We took Jack with us and put him in a puppy pen at Elaine's then popped Layla in. Jack was a bit unsure but Layla was just interested, and they were fine together. After about 20 minutes we walked away so they weren't being stared at and when I peeked back around the gate Layla was humping Jack :roll: but he wasn't bothered.
After about an hour we brought them home in separate carriers but face to face on the back seat, a journey of just under an hour. At home we set up a 3' x 2' pen outside as it was a nice day and put them in there for a couple of hours. Again, Layla was very relaxed although Jack was little bit uncertain but there were no negative signs from either of them.
Jack and Missy had had a huge pen at one end of our living room, so we set up a smaller one at the opposite end - about 4' x 3'. We put Jack and Layla in there and gave them a large dog-bed for a litter tray so they could both get right in it comfortably. They spent the night in there (with my husband on the sofa :lol
and the next day, then we let them out into the living room for a while in the evening. We carried on like that for a couple more days - nights in the pen but free-range in the evening and then let them free-range completely.
I did come home from work one day a few weeks later to orange fur *everywhere* so they had obviously had quite a scrap. If I had witnessed it, it might have seriously worried me but by the time I came home they were snuggled up together and fine with no injuries so I left them to it (I don't think I even restricted their space again, I can't remember for sure). Since then they have been fab together. They have a very different relationship from Jack and Missy's - they were together all the time. Jack and Layla spend more time apart, they both seem to like their own space at times, but they also spend a lot of time together snuggled up and snoozing or grooming. Layla humps Jack at times (especially food times). Jack grooms Layla, she never grooms him. But then if Layla is being naughty he will nip her on the bum :lol: so she is not entirely the boss. In fact we have to be careful about telling her off because if we do he will nip her on the bum :lol:
I've done quite a few bonds and always,
always have best success if I can start the bond in a neutral outside space, whether the buns live outside or inside. I have no idea why :?