Bespoke collars, and other Matters Of Importance

Of course I want to order a custom collar and identification tag for Jackie.  Rosco’s and Gunner’s collars made by Salena Herring from Dogs By the Bay (headquartered in New Braunfels, Texas) are both beautiful and practical since they are safety breakaway collars:

and I’m deciding on which purple-motif one to order for Jackie. Rosco has this “kill count” identification tag from Dog Tag Art in his favorite color Robin’s egg blue:

But don’t worry, Rosco’s never actually caught a squirrel, rabbit, bird or cat, though he takes his job at critter patrol seriously.  Gunner’s id tag pictured above is silicone from Qalo. 

In assembling the necessities before adopting Jackie, I rummaged out of the closet Prissy’s purple collar and purple martingale slip lead.  These leads from Mendoza Pet are my go-to for training and walking, and all my dogs own at least two each—Rosco has three of them— you tend to collect great gear the older you get around here:

Prissy has bequeathed both her color purple and her gear to Jackie.  Following the purple theme, and wanting Jackie to have her own special collar and tag, I am drawn to this Asian cherry blossom ID tag from Dog Tag Art that follows the purple motif:

I think it will look attractive with this collar from Dogs by the Bay that has purple wisteria and honeysuckle on it:

Prior to adopting Jackie, and while still working with the awesome volunteers at Border Collie Save on the decisions about which dogs to consider, I preemptively ordered this simple id tag with the word “REWARD” engraved with our address and phone number, since I didn’t yet know the dog’s name we would eventually adopt.  I attached the tag to Prissy’s (now Jackie’s) purple collar:

Now that we’ve adopted Jackie, I’ll order her own proper id tag with her name.  Since she is microchipped I’ve previously entered our updated information into Jackie’s appropriate microchip database. 

Gunner has an agility slip lead custom made by Brie Frances of Snuffles and Tugs in his Gunner orange color:

And once we are further along in Jackie’s education, an agility slip lead of purple fleece with purple webbing and pink embroidery detail will be on point, with the fleece strands braided into the leash in purple, pink, and one lime green strand braided in for a pop.

Pearls:

• Prissy’s body may be gone, but all the love is still very much alive
• Jackie has taken over the purple mantle from Prissy, and wears it well

Milestone

Today marks an entire week that Jackie has been with us!  It has gone amazingly well, which is a credit to both Jackie’s good natural temperament and the great job her foster family did with her.  We still have a road to travel in front of us, but I am very optimistic about Jackie’s future!

She met and has continued to interact with both Rosco our elder statesman with patience and gentility, and with our velcro dog Gunner with equal patience and willingness to play. Her already solid house training has transferred to her new environment; she has been 100% mistake free in the house.  

Jackie was already good on leash and she is still just beginning to understand being reinforced to look up at me while out for a walk and for coming to me.  We haven’t yet begun formal education for a recall (other than reinforcing every time she comes to me on her own) and neither have we started to learn heeling.  Positive reinforcement for walking on a loose leash is going well.

We’ve purposefully avoided interacting yet with any other dogs or people outside our immediate family. Each day we try to go a bit longer on our walks, slowly building confidence in the new and wider environment. Yesterday we were unexpectedly joined by a friendly and calm doodle while out for a walk on the river trails.  I didn’t have time to “manage” the meeting as the other dog was off leash and approached us before we even realized, but both the doodle, Brady, and his retiree mom and dad were gentle and friendly, so it was a fortuitous introduction to some fellow citizens in the neighborhood. I’m grateful because I don’t want to risk Jackie getting scared or overwhelmed by anything in her greater environment, so it was a good interaction with a calm, friendly dog that added to her confidence while exploring the great outdoors.

For me the biggest challenge has been keeping her interest in her daily meals of kibble, which she has been slow to eat.  She certainly isn’t the voracious eater that Rosco is, and isn’t even as interested in kibble as is Gunner.  She’s eating well, albeit slowly, which is healthier than bolting her food anyway. We will gradually work to build her physical condition and fitness over time.

