Meet and Greet

[Peggy IL]

We are in the process of adopting a Boxer/Terrier mix from a shelter, under 2 years old, girl. We have a Boston Terrier named Oreo. He will be 2 in March. We will be traveling 3 hours with him next week to meet and greet the new dog. It's required for the adoption and I agree it's an excellent idea. He has only been on one long trip and that was when we picked him up from the breeder. I am concerned about how he will react when he meets his new friend after the stress of the long trip.

Do you have any advice to make this trip and the meeting easier?

 

[bustermom]

Leave early, find the shelter, then without actually stopping at the shelter, go to a nearby area and relax with Oreo. Bring some special treats to give him, make sure he has a chance to potty, and just unwind for a few minutes.

Then hop back in the car for the short ride to the shelter. They probably have a "greeting area" outside, which would act as neutral territory.

How is Oreo with other dogs? Usually pretty mellow or does he get "terriery" (I have a very terriery BT! :rolleyes: )? If there's any initial wariness between the dogs, you may want to make sure you can separate them for the drive home. You may want to do this anyway unless you know how the new guy will act in the car. Maybe one rides up front and the other rides in the back with one of you.

Best of luck and I hope you have a new family member soon! :D