Bringing a new dog home to a family with a dog!!
Many people want to share their home with more than one dog. However if you the dogs are not brought home together initially, it can be (but doesn’t have to be) a challenge to introduce a new dog to the existing family dog.
When choosing the new dog, you do have to keep in mind the dog you already have at home. Try and stay away from breeds that tend to be aggressive or that are known to have difficulty with other dogs. Also, the size between the dogs should not be exceptionally great. Many vets recommend that the dogs in the home be of the same sex, and if the dog is an adult and isn’t going to be bred, then it should be fixed. This could also minimize any type of aggressive behavior. Many times it is just the personalities of the dogs that determine how well they will get along.
Remember, dogs are pack animals and they themselves will set their own pack order in the hierarchy, no matter how, we as humans, feel it should be. One of the dogs will become dominant whether we like it or not, because dogs do not live in a democratic world.
When the actual introduction is to take place, it is suggested that it happens in a neutral area and that there is one person for each dog. Both dogs should be on a leash and you should allow them plenty of time to size each other up. When you do have them on the leash, the collar and leash should be loose, because a tight reign often incites aggressive behavior. Again, let them take the lead in the introduction and don’t try to coax them into liking one another. It will take time and patience, but it should happen naturally.
Once you get the dogs home, make sure that they have separate feeding areas. Competition for food should never happen. You should also have separate bedding for both dogs. It is very common for dogs, once they have become acquatinted to share or interchange sleeping areas, but that shouldn’t be forced. They will do that on their own.
Probably one of the most important things to remember is that it is natural for the original dog to be a bit jealous of the newcomer. So don’t spend all your time with the new pup. Make sure you show your original dog the time and attention he/she deserves. It will make he/she much more willing to accept the new family member, if they don’t feel as if they are being replaced.
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