The Guide To Introductions: Part 1. 14/06/09
This part will talk you through introducing a new puppy to other canine members of the household.
- The Guide To Introductions: Part 1.
- The Guide To Introductions: Cats.
- The Guide To Introductions: Part 4
WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?!
Well good news, they can! With a carefully constructed yet simple process we can make your new puppy settle in with the other pets in your life. This article covers dogs, cats, rabbits and birds.
Making sure that your older dog and new puppy get along well is essential. In order to make this happen you must follow some strict rules. This article will talk you through the process of making their relationship as easy as possible.
Introductions
Introduce them on neutral territory – a friend’s garden is always a good option as it should be germ free unlike a park.
Make sure there is lots of space and have the older dog on a loose lead. If the lead is too tight this can lead to frustration which could be taken out on the new puppy. Allow the dogs to meet (if they sniff each others behinds this is a great sign, its like shaking hands). If the older dog growls do not intervene, simply lead the older dog away (it’s just a sign he has had enough of the puppy). This is an important point, if you intervene here then you are telling the older dog the puppy has more power that he does. Dogs live in a strict social network that comprises of hierarchy. I am not saying you need to be ‘dominant’ but within dog to dog relationships there is a clear cut dominant/submission line.
In the home
When you get home separate the dogs and leave the puppy to explore the main areas whilst you shower your older dog with attention in another room. This will allow the puppy to settle without the older dog watching his every move!
Later on bring your dog into the room with the puppy, preferably whilst the puppy is asleep, you can always use a crate, allowing your dog to sniff and get used to this new ball of fur. Make sure they have distinct sleeping areas, preferably separate (if they sleep together the puppy will attach more quickly to the other dog than you). Do not be tempted to take the puppy to your bedroom, this will cause no end of trouble through jealousy.
Troubleshooting
Don’t panic when your older dog barks or growls at your new puppy, this is totally normal and not a problem. Your older dog needs to set boundaries for the puppy and will teach him dog to dog manners, something you or I would struggle to do. Just remember its like him saying ‘no’ when the puppy jumps all over him and bites him. We would do the same thing. It is very rare for an older dog to hurt a puppy but if you get concerned consult a trainer in your area or contact me via comment or email and i will be happy to help.
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39 Responses to this article
thanks for this! i have 5 cats in the house and once we got the new puppy, the 2 little kittens got so furious and ran around the house..but after 2 days of showing the puppy to them, they got a little relaxed, though not that much..the 2 kittens are still distant but at least now they can stay in the same room w/ the puppy..as for the 3 older cats, it’s as if they don’t care at all..haha..^_^
Aww its lovely to see you are getting on so well. Glad i could help and the kittens will acclimatise; try feeding them whilst you hold your puppy so they associate good things with the puppy.
Hi Louise
Thank you so much for the link to your website. I am trying to take in all the information at once! I could not work out how to email you so I thought I would leave a very looooooong comment
We are looking at getting a puppy so our Husky can have a playmate, our other dog died of cancer last month.
When our husky was a puppy he was visciously attacked by my sister’s dalmation, this has scared me for life! The dalmation was/is the most timid, relaxed, well behaved dog and it just absolutely bamboozled me that he hurt Jasper (my husky) so severely.
To be quite frank I am absolutely PETRIFIED of getting another pup because of this. I am prepared to do all the hard work that goes with the puppy, we went through it all with Jasper so I know what I am in for but like i said I am soooooo scared of Jasper hurting our new family addition.
Would it be better for my husband to introduce the dogs without me there?
Jasper hates sleeping inside (I know its weird but when he is ready for bed he lets us know and outside he goes). Would it eventually be a good idea for the pup to sleep outside? I am going to crate train the pup but am very conscious of Jasper becoming jealous of him.
I realise I am not making any sense so please email me at my personal email for more clarification if needed.
Cheers
Yes it will be a good idea to eventually having them sleeping together. It will be better for you having the puppy inside as you do not want it to completely bond to Jasper and not you. Keeping them apart and letting them mix for a few hours a day is the best way to go. When you go to the breeder take a blanket and rub the pup with their smell, then allow Jasper to sleep with it until the puppy arrives. This will allow him to be acclimatised to the scent before you actually bring the puppy home.
If you are feeling anxious about the introduction then it probably is better that your husband does it. This is because Jasper will pick up on your anxiety and put him on edge before meeting the puppy. Don’t mollycoddle the puppy when you bring it home and avoid carrying it a lot when Jasper is around. Make sure you stick to his routine and that the puppy doesn’t change that too much for him.
How is he with other dogs in general since he was attacked? It is pretty rare for an adult dog to attack a puppy, how were they introduced?
Thanks
Louise
Thanks Louise! I have asked the breeder to keep a blanket with the pup so I can give it to Jasper.
