BY their nature, dogs are a highly social species - they have a natural instinct to live in harmonious groups.

However some dogs may find this more difficult than others, potentially experiencing signs of anxiety when they are around other dogs.

As part of their “Happy Dogs, Happy Days” campaign, Lintbells, manufacturers of pet supplement YuCALM Dog, has worked with dog behavioural expert Dr Emily Blackwell to come up with top tips for socialising dogs:

• Before the introduction take both dogs for a walk, and if things go well bring them back to the garden allowing the new dog off the lead to explore first before letting the resident dog off the lead.

• Try to avoid leaving “valuable” items, such as bones and chews, around the house for the first few weeks, and feed the dogs in separate rooms to begin with

• Don’t tell either dog off if things appear tense, try to distract them calmly to diffuse the situation

• Watch your dogs. Learn how they communicate using visual signals, so that you can start to “read” what they are “saying” to each other.

• Don’t overwhelm them – Many people believe that they need to make their dog “face its fear” or “socialise” with other dogs, however this isn’t the case.

• Find your dog’s threshold – You should aim to only encounter other dogs at a distance at which your dog remains calm.

• Make positive associations – Once you’ve found the distance at which your dog doesn’t react, you can reward the un-reactive behaviour with treats or extra fuss. They are then more likely to remain calm next time.

• Stay on your toes – Be alert for signs that your dog may be uncomfortable, don’t wait until they are lunging/barking at other dogs, move away at the earliest signs your dog is worried

• Remain calm – Although it can be frustrating/embarrassing to have a dog that lunges and barks, it’s important that you don’t get angry and tell them off. This will just confirm to your dog that other dogs are bad news.