Dogs are amazing creatures and chances are, if you already have one, at some point, you will want another too. The challenge, of course, is to introduce the new dog to your existing dog. The hope is that they greet each other by wagging their tails, but this is not always the case. Your current dog may show signs of jealousy or even aggression that could cause a real problem for everyone in the household. Find Dog Training near me.
If any of this sounds familiar, here are our top tips on how to introduce your dog to other pets.
Before You Pick The Dog Up
First things first, you need to make sure that having another dog is a good idea in the first place. Besides the added responsibility, you should know that your dog will not react badly. If your dog is already aggressive towards other dogs, getting a second dog is probably not a good decision.
If your dog passes the test, he will have to do some prep work before picking up his new dog. Make sure your current dog stays behind and has an extra pair of hands. You will need someone to retain your current dog and someone else to manage your new dog. Choose a neutral setting for the meeting to reduce any potential tension.
Baby Steps
In order to maintain control if necessary, make sure both dogs are on a loose leash. You don’t want the leash to be too tight, otherwise, the dogs will feel restricted. Dogs can be very nervous or they might ignore each other, to begin with. Try to let the dogs go at their own pace on this, rather than forcing them to interact.
It’s always helpful to have a few treats ready, although you shouldn’t give them to dogs as they interact for the first time. If both dogs show good behavior, follow up with positive reinforcement and wait for a break to reward them.
What To Do If It Goes Badly
Dogs are animals at the end of the day, so their reaction can never be 100% predicted. It may well be the case that your dogs don’t get along at first. If the dogs start to show their teeth or have negative body language, you should separate the dogs and give each other a break.
Try a series of short interactions until the initial uncertainty is gone. Again, follow up with treats and positive reinforcement if both dogs are well behaved. If the dogs settle in and show signs that they are comfortable with each other, take them for a walk to get used to each other. This should also burn off any excess energy which can also help reduce stress.
To Sum Up
When you introduce a new dog into your home, it is a great fit for your current pet. While most meetings are thankfully straightforward, your dogs may not always agree right away.
If you are struggling to get your new setup to work then it is worth consulting a dog trainer or dog behavior therapist. Sometimes the problems are not so obvious and therefore for the health and well-being of your dogs (and everyone else in the household!), Additional help may be needed.
1 How to introduce your dog to your other pets
Dogs are amazing creatures and chances are, if you already have one, at some point, you will want another too. The challenge, of course, is to introduce the new dog to your existing dog. The hope is that they greet each other by wagging their tails, but this is not always the case. Your current dog may show signs of jealousy or even aggression that could cause a real problem for everyone in the household.
If any of this sounds familiar, here are our top tips on how to introduce your dog to other pets.
