Bringing Mikey home.....

Training starts on first moment of contact.
Consistency begins immediately!

This is the hardest part. I am sure you will be very excited to See him and instinctively want to run up to him all excited screeching his name "Mikey! Mikey!" This will bring out all the behavior we are trying to discontinue. No Love and No acknowledgment. This is time to show him he needs to work for his rewards (love, petting). This sounds cruel but so very important. How your family treats these first 48 hours will shape his place in your pack. Not only for Mikey but for Matthew as well. It is extremely important for all the dogs to have the same rules, boundaries and limitations set. Their reward system can vary, but never the rules. They are pack animals and do not rationalize the way humans do. If one dog is allowed on the couch, or bark at the door, then all dogs will follow.

When we first meet:
NO EYE CONTACT with Mikey!
Need to be a park, or public place near house.
I will need to exercise him. I want to walk with him first. We will meet each other (while you ignore Mikey) and walk along together talking. I will give you the leash and we will continue to walk while ignoring him.
Ignoring him will show leadership. When Mikey is calm, we will stop, make him sit and them you can acknowledge him. Pet him and tell him he is a good boy. If he starts to get to excited (and jumpy)-stop! Ignore him again. This cycle may continue to go on for awhile. Not only with you but with each member he meets. It is extremely important that we ALL follow this. He will smell your smells, recognize you and immediately fall into his behavior pattern he had with you before. There will be time later at night, when I am gone and he is nestles next to your feet (his favorite spot) for you to rub his belly, coo at him and love him. But now is not that time.

Introduction to house:
Outside area first. Walk around yard for him to gain smells of familiarity and of Matthew.
Inside done with lease on. Start with Boundaries:
Show where his cage, food and water area is.
Baby gate off areas of the house where he will not be able to enter. This will help cut down on the running around. Also, he may be able to have free range of the house, but not when he first arrives. We must set limitations and rules straight off. He can be rewarded after when he knows them.
Matthew and Mikey meet on neutral territory. Preferable somewhere that is fenced in (a neighbors yard?) so after they meet we can observe them, off leash but contained. Normally it can take up to 2 weeks for dogs to become pack. My experience has been 3-6 days.
Introduction to Cats. May be done with Mikey in his cage, cats let into room. Mikey doesn't seem to mind cats and actually will try to herd them. By introducing them this way we can watch to see the personalities or vulnerabilities.

I hope you have the time, so I can stay for awhile and help with the adjustments. I want to make sure you all are able to walk him properly on a leash, go over the book I am preparing, etc.
I am sure you miss him terribly and are excited to get him home.
Mikey is an awesome dog! I know I will need time to adjust to him not being around…….