Having visitors to your home and introducing to your dogs
This is how we manage introductions between the pack and guests. (Some may find this overkill, but this is what we do. It works for us!).
Basic Principle: It shouldn’t be “about” the dogs, i.e. they shouldn’t be the centre of attention. They should be incidental to the meeting of human beings. Ignoring the dogs is MUCH better than making a fuss of them.
• Person A goes outside and meets visitors/guests. Person A gets their attention and explains that he/she needs to communicate something important, namely how we are going to manage the introductions to the dogs safely. Make sure children are listening. Person A explains to visitors the process you will follow (namely steps below).
• Person A tells visitors the Basic Principle and the Golden Rule – namely that they are to follow the instructions you are about to give without deviation.
• Visitors (especially children) must be told to move in an “adult” fashion. No running, no jumping, no sudden movements, no shouting. Just calm, regular movements/gait. No running to hug people – there will be plenty of time for that later. And luggage is to be left in the vehicle for now.
• Person A walks the visitors to an agreed point on the property such as garden/garage, etc. Stop and hold at a given point.
• Person A starts a conversation with visitors. Eye contact and concentration maintained between visitors and guests. No distractions.
• The 2nd person then allows dogs out into the space a few at a time, in an order agreed with the 1st person.
• The dogs will likely rush over, bark, sniff, make a lot of noise. Visitors and guests maintain their position, their conversation and don’t pay any attention to the dogs whatsoever.
• Dogs will quickly get bored and go off and do other things. When all dogs have been introduced per plan and when dogs are calm, walk visitors into the house. Maintain conversations: remember dogs should not be the focus of attention. They are to be ignored until owners give the go-ahead to pet. No favourites – all to be treated equally.
• When it is time to bring luggage in, have owners go get it/accompany visitors (dogs may forget the person who came in, went out and then came back in again).
• Have visitors ask permission to do things (e.g. “Is it OK if I pet the dogs now?”), and then give specific instructions. Do not be afraid to say “No”, “Not yet” and “Stop!”.
• Visitors should understand there is to be no tail-gating (i.e. they go through a door/gate first, no dogs are allowed to go through the door with them/behind them, no dogs allowed to run IN through the door/gate as the visitors are going out etc).
Put simply: if a door is shut, and you are going through it, close it behind you. If a door is open, it is probably wise to check with the owners first if it is meant to be.
• Bedroom doors to be kept shut as dogs are incredibly inquisitive!
Our dogs are quite comfortable and have their areas they can retreat to should they need space, but you might find too that your own dogs prefer having baby-gates set up to keep themselves separate – only you will know your dogs well enough to determine that.
