Helping your pets find puppy love

The nervous first date is history.

You two are getting serious these days, and that means it's time to take the next step and introduce those important members of your families.

No, no, not your parents. Your pets.

It might seem like an animal meeting should run smoothly (since their inability to talk helps them avoid Obama vs. McCain debates, unlike your parents). But experts say there's a lot to consider when trying to create a successful play date for your pets.

Michelle Lenz, an animal care manager with the Naperville Area Humane Society, says any couple introducing two dogs should be extremely in tune with their own dog's body language.

"If the tail is tucked or tightly curled underneath the body, if the body is stiff and the dog is just staring or if the ears are up and pinned back, the dog is showing she is nervous or not comfortable," says Lenz.

But of course the goal is to avoid awkwardness like this, so Lenz offers a few guidelines to help your pups become fast friends.

• During the first meeting, always have both dogs on leashes.

• Bring them together in a neutral territory, like a park.

"It must be somewhere neither dog can claim as its own. Even if a dog is used to walking in one specific neighborhood, it may feel territorial there, so try someplace new," says Lenz.

• When dogs first meet, Lenz says they will typically smell each other and you should let them do that for a few minutes. Even if everything goes well, though, don't push it.

"After a couple of minutes, pull them apart, give treats and encourage them," says Lenz. "Then let them chill out and maybe take them together on a walk."

• If you and your sweetheart are merging homes - and pets - Lenz recommends crating both dogs at night and when you're not home. In addition, she says, if your dog is moving into the unfamiliar home, try to bring as many familiar items as possible."

• Even if they get along, feed both pets out of separate bowls at opposite sides of the kitchen.

"You never know what might really set off a dog," says Lenz. "One dog might go for the other's favorite toy and the other might snap back, like 'even though you're my best friend, you cannot take that away from me.' As much as we might try to humanize them, they are still animals."

• Animal introductions always work best, she says, if they are spayed and neutered.

Of course, cat-lovers have some rules of their own to follow, too. Even though felines are likely to be more chill and less dangerous than, say, a pit bull, cat owners can take extra care to make sure their pets are comfortable. Carolyn Mossberger, executive director of the West Suburban Humane Society, says it's a good idea to keep cats in a completely separate room for a while before they meet other pets - especially dogs. Here's a few tips Mossberger says will help the transition:

• Keeping a cat in the spare room allows the animals to smell each other through the door, she says. If there's a new pet moving in, she suggests rubbing a towel on each animal and then giving the scented towel to the other newcomer, so they can get familiar.

• When both pets seem ready to socialize, still keep them separated by a baby gate or a barrier that allows them to interact with boundaries, says Mossberger.

• In the case of a dog and cat, keep the dog on leash when they first meet and, once they are getting along, crate the dog while you are away from home until you're certain both animals can happily coexist,

"Do it slow and that will help you be successful," Mossberger says.

During the summer, dog-loving couples also have plenty of opportunity to weave their pets into their own dates. In addition to suburban dog parks, several area park districts host "doggy dip" events at the end of the summer where pups and their owners can swim before the pool is drained for the season.

And this month, the City Club American Bar & Grill in Naperville will host Yappy Hour, to benefit the Naperville Area Humane Society. Ticket prices for the event include appetizers and one drink, beer, wine or soda. There will also be samples of Natural Balance rolled pet foods for all canines in attendance. But since humane society workers want all dogs to socialize swimmingly, too, all dogs at Yappy Hour must be fully vaccinated and well behaved.

Yappy Hour

Benefits: Naperville Area Humane Society

When: 6 to 8 p.m. July 16, Aug. 20 and Sept. 17

Where: City Club American Bar & Grill, 1163 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville

Cost: $25 in advance; $30 at the door

Web: napervillehumanesociety.org

Phone: (630) 420-8989, ext. 18