Meeting on Neutral Turf: Does it really matter?

[Adina P]

We read a lot about having new dogs meet on "neutral turf" to lessen the chances of any tussles or territorial behavior.  And I've always passed that on as good advice.  But I'm starting to wonder if it really truly matters with dogs that are generally friendly and of good temperament. 

My dogs have met a number of dogs for the first time IN OUR YARD with zero issues:

Rosco met our other two dogs in our yard when he joined my life.  And the following dogs, who all met my dogs in our yard, all had no issues or vice versa:

--Young Leonberger (intact male)
--Young ALD (female)
--Poodle mix pup (female)
--F1 Labradoodle pup (male)
--Adult weimaraner (male)
--Cocker pup (female)
--2 goldendoodles (female)
--adult lab (male)
--young goldendoodle (male)

The weimaraner and cocker pup came on separate occasions and were brought over by a friend while my dogs were out playing in the yard and took me by total surprise.

So I'm wondering...have you found the same thing or have some of you experienced issues when introducing new dogs in your yard?

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

My brother brought his dog (Lab) and my daughter brought hers (Golden) to our house to meet Guinness, and there were absolutely no problems. Guinness was excited to have them here from the minute they walked in the door.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Now that you mention it, I have had a lab, a lab mix and a golden retriever, that I can think of off the top of my head, visit my yard. There were no problems whatsoever. Maybe it helped that it didn't even occur to me there would be problems : )

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack is definitely better when meeting new dogs away from our house, and off-leash, than at home. And at home, he is way better if they meet in the yard than inside the house. But he really needs to be off-leash in any case.
I don't think you can use the example of Rosco meeting Thule & Cass in this equation. The reactions of a new puppy coming into a home are very different from those of an adult dog, and an adult dog's behavior toward a young puppy is also very different from the way they might react to a strange adult. Jack is much more tolerant of strange puppies than he is of adult dogs, regardless of the circumstances under which they meet.
He was also very submissive to other dogs anywhere for a long time after I got him. As he has gotten older and more confident, the submissiveness has disappeared. So I think it depends on the age & living status of the individual dog as well as just the place they meet.

[Adina P]

The weimaraner was a young adult as was the lab.

[Natasha]

We have had many successful meets in our front or back yard - both dogs off-leash. We have had one unsuccessful (initially) meet in our front yard with dogs on-leash (so, we never do that anymore).

We had a very unsuccessful SECOND meeting in our front yard with our friends' rescue dog. The first meeting went well - dog park and then a walk together. But, at the second meeting, she nipped at Rouser (a very submissive dog but he was excited).

Oh, and a really interesting observation... Rouser has played with Sammy (our neighbor's golden who is two months older and super sweet) since we brought him home. They love each other and bonded instantly. However, when our neighbor was traveling a bit more during the day, we would go over to see Sammy in his backyard (a first), Rouser was really uncomfortable and didn't engage in the same manner. He spent most of his time smelling the yard and was even a little more submissive to Sammy than I have ever seen. I was pretty surprised.

So, yes, I think with some dogs, when presented with the smell of someone else's territory, it can overwhelm them and if they are a dog that is a bit uncomfortable or unsure already, it can make things more difficult.

[Adina P]

When I've taken either Rosco or Thule to meet a pup in THAT dog's yard...they spent the whole time sniffing and marking (Rosco did but without lifting his leg) and basically they each ignored the puppy as best they could.

[Debbie, Brianna and Duncan]

We have had Doodle meet ups with no issue at all. Off leash, as Karen mentioned, I think best. We have had several.

One Big Labradoodle came to stay for two weeks and he and ours bounded about from the start like he had always been here. We previously met him at his house inside with our two. with no issues. A DK member brought over her three, we met in our yard on leash....lot of pulling to meet, but no aggression, pulled to get in the backyard fenced area and away they went. A couple of neighbor dogs, when they 'get free' come over and they always get to play with ours in the fenced area, while I call the parents to let them know they are safe......Never a problem with ours to just open the gate and let them in, they are greeted with our doodles with a big 'hi, come on let's play'...they are Border Collies, a beautiful Lab and a West Highland Terrier.

