Gigi-Various Notes on Dog Introduction with Gigi

1) Start with crate confinement, and look for Gigi to be calm not ramped up in crate first. Keep humans et to the minimum and everything low key. Other dog can wander around and do whatever.

2) Then we want sessions of sit on the dog until Gigi is showing now shivering or ramped up symptoms. We want to do this with both dogs, and perhaps stagger the seats so that Gigi or the other dog is at the butt end of the other. However, we don't want to have enough freedom so that an altercation can occur.

3) Then I would hang out with Gigi on a leash, but not on sit on the dog. Try to orchestrate butt to butt sniffing. If she snarks or growls, back in the crate she goes until the next time.



***Remember let's wait a week at least until Gigi is used to following your lead. Then we want the atmosphere to be as least distracting as possible, as that's been the way it's worked here so far.

I wouldn't have anyone walking her until you and your wife are very comfortable walking her in these situations. Once a few months of that has gone by, then you could think of who you could get to walk her. If there is another trainer/dog walker in the area, or if it's a family member you can give the rules to and practice with. She really needs to be following you first. Indications of progress would be less attention given to outside stimuli, and more attention to your lead. These are indentified by decrease in locking on and concern regarding oncoming distractions. Also comes by no longer needing to give corrections for on leash good behavior. So it does sound like you are going backwards a bit, but remember you are still new to handling Gigi, and it's hard to download years of training info into a human brain into a short period of time LOL. Not impossible however. I think a good couple outcomes of walks on your own would do a lot to give you the ability to read Gigi, before she even thinks of reacting, and train her out of it with you.