Resident dog meets latest four footed family member

Even though dogs are very sociable creatures, introducing a new puppy or dog to the resident pup in charge, can be problematic at times. Not all dogs are receptive to having a new critter taking some of the attention away from them. You will need to prepare your house for the new arrival before you bring them home. Put the dog toys, bones, food bowls and beds away, whether you have ever seen the resident dog show jealousy when they are around another dog before or not. This is easily accomplished and will help make things go more smoothly.

To avoid any territorial issues, it is best not to bring the new dog or puppy to your house or yard for that first introduction. Take them to a neutral area and keep both dogs on a leash. Ask a friend or a family member to go along so each one of you has control of one dog. Let them be dogs & sniff each other. They may bark or growl a bit or try to climb on top of each other, just keep an eye on them and try not to intercede until you see some type of clue that indicates a probable fight lurking. If you have more than one resident dog, introduce each dog to the new arrival separately before bringing the group together. Allow them to do whatever it takes (short of taking a chunk out of each other) to establish a relationship, with as little intervention from you as possible. After the initial meeting in a park or other common ground and IF they got along, bring them into your home together, keeping them on a leash. Take the leash off of the habitant dog when you first come inside, but allow the new pup to explore the house with the leash still attached. You can let the pup off of their leash but only if the resident dog seems relaxed and cordial towards the new family member.

Continue to follow your normal routine as far as meals, walks, playtime and bedtime are concerned to keep things more familiar for the resident canine. Spend quality time alone with each dog, to bond with the newcomer, and also to make sure that the older pooch does not feel as if they are being replaced by the ‘outsider’. Monitor the dogs and how they interact with each other before you leave them alone together. This may take a few weeks until you see that they are comfortable enough with each other to be in confined quarters together with no human supervision.