So I am pet sitting a 1 year old husky for a week. When she first got to my house everything was normal and fine. she explored the new enviornment and was sniffing and being curious towards my dogs (have a boxer and pitbull mix both are a year old too) Well whenever I am introducing new dogs I separate them and wait for the new dog to feel comfortable and then let 1 of my dogs out at a time so no one gets overwhelmed. Well I knew this husky had food aggression which I was okay with because I always feed my dogs separately because my boxer is allergic to grains and chicken, but when i let my boxer out I realized I forgot to put up the new dogs food and everything was smooth up until my dog went to sniff the bag of dog food then the husky started snipping and barking at my dog. So i quickly put them in their kennels to let them "cool off". well I tried to introduce them again (this time keeping mine in their kennel and the other on a short leash) and it did not seem to help. Part of me thinks its the food aggression and she isnt over it yet and another part of me thinks its the lack of socialization the husky has had. As far as i know she has only gone to puppy classes and thats it and is the only dog in the household. So I was wondering if anyone had some tips or advice on how to try and solve this without me having to keep them in their kennels for a long time.

thank you!

Sounds fun... It does indeed sound like the pup wasn't socialized properly. You might have this dynamic for the entire time you are sitting the pup, or they might figure it out and co-exist.

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well I tried to introduce them again (this time keeping mine in their kennel and the other on a short leash) and it did not seem to help.

Two dogs meeting with restrictions (Behind a Kennel or leashed) can at times lead to a outburst like this. They don't truly get to meet and instead are being held back and forced into an intense frame of mind instead of thinking about greeting.

Now I'm not saying you should leave them in a room and let them figure it out, but maybe a more relaxed introduction without holding the dogs back would yield better results.

To that end re-introducing them somewhere that isn't property of either dog would be a decent idea. For example try and bring them to a neutral park neither of them has been to if possible and introduce them there. It would place both pups on an even level in terms of territory instead of one feeling it might need to defend something or place.

Either way I wouldn't try and restrict the introduction but I would be right there in case it looked like it was going poorly and stop it before it did, watching for warnings signs, separating until calm, and then trying again. I would probably use two handlers in this case.

If that works just be diligent about food being around so this doesn't happen again. If you are going to be housing the Husky for a while you could maybe work on some of the food aggression by trying to hand feed and desensitization... But if it just for a couple of days I would just be wary about anything that could start a fight.

It can't be easy and I don't envy you, but I do wish you the best of luck!

~Chris~

Chris has some good ideas, I'll add a couple things that worked for us.

BTW - if you introduce them somewhere else, don't let the husky off leash (they run!). Off leash intros usually go better, so we go to the local tennis courts, secure all the doors and let them loose inside.

We find having a spray bottle full of water a nice reminder for all dogs of what is and what isn't appropriate during introductions and play time. It tends to break their focus and concentration - like rattling a can of pennies - they usually shake off the tension and move on. I only have to use this for a day or so until they get it. They use this technique at doggie daycare and it works quite well. As for the food, I'd keep any food out of reach while the husky is there.

Thank y'all so much!! I completely forgot about the water bottle technique! I am keeping them away from each other until tomorrow when I have a friend (who thankfully is a dog trainer) come over to help me out and see if we can get them all to be nice!