One of the most common questions that I get e-mailed to me or asked in our Sunday Pit bull class is, “How do I know that my pit bull won’t fight if I let him go off leash with a dog(s) that I don’t know?” My answer is always the same, how well do you know your dog? When we introduce a pit bull, or really any new dog into our existing pack, we put a few trusted dogs that we know really well. My dog Clancy usually serves as the initial evaluator of the new dog, often conducted on leash, then when we do decide to test the new dog with a few dogs, we usually select a dog like Chasui because he is not playful and can co-exist with just about any dog in the yard and absolutely knows when to back away from a dog who is nervous and might become aggressive. Another dog that we use a lot if Cookie, who is often the first dog that most of our new dogs meet. Cookie is wonderful at greeting a dog slowly and understanding the new dog’s play style. Cookie can also just co-exist in the yard without playing, allowing the new dog to investigate and relax before the play begins.