🔒 The No Contact Phase
- Everything is new and overwhelming. Even if the dog is out of a shelter or rescue and in a better environment, it’s still a major adjustment.
- Focus on settling in—no dog-dog interaction yet.
- Build trust with humans.
- Establish routines: eating, sleeping, elimination.
- Begin communication and introduce house rules.
- Avoid layering more stress until your new dog shows only light signs of stress (or ideally none).
🚪 The Protected Contact Phase
- Relaxation is the foundation. Our long-term goal is coexisting peacefully, not just constant play.
- Use physical barriers to set expectations and keep everyone safe:
- Doors, crates, gates, and leashes.
- Slowly decrease barrier intensity:
- Crated, behind a closed door
- Crated, behind a barrier (no visual)
- Crated, behind a visual barrier
- Crated in the main living space
- One leashed dog, one crated in living space
- One dog free-roaming, other crated
- Both leashed, separated in same room
⚠️ Muzzle training should be complete before this stage if either dog has a bite history or risk indicators.
🔗 The Partially Protected Contact Phase
- Dogs can now share space, but with safety tools like leashes or tethers.
- Slowly add arousal-triggering items like toys or food.
- Sample progression:
- Leashed and settled nearby
- One leashed and moving, one settled
- Both leashed and walking (great time for parallel walks!)
- Leashed while practicing cues in the same room
- Leashed and calm while the other plays
- Leashed but dragging while training/playing in proximity
🎯 If a dog is muzzle-trained, continue exposing them to varied situations to reduce risk and reliance on the muzzle long-term.
🟢 The Unprotected Contact Phase
- Now dogs can interact freely, off-leash, with supervision.
- Start with short, structured bursts of play. Use verbal cues to guide behavior.
- Encourage frequent play breaks to maintain lower arousal.
Healthy Play Checklist:
- Loose, relaxed bodies
- Role swapping (chaser/chasee, top/bottom)
- Short pauses (shakes, bows) and longer check-ins
- No fixation, bullying, or escalating intensity
Expand to:
- Paired dog-human play indoors & outdoors
- Toy sharing: start with low-value toys, then increase value & duration
- Full-access walks with two handlers until trust is well established
⚡ Simulating Life Events (Stress Testing)
Because real life happens, practice and observe during these:
- Thunderstorms, fireworks, or anxiety triggers—dogs may redirect if one is fearful.
- Doorbells, guests, or deliveries—huge spikes in arousal.
- Resource guarding risks—food, toys, beds, people, or access points.
- Household chaos—vacuuming, loud play, workouts, arguments, sudden noises.
Watch how dogs behave separately to identify triggers before combining.
🧠 Conclusion
- Integration can feel fast or slow—but “slow is fast and slow is successful.”
- Avoid preventable setbacks by being thorough on the first pass.
- Know your dog-dog body language—it’s your greatest tool.
- Build a shared behavioral foundation (sit, recall, wait, etc.).
- Ask for help early. A rescue or trainer can make a huge difference in choosing and integrating the right dog.