Each night we gather in the living room and Jackie is on the big lounger dog bed in front of the sofa where she loves to get pets and belly rubs.  Just last night for the first time she climbed up to me while sitting on the sofa and lay with me on the chaise lounge with Gunner and Rosco for a good cuddle puppy pile.  And she joined us for the first time upstairs and curled up in Chris’ lap for our entire movie.  Jackie is a love and we’re happy she’s feeling more at home each day and night.

Jackie in the glow of our Saturday night movie, sharing a lap with Gunner on the sofa with Rosco in the nest bed at our feet:

Gunner vigilant while Jackie rests:

Pearls:

• A successful first week!  Milestones include mistake-free potty habits, beginning the early stages of bonding with her new family, learning the schedule and dynamics of her new home
• Walking on a loose leash is going well
• Finicky eater? Certainly not the chow hound her brothers are
• Novel environments on the river trails are continuing to be positive and confidence-building 
• Jackie is slowly getting used to having more access around the house, including our first time upstairs in the home theatre to join us for movie night

Learning

There is always something new to discover.  In bringing Jackie into our home with Gunner, who is already fairly well advanced in his general obedience, it is interesting to observe the dynamic that having the presence of another Border collie in the same household has had for Gunner.  

Gunner’s recall is very good. His attention to me has always been on point as well.  Maybe I am just noticing it in contrast to Jackie, who has not yet had enough time for us to have a deeply bonded relationship, nor even begin her “formal” education, but Gunner’s attention to me has sharpened even more.  His focus on me and promptness was already very good, and I didn’t realize it could be even sharper.  But sharpened it has, just from the (competitive?) presence of Jackie.  

I am being very deliberate about making sure Rosco and especially the more sensitive Gunner have above and beyond adequate Mom time, and that they feel valued— because they are valued. Even with this idea in place, Gunner has displayed a sharpened recall, longer duration for behaviors that require patience and control on the dog’s part, and his heel is phenomenal — even though we haven’t practiced “show ring” heeling in years due to our focus on trick training, urban citizen training, and agility.  It has been interesting and informative for me to watch Gunner’s obedience skills deepen and sharpen in these last several days since we adopted Jackie into our home.

(A word about Rosco: Cocker spaniels have rich inner lives, I’m not arguing that at all. We adopted little buddy Rosco 12 years ago from a breed rescue [thank you Cocker Spaniel Rescue of East Texas!] as an adult dog, so he is at least 13 years old.  He is well educated using R+ and has an excellent foundation in obedience.  His daily needs have always been different than those of the Border collies in my life, and certainly now in his geriatric years his enrichment needs are a different intensity than those of Gunner’s and Jackie’s.  Rest assured reader that even though Rosco may not be the current focus of this blog, he has much enrichment, learning opportunities, and love in his life.)

What are the training lessons here?  I’m actually not sure yet, and I wanted to document what I’m observing in real time, in order to reflect later as well as ponder just now.  Is training in a multi-dog household superior to training a “singleton?”  If so what are the dynamics? And even though I currently view it as a positive outcome of interest, what is Gunner’s perception of the current situation?  Is his “increase” in sharpness due to jealousy?  competition? something else?  Is it good for Gunner or stressful for him?  A little of both? I want to learn more…

Dogs dogs dogs

Pearls:

• Dynamics change in a multi-dog household, the more I observe the more I learn; Gunner seems to have found a whole new gear in the presence of Jackie
• Rosco is a baller
• As I observe what is happening with my own multi-dog household, I am curious to learn more about other experiences when training multiple sport dogs in the same household

Patience is a Virtue

Yesterday I wrote about reinforcers, their value, and letting the learner choose what is higher in value to the learner.  Today while on our stroll, and occasionally other times, Jackie would literally spit out the food reinforcer I popped into her mouth and it hits the ground with a failing thud to my ears.  I’ve experimented with boiled chicken and even beef, hot dogs and lamb (lamb loaf is my favorite for ease of use, ease of storage, ease of prep. I can cut the loaf into individual large medallions the size of a human chocolate chip cookie to store in the fridge, then take out a couple large medallions to put in my bait pouch to easily pinch off a teeny tiny to a bigger bite-ful, and it is simple to jackpot several small bites in a row). However— value of a reinforcer is assigned by the learner, not the teacher, though I am working to build value into “boring” treats.

