Bringing Home a New Family Member: How to Introduce Your New Puppy

A family dog is a great asset and often a pure joy to have around. Dogs can guard your home and give you unconditional love. A family dog is also a great way to keep one or more kids busy and out of mischief.

About the only thing better than having a family dog is having two family dogs. The two dogs can keep each other company and double the fun when you are playing outside. If you are a hunter and want to add a second hunting dog, a puppy might be an ideal addition. But you need to know how to introduce two dogs to each other for the best possible results.

Possible Issues with Introducing Your Dog to a New Puppy

You might think two dogs would automatically become great friends, especially when one is a puppy. But dogs are like humans and can become jealous of a new addition to the family. That makes it best to take it slowly when introducing your new puppy to the household and especially your current dog.

When introducing your dog to a new puppy, you should make the initial interaction short and just enough to let the two dogs get to see and smell each other. Your new puppy should have a dedicated space where it adjusts to its new surroundings. A barrier that keeps the two dogs separated but able to see, smell and interact with each other could help them to socialize.

Limit Potential Conflicts

Your current dog is the king of the castle. When you bring a new one into the household, that position is threatened. So you need to limit potential conflicts between them.

For example, your older dog might have favorite toys and other items that it likes to protect. If so, you should gather them together and place them in a special location where your dog can find and play with them. That will help keep the peace between your dog and the new puppy.

It also helps to keep the place clean and free of clutter. A cluttered home has many enticing items that might encourage one or both dogs to take a closer look. If the dogs take an interest in the same thing, they might compete to see who gets it.

Make Play Time a Bonding Experience

You should give your older dog plenty of opportunities to play while showing it some attention. You also need to play with the new puppy and encourage it to socialize with the family.

If you can get both dogs to play at the same time, they can become better acquainted. Eventually, you should be able to play with each other and enjoy the experience. That could help establish a peaceful and supportive relationship between your dog and your puppy.

Knowing how to introduce two dogs helps to reduce possible aggressive behavior and helps the two become bonded buddies instead of heated enemies.

Categorised in: Dog Safety

This post was written by admin