Getting your dog used to other dogs

To prepare for a show, the aim is for your dog to be able to watch other dogs, walk near them and stay available to you.

He can be perfectly relaxed without wanting to play with every dog he meets.

Beginner — Learning to watch calmly

1. Start at a distance

Choose an open spot where your dog can see another dog without having to pass close by.

Try this: reward him when he watches calmly and then turns back to you. If he pulls hard, gets agitated or seems worried, increase the distance. There is no ideal distance that works for every dog.

2. Work on walking before meetings

Learning to walk on a loose lead and to pay attention to you makes exercises near other dogs easier.

The little game: in a quiet place, reward a few steps beside you. Then repeat the exercise with a dog visible in the distance.

3. Choose a suitable partner

For the first meetings, favour a dog you know, who is healthy and whose behaviour suits your dog’s.

Your go-to: arrange the session with its owner. A very rough or pushy dog won’t necessarily be the best partner for a shy beginner. For a puppy, ask the vet which meetings are suitable given his vaccination cover.

Intermediate — Sharing space calmly

1. Try the parallel walk

Meet your partner somewhere quiet, away from home. Each dog stays with his person, on a lead.

Try this: walk in the same direction, far enough apart for both dogs to stay comfortable. Move closer gradually if all goes well.

2. Keep greetings optional

If both dogs are relaxed and the owners agree, a brief sniff can be offered, then you carry on walking.

The useful habit: keep the leads loose and stop if either dog becomes uncomfortable. Walking together without touching is already a good experience.

3. Adapt to both dogs

Your dog wants to play, but the other moves away? Or your dog freezes while the other keeps pushing? Time to give space again.

Your rule: the meeting must stay comfortable for everyone. Forcing a worried dog to stay near another dog can make his fear worse.

Advanced — Preparing for closeness in the ring

1. Add an exercise he already knows well

During show training, work on a short stand with another dog at a comfortable distance.

Try this: ask for a few moments of stack, reward, then take a break. This applies concentration-at-a-distance exercises to the ring: you are not yet trying to reproduce a whole class.

2. Prepare for moving as a group

Ringcraft classes let you work on walking on a lead with other dogs around.

Your mission: ask the instructor for a short exercise behind or next to another pair. Leave enough space to move forward without catching up with the dog in front or causing contact.

3. Know when to ask for help

Repeated barking, lunging or persistent fear won’t be sorted out by multiplying close meetings.

Your priority: avoid situations that overwhelm your dog and get support from a professional who uses reward-based methods. In the case of aggressive behaviour, veterinary and behavioural advice helps in preparing a suitable programme.

How can you tell if your dog is making progress?

He may look at another dog, turn away and go back to what he was doing with you, without tensing up or constantly pulling.

Keep sessions easy and enjoyable. The distance can shrink as he improves, but it must be able to grow again as soon as your dog needs it.

For the ring, knowing how to share space matters as much as knowing how to make friends.

The exercises suggested are teaching tips, not regulatory requirements.