How to introduce my dog to my boyfriend?

[Proud owner of a maltipoo]

My boyfriend is coming to visit me this weekend from London & he has never met my dog.Likewise,my dog has never met him before either.I have never had a dog in the past that I had to introduce to my boyfriend so I don't know what to do...Is it better to have them meet in a neutral setting like at home & have her on a leash??Any tips would be helpful.
You seriously think i am going to introduce my dog like that to my bf?Get a life & be a little more respectful here.
She is a small 6-7 pound dog.She will usually bark when people or other dogs pass the house and if when strangers come in she will bark,jump up at the person.Other than that she's pretty well behaved.Thank You for the tips.It has helped a lot!

 

[Megan Wilson]

The introduction is dependent upon if your dog has territory issues or resource guarding issues. If your dog is very protective of your house or even worse, you, then it would be best to meet on neutral ground. However, if he has never shown any signs of these behaviors then it should be okay to meet at your house. Have your boyfriend meet the way he would with any other dog with his hand out, palm down, in front of the dog's nose, not on top of the head (this could scare the dog since the dog thinks, "Why are you going to pet me, we haven't even been introduced yet!" Basically the doggie equivalent of a total stranger hugging you. Make sure the boyfriend is not hovering over the dog as this can seem threatening. If the dog is tall enough, standing and holding his hand out will be more than sufficient. If the dog is too short, have boyfriend crouch down. DO NOT PICK THE DOG UP to greet. This can be very bad and can heighten any fears the dog may have at the time, as well as any protective instinct he is feeling. If all seems good and the dog does not back away, growl, etc. then boyfriend should be able to initiate petting.

One thing many couples run into is the dog trying to take over the owner's attention. This is because the dog feels replaced by the boyfriend. He had all your attention and now he doesn't get any; he's feeling neglected. Make sure you are still spending time with the dog both one on one and with the boyfriend.

If the dog seems to have any issues with the boyfriend try having the boyfriend give the dog treats. He doesn't need to work for them, just tossing them to the dog is good enough. Make sure they are super yummy so the dog is more enticed. What you are doing here is a lot: You are, or rather boyfriend is telling dog "Hey, I'm not a threat and to show you I'm going to give you yummy food." This is building the trust and bond between boyfriend and dog and you are building a positive association for the dog that "boyfriend around means I get good food."

 

[munchkin]

i would introduce them outside of your home, maybe go for a walk ... if he had yummy treats to offer her, that would be good too :O)

 

[Baxter Dewall]

You say to him "This is my dog". Then turn to dog and say "This is the man that is replacing you, now go in the corner and do not lick my butt".