Jackie isn’t getting the memo on the treats.  Anyhow that was my knee jerk thought.  In reality the point is that I need to slow my expectations, and follow the good advice to be patient.  Jackie is still very much in the honey moon stage of the relationship, everything is still new: sights, smells, and sounds are all different and coming fast and furious at her.  The preexisting dogs take for granted things like the sound of the river dam roaring loudly on the day after a heavy rain when the day before it was a calm gurgle, or to ignore the third yard down past the first turn after the trail gait when the two doodles pop up out of their bushes and bark and lunge furiously up and down their wrought iron fenceline as we stroll by, or that the men building a neighbor’s pool house are not menacing and can be safely ignored as they shout to one another over the noise of their construction equipment.  Jackie is still learning all this and more.  

It can be difficult to pay attention to a piece of chicken or steak when novel (and is it threatening? Jackie does not have a frame of reference yet) stimuli happen in her environment. She is doing a superb job at taking her cues from her family members, since I maintain a calm demeanor and do not push her to any threshold where she is scared or feels in danger.  Gunner and Rosco are also teaching her by example what is to be ignored and what is worth paying attention— it’s Mom, she’s worth paying attention— which years of experience (and positive reinforcement of all kinds) have taught Rosco and Gunner. 

So I’m giving myself a break on my exuberance to get out in front of Jackie’s education, but also a reminder of the mantra patience, patience, patience.  We will get there.  Jackie is doing a great job.  I want to as well— and it can be done with patience as my guide. 

“You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”

Jackie, discovering that it’s a wide world after all, adventures can be fun, and there are more folks in this world who love her.

Pearls:

• Patience
• Patience
• Patience
• You don’t have to be a wizard to educate a dog, you just have to be patient 

Reinforcers and Their Values

I’m still experimenting with finding Jackie’s “100 dollar bill.”  Finding a high value reinforcer is important for rewarding high drive for performance and for building prompt and repeatable responses to cues.  We know it is helpful to use a variety of treats, from high value, medium, and lower value, to keep things interesting and also to have a high value reinforcer to teach new skills, or reward when extra effort is offered or desired.

For Jackie’s first couple of days I had my beloved lamb loaf and Hebrew national hot dogs cut up into medallions, as well as some store-bought soft mini treats on hand. However with all the distractions, new environment, and just general melancholy a sensitive Border collie goes through the first several days of adoption I quickly realized I’m going to have to up my reinforcer game.  Mostly Jackie likes everything I’ve been offering her but it is clear none of it is her equivalent of a 100 dollar bill.  So today I prepared some boiled chicken and flank steak cut up into mini one-bite pieces.  The chicken seems to be the highest-valued reinforcer as we are continuing to reinforce mistake-free potty habits, capture looking at me while going for a walk, and coming to me on her own or when I call her name. Of course I am continuing to reinforce good potty behavior, taking nothing for granted and wanting to put relieving herself on a cue for those times I truly need her to “hurry up and go potty!” 

Time will tell but probably, like many Border collies, the highest value reinforcer will become the work—agility or herding for example— itself.  But I will need to stack value to a reinforcer I can minutely control, in order to teach new habits or increase promptness or duration of a behavior in the education process. At this point in our relationship, during run-and-play, anytime Jackie spontaneously comes over to me and makes eye contact I give her a treat and verbal praise and petting, then release her with “Okay!” and make a “ssshwsh” sound that Jackie’s foster mom used with her.  I feel there’s a way to harness the power of that “ssshwsh” noise since Jackie is already super reactive to it— bolting off away from me in an extremely drivey display of speed.  Will keep you posted if I come up with any ideas, but for now I’m using it as a fun game to reinforce desired behavior during playtime.

Play, play, and more play:

Pearls:

• The individual learner decides what is valued as a reinforcer, and how much value each reinforcer has
• Experimenting with a range of reinforcer treats can be interesting, and it’s good to have lower value and higher value treats available
• Primary, high value reinforces (like herding for a Border collie) can be stacked with education into a small, easy-to-deliver controlled treat
• Question to ponder: what is a good way to use the “ssshwsh” noise for future training since Jackie already seems to be stimulated by this particular verbal cue?