Jasper is pretty good with other dogs. We had two dogs 6 months apart and they got a long like a house on fire. When I walk him he meets lots of dogs and just wants to play (its a shame I cant let him off the leash in an unfenced area) its more me with the mental scarring!
The two dogs were introduced on mutual territory at my grandparents house. We had Sam (the dalmation) on the lead, the same with Jasper. Jasper approached Sam and there was no warning, he just gave this horrendous growl and had him in his mouth shaking him violently it was AWFUL! And to top it off, I walked past my parents house the other day with Jasper, it was a windy day and their gate had become unlocked, out of no where Sam came running out and attacked Jasper again. Again it was just as awful! Its is really mind blowing because Sam is a well socialised dog, he has lots of other dog friends who come and play with him but he just hates Jasper! Poor Jas, he has just had no luck with that awful dog.
Like I said, it has affected me more I think. We get lots of play date invitations and every time I am scared senseless!
Thanks so much for your help.
From a big old scardy cat!!!
If you recognise these insecurities you have in relation to Jasper and now I imagine Dalmations, you have completed the first step and you can go about changing it. Sometimes with breeds like Husky’s that carry their tail high it can give out the wrong signals to other dogs as they feel they are being dominant. Introductions on the lead can cause friction also ,as inadvertently you can pull back on the lead pulling both dogs up into a dominant posture. Have you read reading your dogs body language? This might help you out.
Its great the breeder is being accommodating to make sure they get along well and it will be fine. Especially what you have told me about Jasper. Remember he is not Sam, he is your dog and things like that happen all the time in the dog world. You just have to brush it off and start again. Sounds like you have done a great job keeping him socialised!
Thanks so much Louise for all your help
I will keep you posted!
Cheers
hi i have a concern i brought home a 2 month old puppy we introduced him to the other dogs my german shepard (female) loves him. but my male dog ( he is neutered) bite him when he first because he went where he was eating but now we were with bothe of the male and my 1 yr old dog growled at him twice and showed his teeth. please help me i dont want them to hate each other i dont if its becasue he is a male or jealous or i dont know how can i teach him to like him please please please emal me javierchevez@hotmail.com
thankyou please i need ur help
Have you seen the latest article of my dog and my puppy don’t get on? this is worth a read.
Hi,
Please help me with some advice quickly i will just give you the general problem and try to keep it straight to the point but brief. I have a 3 year old staffie and a 2 year old staffie they mated and produced 6 pups. Four of them have been homed and two are left (now aged nearly four months)
The mum is brilliant with them but when she is playing with them if the dad tries to get involved she growls and goes for him. He will run into his crate and just stay there. I am concerned as they get on very well together if the puppies are out of the way. I have let the dad see the puppies when the mum is in a different crate he gets a bit excited but is okay, however today he went for one of the pups and i was a bit upset, the two puppies have been vaccinated and micro-chipped and i was thinking i may just keep them but it is all getting stressful now as i do not want the mum and dad to fight and also i do not want the dad to bite the pups, it is stressful to keep seperating them all into crates, I adore all of them, the other four pups have been back to visit and everything was fine but the dad dog just hid in his crate. I need help with this please offer me some advice if you can. By the way i had the dad dog neutered when the mum was pregnant as i did not intend to breed but although the mum has had the pups it has been a wonderful experience.
many thanks,
Pauline.
I would not recommenced keeping the pups long term as it will cause friction. Sounds like the male has become a little anxious about being around the pup sue to the mum being naturally possessive. Work on giving him treats around the pup and rewarding the mum for tolerating him. Keeping her entertained. If necessary then muzzle the parents around the pups. You really don’t want these pups to have negative experiences with older dogs right now so the best way to go is to get them out to homes asap. Tell owners that the father has been over the top with them and its important for them to socialise their new pup straight away with other dogs to create a positive association. The mother is acting in a natural way but unfortunately this is stressing the male out, neither dogs are wrong they just need a little help from you. Good luck, its not an easy situation! Let me know how it goes.
Shame on you for creating another terrific post! Awesome stuff, keep up the good work. I see a lot of potential!
Hi
I got I new puppy a toy pom and my mom and dad has a jackrassel and a poodle both is a boy and my puppy is a boy the poodle is used to the new dog they play and so on but the jackrassel bit him on the nose and he growls to him and does not like him what can I do so he can except the new member because he is a stubborn dog we had a turtle and had to give it away because the jackrassel bit him till it bleed and I don’t want it to happen to the puppy
Hi there,
Thanks for the comment. Well it can be a tricky process. Is your parents JR castrated? I think this article might help you out (click this link) My older dog doesn’t like my new puppy Do you get involved when the older dog bites the puppy? Also picking small dogs up and carrying them is common but it can actually cause a fair few social problems. Most dogs find a good social structure between themselves but when we get involved we can mess that up a bit by accident, even though we are trying to help the situation. Make sure they are supervised and interaction between them is as hands off as possible from yourself unless there is a risk to you or the dogs. You may want to consider a muzzle whilst you are mixing them if you are worried, especially as its easy for people to get nipped when dog to dog interactions go wrong. Make sure you take your puppy to training classes to mix him with lots of other dogs so he does not build up a negative association. If you can get your parents to take the JR as well it would be great. You need to be careful in situations with aggression and it is important that you get a professional trainer who uses kind, positive methods to actually see the interactions themselves as it is very difficult to generalise as I cannot really gauge what is going on without witnessing it myself first hand.
