Training Prep for Introducing a Program Dog to a (mildly) Reactive Pet Dog
I'm on the waitlist for a program dog, expecting a placement sometime within another 6-12 months.
In the meantime, I've been trying to prepare financially (mostly saving up and budgeting extra expenses) and also getting my house and current resident (pet) dog prepped.
My current pet dog is about 5 years old, but is a rescue with a history of fear reactivity. We worked 1 on 1 with a force free trainer for about 18 months and she has come super far, but continues to be wary of other dogs, and to generally struggle with appropriate dog socialization behavior. She worked through much of this in training, but reached a plateau at about 18 months.
Although she's not aggressive out of context, she was clearly under-socialized during her critical window, generally neglected during her first year of life, spent time in the local shelter system, etc -- and some of the traces of that start in life just can't be extinguished for this dog. We truly feel she's doing her best.
FWIW, she *has* successfully socialized with well-socialized dogs when supported. She even got to the point of being off-leash playmates with a few hand-picked dogs, and never had any problems. This took lots of work to build up to, and unfortunately my health took a turn last fall, and I ended up staying home a lot, causing a bit of a regression in her anxiety around other dogs.
I'm pretty confident as an amateur trainer after working with her and a few dogs before her, but I'm not a professional. I'm confident she has the ability to get along successfully with a service dog (or any dog trained / socialized to a high standard), but i do think i should be using this time to get us both prepared, and looking for any tips on where to focus.
Has anyone else here brought in a fully-trained program dog when a mildly to moderately reactive adult resident dog already lived in the home?
What training prep did you do with your reactive dog, and what protocols were helpful for introductions and building the relationship?
It goes without saying I will work closely with the program trainers on this, and use common sense precautions like avoiding play with toys/leaving out high-value resources, ensuring separate feeding areas, not leaving them unattended alone, etc.
I'm just wanting to get ahead of things as much as possible with where I focus on training with my current dog, while we are waiting. Thanks in advance!
EDIT: Because this was a good question asked - Yes, the program admin and trainers know the status of my current dog. This was discussed in the interview and application process, and is being factored into my match, as well.