The Many Benefits of Adopting

There are a myriad of ways to acquire a new dog, but the method that has proven successful for me time and again is adopting from a breed rescue like All Border Collie Rescue, Border Collie Save and Rescue, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of East Texas or other breed or type rescues.

In addition to knowing I am contributing in some small way to the decrease in suffering and overpopulation by supporting a rescue, there are additional tangible benefits.  Jackie came onto my radar from a foster where she lived in a family home and was acclimated to being around dogs of all sizes, energy levels, and stages of life.  Much had already been discovered about her temperament, and this was communicated clearly to me by her foster mom.  Knowing a fair bit about a dog’s temperament, drive, and energy level helped guide my decision-making process in choosing the best fit for my next dog. 

While considering my ideal candidate, I wanted an adult dog that was still young enough to have lots of time on the clock to learn sports and obedience, but I knew I did not want a puppy.  I wanted a dog with high drive— but I knew to be careful what I wished for as I first and foremost wanted a dog with the (relatively lower for a Border collie) energy level to be a family pet and get along well with my two older dogs.  My preference was a female, for a number of reasons including I felt the getting-to-know-you period would be smoother since I already have two males. I preferred, if possible, to find a dog that if she had already been de-sexed, that she was spayed after becoming an adult or even well into her adult life.  I wanted a smallish-sized Border collie in the 30-something pound range.  Having a dog that was crate trained, potty trained, leash trained, reliable around horses, and already educated in basic commands was a consideration. While temperament, drive, and energy ALWAYS eclipse looks, I admit I prefer the classic black and white coat of the quintessential Border collie. 

So that’s a demanding list!  Of course I was open minded and ready to be flexible in my wishlist.  The thing is, with a great breed rescue like Border Collie Save and Rescue, they worked with me to find the perfect match, and were deliberate in sharing all of each potential dog’s history: the good, the bad, or the ugly.  

Jackie ticked every item on that exacting wishlist, and then some!  Jackie’s foster family did an outstanding job rehabilitating her from a rural, shy stray into a happy-go-lucky family pet with the boldness yet patience to coexist with other pets and animals, large and small, young and old. With her foster family Jackie learned all the solid foundations to life as a well adjusted house pet. This put Jackie, and indeed me, in a position of strength to begin our relationship together.

Jackie, well prepared to take on her next adventures thanks to the excellence of her wonderful foster family

Pearls:

• Adopting a dog from a breed rescue is an excellent way to get a head start with a new dog
• Breed rescues allow you to be as specific as needed, and provide all the background they know about each individual dog
• Being in a foster family can give a dog a better chance to find the right home, thereby decreasing the likelihood it will end up back in a shelter
• Fosters, and all rescue volunteers, are special people and are owed a debt of gratitude!

Jackie’s foster mom and dad did a phenomenal job

A Call to Our Coach

Progression is going really well with Jackie.  So much so that I am starting to fantasize about her future education.  Certainly Jackie has demonstrated HIGH herding drive.  That can be challenging, but can be shaped into awesome results as well.  

In thinking about her foundations, and also wanting to share my happy news with a friendly ear, I reached out to an agility trainer that has helped me with decision-making for Gunner.  Robin Barber (a Karen Pryor Academy graduate and a Canine Fitness Trainer Fenzi Academy graduate) of Cowtown Dog Sports was gracious in giving me her time. I appreciated Robin affirming we’re on the right track with Jackie, and Robin agreed that official education can begin gradually.  Robin asked how Gunner is doing, and gave me some excellent advice which was: work with Gunner alone one-on-one as well as working with Jackie one-on-one.  This way Gunner will remain happy and feel valued (and trust me, he is HIGHLY valued) while not over-doing things for him in the heat by running around too much with Jackie. 

(As an aside, Gunner is under the care of a residency trained canine cardiologist [thank you Dr. Rebecca Fields Bennie for your excellent care!] for a heart condition which he now takes medication to slow the progression.  Due to that sobering reality, I have partially “retired” Gunner from full agility and other hard-core athletic endeavors.  Ironic that having a too large heart is Gunner’s downfall, isn’t it?)

