Exchanging toys with another dog's scent?

[lemonadeicedtea]

A friend recently gave my 20-month old male a ball that her male has been playing with. The two dogs haven't met yet, and her reasoning (besides the "OH MY GAWD A BALL" joy factor) was that it would get my pup used to her dog's scent and thus help a bit in facilitating their introduction someday.

I'm aware of doing this to get a dog accustomed to a new baby, for example, but haven't seen it recommended for dog/dog situations. Does anyone else do this? And if so, is it a helpful practice? Or does it serve more as amusement than anything else?

(For the record, he thinks it's the best thing ever, as he does with anything dirty and used. )

[Shade]

I don't suppose it would hurt. I've always taken a blanket with me for a new pup and rubbed the mother with it, same concept

[lemonadeicedtea]

Originally Posted by Shade

I don't suppose it would hurt. I've always taken a blanket with me for a new pup and rubbed the mother with it, same concept

That's what I figured - there's no harm in it being something to pique a dog's interest. I'm curious to know if anyone out there has done it to facilitate a smoother greeting for two dogs who haven't met, or to help in a situation where one is wary of the other.

[gsdraven]

There are certain dogs that I see on a regular basis. When I come home smelling like them, my guys just go about business as usual. When I have been with a new dog, I get a 5 minute sniff down when I walk in the door. Based on that, I think it could work. I'd still take the usual precautions like meeting on neutral ground and all that.

[doggiedad]

the pup knows it's mother. i would rub the blanket on me, my
other dog, the cat, etc.

Originally Posted by Shade

I don't suppose it would hurt. I've always taken a blanket with me for a new pup and rubbed the mother with it, same concept

[doggiedad]

i think giving a dog another dogs toy will help
matters more than hurt. when the other dog comes
to visit he may not find it amusing that his toys
are with another dog.

[Shade]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

the pup knows it's mother. i would rub the blanket on me, my
other dog, the cat, etc.

Those scents are already around the puppy when the puppy is in the new house. The point is to bring a familiar scent into a new area to help the transition, the familiar scent blends with the new scents and helps create relaxation

As I already said I think it's a good idea to introduce the smell and therefore the dog in a non-threatening manner before introducing the dog

[lemonadeicedtea]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I plan to experiment with this (completely unscientifically, of course) and will let you know if I notice any changes in how B greets these dogs.