Jack Russell meeting Westie pup

Question
We will be going away for Thanksgiving and our JR "Hank" will be meeting his cousin the westie female "Misty" for the first time. The house is neutral and both dogs have been there before but not together. Hank and Misty are crate trained and Hank also attends day care with other dogs but he can still be aggressive to other dogs. How can we make the introduction go smoothly?

Answer
Hi Nancy
You're smart to be thinking about this ahead of time!
The first thing I would advise it to make sure the dogs meet OUTSIDE on the lawn of the property - give them plenty of time to greet, smell, play and test eachother out there. If one of the dogs is in the house first, it will establish a dominant place and you don't want that. Keep them in the car until you both arrive.
Secondly, make sure that you guys (the dog owners) are not in the least bit nervous because the dogs will sense it immediately. Be calm, assertive, in control and the BOSS! Make immediate and swift correction if either of them gives even a hint of aggression toward the other. Again, I emphasize they will be feeding off of your emotions so be a good "pack leader"! :)
Make sure that the humans enter the house first and then the dogs may be invited in.
Each dog should also have their own crate, away from the other so if they need some space they have it.
The owners should "switch" dogs on occasion and take the other one for a nice walk together to establish some trust and love.
I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised and they will do fine together.
Best of luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!