Robin suggested that waiting to enroll Jackie in a small group class setting after several weeks of getting to know Jackie could be ideal.  My plan includes starting Jackie with basic obedience and building a solid foundation to progress into dog sports, with our thoughts on obedience and especially agility. For now I am continuing to capture desired behaviors with positive reinforcement, build value for a marker, and allow Jackie and me time to bond and establish an excellent relationship.

There’s an agility dog in there!

Pearls:

• A support system of people-whose-opinions-matter is a helpful resource; having a mentor is key to success
• Heart disease is a big fat bummer
• Continue working one-on-one with the established dog so they feel valued as well as working with the new dog
• Good ol’ operant conditioning is your friend

Early Days

It is clear that Jackie’s foster mom and dad have done a wonderful job with her, as she is already crate trained, house trained, leash trained, knows to wait until asked to go through doors and gates, knows basic commands, and her temperament around dogs of all sizes and life stages is well established.  The plan for Jackie’s first few days is to allow her time to decompress and get used to the new family and environment, with a deliberate focus on educating her where the accepted doggy toilet is and the basic house rules. Jackie has done brilliantly with no potty mishaps.  

Jackie’s first full day getting used to Rosco and Gunner she was very clear to them both that she does not suffer noodleheads to be rudely in her face.  A low growl was a good warning that she wanted extra personal space when Rosco was too exuberant.  Of course I am being extra vigilant in not allowing negative behaviors to progress (or even begin), and I am grateful Jackie is giving a warning growl and look (rather than escalating to a bark or beyond) which allows me to organically “change the subject” between the dogs.  Jackie’s foster mom has been an excellent resource in letting me know exactly what to expect from Jackie behavior-wise, so there have been no unwanted surprises.  

For now we are focusing on continuing to create a predictable routine for Jackie.  This includes consistent potty breaks, reinforcing with high value treats when she goes potty and saying “go potty!” to begin teaching her to relieve herself on command which can be helpful in a myriad of situations.  Mealtimes are on a set schedule, and I am allowing Jackie to rest a lot to decompress; I know she misses her foster family and will require extra time and patience to process everything that is happening in her life, so I am allowing her to sleep and rest quietly as she needs.  

We are inaugurating a daily pattern of waking up and going potty, feeding breakfast, playing with her new brothers and running freely outdoors, then going for a longer walk in the morning while the weather is still not too hot.  During the daytime we are foremost working on reinforcing good potty habits, and Jackie is already understanding if she goes to the backyard door to “ask” to go out she is allowed outside and high-value-reinforced for going potty.  

We have many small outdoor breaks and runs during the day; I have been unusually lucky in that the Texas weather has cooperated with my schedule and we’ve been able to go outside a good bit even during the daytime.  We give an afternoon snack (given as reinforcement for good behaviors and building value for a marker), then have time to rest and play again before dinner.  After dinner when the sun begins to set and it is not as hot outside we go for another longer family walk along the river trails and then come back home for a run in the park. Then we spend time decompressing at the end of the day, giving pats and belly rubs and continuing to build a mutual bond.  

I am allowing time and patience for us to build a relationship before I begin any actual formal education with Jackie.  In the meantime I am capturing specific desired behaviors, including looking at me while walking or playing, or coming to me on her own when off leash in the yard or park. In doing so I am also building value for my marker word by saying “yes!” and giving her a reinforcing treat. So far Jackie has only exhibited very mild interest in playing with toys, and no interest at all in tugging, so I will build interest in toys after she has had a chance to settle into her new environment and we have gotten further along in our process together.

Certainly Jackie misses her foster family, who did an amazing job with her.  Patience, love, a predictable routine, will help her acclimate:

Playing with and getting to know her big brothers:

Walking happily into the sunset on the Trinity River trails:

Pearls when establishing the new adoptee:

• Patience, patience, and more patience are key when adopting a new dog (and really patience is an excellent life skill to follow at all times with animals!)
• There are many benefits to adopting from a rescue, including the dog has already been in a family environment and there are many known factors about the dog’s personality, habits, and behavior
• Following a predictable routine, keeping things low key, all help a new dog to acclimate the first several days
• The focus for now is on capturing a few key desirable behaviors (correct potty habits at the top of this list); formal education can progress later

First Night and Day

A rescue dog’s many transitions leading up to landing in their permanent forever home can be stressful, confusing, and mentally and physically challenging.  After being picked up as a stray and transferred from a Louisiana rescue into a Texas rescue foster home, Jackie proceeded from her initial temporary foster into her foster mom and dad’s home near Fort Worth.  She had recently undergone spay surgery and heartworm treatment, and had to be on strict activity restriction for three months. Now she was ready to meet us, her new family, and make yet another huge transition.

