A professional pet trainer in Cleveland, Ohio, shares real-life examples of not introducing dogs to each other.
Matthew Slaughter teaches basic and advanced dog obedience and works with behavior modification and dog rehabilitation. in the past few weeks He gained fame on TikTok after posting a video of an encounter between two dogs who were introduced to each other on a leash.
The clip was taken from his apartment window. It captures two pit bulls named Tito and Hemi as heard in the video. which were on opposite sides of the road where they were first brought together
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The killing can be heard in the clip trying to intervene. He repeatedly told his owner “don’t do it” when the two dogs touched each other. Unfortunately, his request was ignored and chaos arose.
Owner of Right Way K9 Training says Newsweek He started recording the clip after hearing “Two dogs growl loudly” outside the house.
“At first glance I think they let it move. But it surprised me when suddenly The woman stopped, turned, and faced the other dog owner with inviting body language,” he says. ‘There’s no way they’re going to try this,’ and I started recording.”
At the beginning of the encounter Dogs can be seen sniffing each other. Although they both looked tense, Tito then attempted to climb Mount Hemi and a fight ensued, at which point the two owners attempted to separate them. While an angry roar is heard in the video, although Tito is briefly off his leash, the two Pitbulls eventually separate and go in different directions.
Slaughter said he didn’t want to be involved. but can see The “probable level of damage” that could happen if two pit bulls were taken together. “I can tell they will fight based on energy level, body language and lack of involvement with the owner,” he said.
Slaughter says that the biggest glaring mistake in the video is that “Lack of planning and structure” of the two owners. and failure to recognize “Aggressive and uncomfortable body language in their dogs.”
He also criticized what he described as a The “constant pressure” applied by both owners to the two dogs. Slaughter reportedly sent the message “Don’t worry, don’t worry” to the two dogs.
“You can see Tito’s energy rising pulsating with the ever-increasing pressure from his owner’s leash,” he says. While no one was seriously hurt in this case, Slaughter warns that this kind of situation could be a chore. It can cause injuries to the dog or owner easily.
Slaughter noted that leash greetings are dangerous for dogs in terms of teaching them. They “walk on a loose leash” where they are entrusted with keeping close contact with their owners. It also negatively affects the dog’s general social skills.
He offers a different approach to bringing this type of dog together through 90-minute play sessions. All food and toys must be removed. “To prevent competition,” while play days should begin with 15 to 30 minutes of “non-contact” walking.
“You can start walking from a distance and gradually. move closer together Take as much time as your dog needs. They will calm down,” he said.
if it goes well The next step is to take the dog to the play area. Drop off the leash and let the two dogs get to know each other. “Don’t talk, touch or make eye contact, because your attention and affection can create as much competition and competition as a dog fight,” says Slaughter.
when they are tired He said it’s important to let the dogs drink water and rest together for 15 minutes before leaving.
Finally, Slaughter believes that careful planning is essential when introducing your dog to other dogs. “It takes one bad experience to turn your dog into an aggressive dog,” he says. “So be cautious and plan ahead.”
In 2020, researchers from Finland asked owners of 13,715 dogs of 264 different breeds. To better understand their anxiety-related traits
Results published in the journal scientific reportIt highlights how 72.5 percent of the dogs involved struggled with some form of anxious behavior, of which 29 percent felt generally fearful. while 17 percent had a special fear of other dogs.
Considering these numbers Dog owners need to be attentive when introducing their dogs to each other. Slaughter knows this fact too much.
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