Socializing A New Dog In Your Home
You've been waiting for months. You've done all your homework.
You've chosen the perfect new puppy for your home. You have a
collar, a leash, a bag of food that the puppy has been eating.
You've even taken a day off from work so you can go get the puppy
and bring him home. He has a bed and toys waiting for him at
home. You've thought of everything, right? Right up
until the moment one of your kids asks, “Won't Rover just love the
new puppy?” Oh, no. What about the dog you already have?
What about that sweet, beloved old guy at home who has been the
center of the family's attention for years? How is he going to
feel about sharing his home with a new puppy? Did you forget
to ask him about bringing a new puppy home? How is he going to
react? It looks like you're well on your way to having to
learn how to socialize your new puppy and your old dog. But,
don't worry too much. It's not that hard and you can all get
through the process with a little effort.
The most important thing is to ensure the safety of all concerned –
you, your family the puppy and the older dog. Make certain
that the puppy will be safe and that the older dog cannot harm him.
It's a good idea to place the new puppy (or new dog) in a pet
carrier or crate that will keep him from coming into physical
contact with the older dog at first. This way they can still
see, smell and hear each other without anyone getting hurt.
They can get used to each other in a safe situation. If you're
dealing with a larger puppy or an adult dog you may need to leash
both animals. It helps to have an assistant on hand (a family
member is fine).
Remember that rewards go a long way toward helping to ease these
situations. You will basically want to reward your older dog
when he shows acceptance of the new puppy (or dog). After the
two dogs have calmed down a little give each of them a little
reward, such as a bite of kibble or some other favourite treat.
Give the puppy and the older dog lots of praise and affection for
not barking or showing aggression toward each other. (It will
be tempting to show more affection and praise to the puppy but you
should be careful not to overlook the older dog. You don't
want to do things that will make the older dog jealous.) Keep
in mind that you are trying to show your older dog that you accept
the other dog's presence as part of the family and that you expect
them to accept the other dog, too. You will probably need to
repeat this process several times until both dogs become accustomed
to each other and any hostility has subsided. It's typical for
the older dog to display more aggression than the puppy. The
puppy may be very submissive. This is normal. Some
puppies may be frisky and something of a nuisance to older dogs.
Older dogs will put up with this behavior to varying degrees.
Some older dogs are more tolerant than others but most will respond
and set limits at some point.
The next step in this process is to allow the animals a closer
inspection of each other. For this step you need an assistant
to help control one of the animals. Your assistant should
leash the older dog and hold him firmly on a very short leash.
Make sure your assistant has control of the dog. You will then
open the pet carrier or crate and bring out the new puppy or dog.
Or, both animals may be on leashes. At this point you will
bring the two dogs close together. The dogs will most likely
move toward each other to sniff and meet. They will explore
the other animal so you should be sure your assistant is holding the
dog tightly. You should be careful not to let the new pet
panic or escape your hold. You can gradually bring the two
dogs closer together and allow them to calmly meet. One or
both dogs may growl in warning. Watch the dogs carefully and
be prepared to separate them if necessary. You can try again
later if need be. Dogs in a home typically establish a pecking
order – they will establish who is boss. Your older dog has
seniority and will probably quickly let the puppy or other dog know
that he is in charge in the home. The other dog will probably
accept a subordinate role for the time being. Dogs are good at
working at most squabbles on their own without human interference.
The last thing to keep in mind is that not everyone gets along.
Not with people and not with dogs. There will be days when
your dogs may not get along. They may have disagreements about
a toy or about a place to sleep or about food. These are
usually quickly resolved and your dogs will be friends again.
In other cases there are some dogs that don't like each other and
may never like each other. However, with patience and some
good management on your part, you can avoid fights and keep your
house peaceful most of the time. You may have to call a
time-out sometimes, or send the dogs to a separate room to cool off,
but things will calm down.
If you're thinking of getting a new puppy or adult dog you can help
prepare your older dog for the coming change and make things easier
for him. Start socializing your older dog more. Take him
to a dog park or a pet superstore that allows dogs to visit.
Let him begin to meet some new dogs so it's easier on him when he
meets a new dog in his home. You may even be able to arrange
for him to meet your new puppy on neutral ground, such as at a dog
park, where your older dog feels less territorial. You may
even wish to consider having a dog party at your home where several
people bring their dogs to your house. (Though this may be
stressful for some dogs, other dogs may enjoy having dog guests in
their home. It helps to know your dog well and how he may
react.) All of these things will help your dog adjust when he
meets your new puppy.
Do take your older dog's feeling into consideration when you think
about bringing a new puppy or adult dog into your home. Many
dogs welcome a puppy or new dog into the household, but for dogs who
have been “only dogs” their entire lives it can be somewhat
threatening to have a new dog in the household. They feel
threatened both by having their living space invaded and by feeling
jealous of your time and attention and love. Everything they
know is being challenged and turned upside down. Give them
time to adjust to a new puppy or dog and help them adapt by
introducing the new animal slowly. Make sure you continue to
show your older dog plenty of love and affection and it will help
him accept the newcomer.
Socializing A New Dog In Your Home courtesy of Dog Articles