With all of that in mind, we wanted to make the passage for Jackie into her new home as smooth as possible. The plan I’m following is to stay as relatively quiet and close to home as possible the first several days, establishing a consistent routine of mealtimes, walk, and play with just Jackie’s new immediate family.  We’ve purposely gone for a few small strolls during the day, avoiding interacting with any neighborhood dogs or people outside of Jackie’s new immediate family.  

Jackie’s foster mom provided me with her current food and I will follow that diet for a week before slowly beginning transitioning her to the new diet.  I’ve kept Jackie on her previous diet in order to avoid any tummy upset or other issues. Since her foster family fed Jackie in her crate, we have continued that routine for her.

I was careful from the moment Jackie arrived onward to take her to the appropriate “bathroom” in the backyard and reinforced her with lavish praise and high value treats each time she went potty.  This means taking her out every hour or so especially at first, and limiting her access in the house until she knows exactly where the “bathroom” is (and by default is NOT in an unused room, closet, or upstairs where we hang out much less often). A dog that is in a new environment has to be educated properly where the facilities are and what the house rules will be. For a new rescue, even one that has been previously very well house trained like Jackie, it’s best to follow the potty training protocol much the same as you would for a new puppy for at least the first several days until the new dog understands the new routines.

Jackie’s first night we established her in her own crate equipped with an individual water dish that clamps to the bars of her crate and a comfortable bed in our bedroom, and were deliberate in keeping our existing dogs out of her space.  After another stroll and a running play romp, we were ready to wind down for the evening.  I provided a couple long lasting chew toys as well as a kong stuffed with some yummy freeze dried lamb treats and peanut butter.  Licking is a soothing act for a dog, and giving her something interesting like a stuffed kong in her crate helps to build value for being in the crate as well as helps her to settle in comfortably.

We like these Omlet Fido Studio crates with Brindle orthopedic memory foam beds with waterproof and washable removable covers. The dogs are comfortable inside and they make a low credenza when placed side by side, or can be used as a nightstand or sofa end table:

We made sure to have multiple comfortable beds around the house; the dogs love these plush donut beds and the Orvis tempurpedic bed in the living room.

Gunner is sweet to share his bed with new sister.

Pearls for early success with a new dog:

• Keep schedules simple and low-key the first few days a new dog is adopted
• Make potty training and establishing the basic house rules a priority, preventing access to remote, less-used areas of the home
• Crates, ex pen panels, and baby gates come in handy to control the amount of living space the new dog can access
• Stuffed kongs or other hollow toys are excellent to reinforce good behavior in a crate, and licking peanut butter or other soft treat has a relaxing effect for dogs

Meet and Greet

The day arrived for us to meet Jackie for the first time!  In introducing a new adoptee to the existing family members, I wanted to be careful and methodical in how we did the introductions to insure the best possible outcome.  Jackie’s foster mom was an excellent resource in relaying what Jackie’s temperament is like, and what to expect with humans and other animals.  

In order to meet on neutral territory, we arranged for Jackie’s foster mom and dad to connect with us at a securely fenced, quiet park next door to our home.  We gave Jackie’s foster family a few moments to let Jackie stretch her legs, relieve herself, and have a drink after her car trip.  Meeting at the park without our current pups allowed my spouse Chris and me to say our initial greetings to both Jackie and her family, and to meet Jackie without the added element of other dogs present. 

After the humans and Jackie all had some initial time to greet everyone at the secluded park, Chris and I went to get our current two dogs at home.  This way Rosco and Gunner thought we were just going for another every day stroll to the neighborhood park, where there is occasionally a new neighbor and their dog at the park so it is not unusual for our dogs to meet a new dog there.  All three dogs had plenty of room to maneuver, pee, sniff, and sniff each other’s pee (how dogs interpret lots of information about each other), all with keeping a dropped or loose leash since we were in a large securely fenced area.  

