10/19/2026
Some dogs should never meet at all.
And saying that doesn't make you mean. It makes you the one who is paying attention.
A bouncy, in-your-face teenager and a shut-down, disinterested, low-energy dog?
A dog who's had very few good experiences with other dogs and a dog who wants to take on and wrestle the world?
That's not an introduction.
That's a setup.
I know, there's so much pressure to get it perfect.
Pressure from friends and family to meet their dog.
You can say yes. There just needs to be a bit of prep first.
What we do need to be wary of is setting them up. And not in the good way.
Certain things do need caution. They can create competition before there's even trust. And that's a longer road you really don't want.
Parallel walks are still my favourite. Same direction. Enough space that both dogs can breathe. No forced hellos. Sometimes it's one walk. Sometimes it's a few. Both are completely normal.
If your last intro went sideways and got barky, stressy and messy, that doesn't mean your dog failed.
Maybe the situation failed your dog.
And next time, you get to do it differently. Or not at all.
Both can be the right answer.
