meeting a new dog
Many owners make the mistake of thinking that the best way to help a dog who is nervous around other dogs is to simply throw their dog into a situation with a lot of other dogs. This can actually make your dog’s anxiety worse and might actually cause them to lash out and bite. Many dogs simply need a little bit of space and time before they meet a dog face to face. Using the place command gives both dogs some time to calm down before they start to interact.
2. Prevents fear aggression
One of the biggest reasons to use the place command with a nervous dog is to prevent their fear aggression from rearing its head. This procedure gives you enough time to gauge whether or not your dog is going to be able to handle this encounter. Having your dogs meet face to face as their first encounter might work for dogs that are not nervous, but those nerves can easily erupt into something more dangerous if you do not give your dog time to acclimate herself and for you to read her body language.
3. Gives your dog time to learn the other dog’s energy
Nervous dogs are usually nervous just because they are not given the time they need to really acclimate themselves to being around other dogs.
The place commands creates some time and separation, which is ideal for allowing your dog to observe the dog they are meeting and to signal to you whether or not they are going to be alright meeting this dog.
For example, if your dog is older and the dog they are meeting is an ill-mannered puppy, the place command will give you both some time to determine whether or not this meeting is a good idea.
4. Ensures your dog knows you will not thrust her into uncomfortable circumstances
The last thing you want to do is encourage your dog to fear walks or rides to the dog park because she is nervous that you will force her to interact with other dogs before she is ready. The place command ensures that she knows she will be given time to build her confidence around a strange dog before she had to say hello.
