Dog Introduction and Dominance

Question
i bought a Siberian husky (Guinness) when he was 8 weeks old he is now 6 months and living outside in his pen i try to walk his at least twice a day but to relieve some of his boredom when im away i bought another year old Siberian husky (Koda). This one isn't aggressive towards people but when i put the two together koda attacks Guinness usually biting him on the snout Guinness submits but this is happening on a regular basis and i don't want either of the dogs to get hurt. They have only been introduced but the information i got of the old owner was that Koda will take a few hours to get used to another dog this has been going on for 2 days now and ive been keeping them separate i was thinking of muzzling them both and putting them in the same pen but im not sure if this is the right thing to do. any help would be greatly appreciated

Answer
As always, make sure all dogs have a clean bill of health from the veterinarian.

It is best to introduce dogs in a neutral territory. I like the long walk method so they can see each other and acclimate while getting exercise and getting tired. You can do this alone, but it is often simpler if there are enough people so dog-to-people reatio is one-to-one.

Your new dog is performing the "Muzzle Handshake" which is a dominant move. This appears to be telling your resident dog that he is to be submissive. Normal behavior within reason.

Your Siberians are also a breed that takes lots of exercise and has lots of energy. This breed really does need something to do and having them occupied and tired will be helpful in the long run.

Here are some links for you on how to introduce them and basic dog information too.

http://RileyTrainingCenter.blogspot.com
http://www.OutlawChinooks.com
http://leerburg.com/introducingdogs.htm (Dog Introduction specifically.)
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_she... (Dog Introduction specifically.)


Good Luck.