The other side: We met our sister-in-Laws Jack Terrier (non-neutered) arriving at the cabin two years ago, it was one in the AM in the house.......Big problem! Glad I had Brianna on leash, scooped her up and called for my Sister-in-law who said "Its OK, he is just playing!" (Uhh, No fur standing on end, teeth showing/biting is not playing)...I asked for her to please put Buddy in control-leash. Actually she needed/did take him to the boat house where they were staying, because it was not good. The Introduction was then on-leash the next day, outside with a lot of sniffing/Buddyjockying/Brianna submissive/sniffing....no biting/fur standing/seemed much better, and then off leash they went for the next two weeks, just fine......(except for Mrhumpalot driving me nuts)

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Well as a person who has dogs in and out of my house on a regular basis with many of them staying for awhile, lol, I have found that an intro in the front and/or backyard is fine....It's inside the house where potential problems can occur. I never just waltz into Blake (and now Bella's) space ( in reality of course it is MY space) with a new dog before introducing them outside first and giving them a chance to smell, play etc. and become familiar with each other.

This has worked out really well in the past with Blake who is generally stressed when new, unfamiliar dogs intrude upon the our shared inside space without a formal intro outside first. In fact, in the past when I have had to pick up rescues, I have taken Blake with me in the car and introduced them on neutral territory and have then given them a chance to spend time together during the car ride home. Once a new dog is actually in the car with us, Blake seems to understand that the dog is coming home with us for awhile and he is more relaxed with the situation.

I think it really depends on the dogs that are being introduced.

[Adina P]

That's a good point. Somehow in a house it's easier for dogs to kind of end up cornered and feel threatened. I guess those two goldendoodles that did fine outside in the yard had some trouble with Thule in the house. She wanted to rush to greet and then when they were all squashed down the hallway with us trying to usher them out there was a little snarlyness.

[1xar0x2rcx0li]

For dogs that are not territorial, it probably doesnt matter. But if they are, it is likely very important to meet on neutral turf. You never know when your dog may get territorial, so I think its a good general rule. I too have had lots of dogs over and the first time they meet is in our yard without issues. I always had our dogs in the yard and then I do to the car and lead the new dog in, sort of vouching for it to my dogs. But is there was a strange dog in the house already as we brought our dogs home from a walk, I can see them having a small isuue with that. You just have to know your dogs.

[Adina P]

The hard part about 'meeting on neutral turf' is finding a SAFE neutral turf where two dogs can meet off-leash, BESIDES the dog park.

Cass, our border collie, usually raises her hackles and barks a lot when a new dog comes over. But that has always been the extent of it. She's very much an alpha female, but not at all aggressive. Our dogs seem territorial (they bark at things outside the house), but they get over it as soon as a dog or person comes onto the property.

Now off on a little tangent. We have some neighbors with several dogs that always bark their heads off at passerby (huge fence along the sidewalk). Two of their dogs are schiperkes and we discovered they are truly territorial. They've escaped their yard a number of times and at least once when Clark has tried to return them they were FINE until Clark crossed the gate threshhold. Then they tried to bite him. Which is kind of hilarious. They were fine with him outside their gate while they were outside...then suddenly Clark reaches their property line to put them back in their yard and BAM...

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

When my son brings his 3 huskies up to stay we always meet on neutral territory, even though they do seem to remember each other now. I think it would only be the oldest husky, Tsar about 12 or so, who would cause a problem. We call him the sheriff, because he seems to feel it is his job to break up the play when he feels it is too rowdy - that is it is too near him. Once he starts in the whole pack of them can be trouble. So I think we will keep meeting on neutral territory. When we kept a runaway golden puppy overnight there were no problems, but she was a puppy.