Reader it went better than I had even hoped. Jackie was extremely sweet and friendly with Rosco and Gunner, and they seemed very interested in getting to know her. Meanwhile, following the pre-arranged plan, Jackie’s foster mom and dad slipped away nonchalantly to go have dinner together at a nearby restaurant, and give us time to start the bonding process with Jackie.  

From the park we went on a stroll with all three dogs on leash and ended up back at our home. Jackie and I went into our securely fenced backyard first, while Chris stayed up in the front yard with our two resident dogs.  I allowed Jackie to sniff and explore her new backyard, and then Chris came in later with Rosco and Gunner while Jackie was already inside the yard. We were able to drop the leashes and hang out for a long while in our yard to see how everyone would react in a slightly more confined space.  Chris and I have a covered patio so once we established the meeting was continuing well we sat down together to have a cold drink (it IS summer in Texas y’all— it’s HOT!) and continued to closely monitor the dogs as they got to know each other.  

Since everything was progressing well outside, I brought Jackie inside to discover her new surroundings on her own with me, and Chris stayed outside with Rosco and Gunner.  Previously I had strategically placed ex pen gates and closed doors so that Jackie would only have a limited portion of our home to explore, until such time as I’m comfortable she has learned some basic guidelines, and especially a good recall to me which of course will take some time to establish.  

After Jackie had some time to discover her new indoor surroundings, Chris brought in Rosco and Gunner. Bringing the resident dogs in after the new dog was already inside decreased the stress of the situation and made it more likely to diminish territorial ideas.  It worked well and so far everyone has been getting along brilliantly. 

The outlined plan for mixing the current resident dogs with the new adoptee worked smoothly, and it is a method I have used with success in the past as well.  

Jackie’s foster mom and dad re-joined us at our home to review Jackie’s feeding schedule and her ongoing heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea and tick preventative. We celebrated together in our kitchen over tres leches cake and a champagne toast in honor of Jackie’s new transition. Now that the introductions have been made, we are looking forward to making Jackie’s first night and next several days as comfortable as possible.

Jackie and Gunner on Gotcha Day: Gunner thinks she’s pretty cool-

Rosco and Jackie on Gotcha Day: Rosco loves her, but has never been particularly fond of sharing resources!

Pearls when introducing a new dog into an established single or multi-dog home:

• Follow a previously confirmed plan
• Have the dogs meet on neutral territory first, preferably in a securely fenced area where leashes can be dropped or at a minimum all leashes kept slack (straining against a tight leash can cause reactivity, lunging, or other unhelpful behaviors)
• For multi-dog households, it can be helpful to meet one at a time instead of all in a large group at once
• Allow dogs to organically approach one another; calm sideways sniff greetings, moving loosely (not stiffly), sniffing each other’s pee, all help to keep the process tranquil
• Proceed gradually from more open spaces to smaller spaces, and avoid congregating at trigger areas like gates or doors
• Be ready to separate dogs if a skirmish breaks out (a large but lightweight board such as a kitchen cutting board or a large solid placemat can be on hand to place between two dogs in the event you need to quickly separate them, but always stay calm and methodical— no shouting)
• Keep the leashes attached to each individual dog for emergency control but either drop the leash or keep slack in the leash
• When introducing the new dog on home territory, allow the new dog to be in the environment first, and then bring in the resident dogs, one at a time if necessary

Edited to add: with the surge in demand for dog supplies (and supplies in general), the third Omlet Fido Studio crate for Jackie is on back order.  We’ve rummaged out of the garage Prissy’s original crate from years ago.  I love the wire crates for their ease of use; they collapse down to the size of the bottom tray for travel or storage. Wire crates are the best for ventilation since they have no solid sides or top. With a blanket folded on top and a Brindle brand orthopedic bed with a removable water proof sheepskin cover, this Top Paw crate is being used with success:

Rosco is modeling Jackie’s crate

This exercise pen comes in handy to control access from the hallway and stairs.  The ex pen is a stand-alone and has a built in gate should we need it, but we just easily move the panel to walk through: