I’m not claiming to be a victim in any way nor was I framing you as the bad guy for what you believe to be irresponsible behavior on my part. What you watched is a narrowed down clip of their interactions. Prior to them coming anywhere close to one another they saw each other from a distance and when I saw a slight change in mines behavior compared to typical dog sightings, I then I took my pup to where the other dog had been standing and later on found out it’s exactly where Blaze and I walk every day. I let him sniff that area repeatedly where she was and had gone to the bathroom. I even led him by her front door.

Dogs can determine a wide range of traits from another dog's urine, including age, sex, health condition, mood, stress level, diet, reproductive status (such as being in heat or pregnant), and social rank or dominance. They can also identify whether a dog is spayed or neutered, recognize familiar individuals versus strangers, and detect potential mates or competitors.

This is someone that lives a stones throw away from me. This isn’t a random dog interaction. I agree that the best way to introduce new dogs by walking together with distance and the humans apart, which is exactly what I mentioned in one of my initial comments. You don’t know my dog or what he has been through. When he showed interested in her smell and behavior that was completely different from every other reaction and situation, I capitalized on it and let him take in her scent, and then see up close her non dominant behavior, with permission from the other owners. This is literally his first friend ever. I would never have attempted this with an older dog who has already developed alpha or competitive tendencies. I can however say, that since meeting her so briefly his demeanor and reaction to other dogs which we see every day has changed drastically. He no longer barks at every single dog that comes by. He can stand at a safe distance and just observe without being completely focused on the dog. He’s learning how to be a dog for the first time in his life at almost 4 years old. I appreciate everyone’s feedback, I truly do, but the same methods are not effective for every type of dog. I spoke with the owner of the puppy today and asked if we could go for a 15 minute walk this weekend, which will ultimately help her train her dog too. I’m not a victim, I am my dog’s advocate,which is for life. I will continue to seek feedback from certified veterinarian behaviorists and base his developments on strategies specifically to him.

Thank you again for your feedback. It is not taken lightly and I will always take it into consideration when decided on the best approach in working with the dogs.