hi. i have a question. is it normal for my 3 year old dog to bark at a puppy less than 2 months old? any particular reason why does it do so?
Yes its normal but there could be a variety of reasons. Maybe he is trying to initiate play or maybe he is feeling anxious about the new arrival. Give him lots of praise around the puppy, when he is being quiet, including treats. This post might help you out too …. Reading your dogs body language.
Father dog is at my daughter’s house while mother dog tends to her pups at my house. Is there a book or article for a crash course on how to deal with introducing father to pups/when and how to deal with future adoptive parents of pups coming to visit pups and mom. I;m concerned because mother dogs gets aggitated when anyone other than me picks pups up. In fact, she prefers me to watch, not touch too much. She’s a good mother dog. Thanks for your help.
hi i have a 3 year old male staff that lives with a friend 5 days a week and my partner has just brought a new 7 week old bull mastiff my dog doesnt get on well with other dogs and when our friend brought him home 2 introduce them my dog was sniffing then going for the pup with a aggressive bark how can i get them to get along with each other and my oldest dog hasnt been neutroed yet but we will be doing it in a few weeks pleaseeeeeeeeeeee help
You are in a tricky situation as your staff doesn’t have a fixed home, he probably feels unsettled when he moves from his weekday home to his weekend home. If he has a history of aggression towards other dogs then the likelihood of your two dogs getting along without professional guidance is low. I would have to reccomend you get a behaviourist out so they can actually see the situation and posturing and guide you through how to make this work. Check out the APDT.co.uk or the APBC.co.uk for a good behaviourist in your area.
Hi, I have a 10 year old pomeranian male and just got a 7 week old female of the same breed. I’ve had him for 8 years and know him inside and out. He’s never really had much social interaction with other dogs throughtout his life and doesn’t know what they’re doing when they are trying to sniff him. he has gotten along with another dog we were watching for 2 weeks. but it took him 2 weeks to actually play with him as he tends to shut down and stay away from the family with other dogs around. i just read this article after they met, which was a complete disaster as the 10 yr old is not happy to be around the new puppy, and i want to know is there anyway i can fix this after such a horrible start. I give him as much attention as possible but you can tell the difference in his attitude when the puppy is asleep than when the puppy is awake.
We had 2 Bassets, both boys. They were very close. The older of the two slipped on the ice and became paralized. He had to be put down. Copper has Addisons and continues looking for his partner, in sadness. We brought an 8 wk Basset male home. Copper turns his head and has no interest in him. Please help us introduce this puppy in a possitive way for exceptance.
Hi I have a 5 yr old Pomeranian which gets along with other dogs apart from large dogs and lives cats 100%! I had a Maltese which grew up with him and they got on very well but unfortunately he died since then I got the cat and my Pomeranian and cat love each other they roll around on the ground they lick each other etc. My dog that died got alon with the cat also. I have just got a puppy and for the past three weeks my older dog has become completely protective over that cat. The puppy goes to play with the cat and my older dog growls and snaps at the puppy and sometimes around me he snaps at the puppy but mainly just growls around me. Why is this happening is my older dog jeaulous of the puppy and the cat together. Do you think the longer my older dog is around the puppy this will go away. The cat thinks it’s part of the pack and if I take my dogs outside it follows to and if we are inside he is there too. They all sleep at the same time also. The cat has decided to play more with the puppy now than the older dog. The puppy is always trying to play with my older dog and my older dog normally plays with most dogs and especially cats so why does it growl at the puppy. Will they find their positions eventually and all get along?
Hello! I need help!!
I have a chihuahua and a terrier mix, and they get along really well but i just recently got a 7 week old beagle and ever since she has been here they have acted estranged. They both run away from her when she trys to interact or we try to bring them together. the oldest growls when she even gets close and the baby gets away, but the terrier mix started to play with her but now very aggressively and has bit her, I just want these dogs to get along because i love them all and i want them to all feel happy, so how can i get some peace between them all without always having to seperate them because the older ones want to hurt the little one? Please Help!!! Thanks!
i have a 8yrold cocker spaniel my daughter has just brought a puppy cocker spaniel both are female when they are playing the older dog make s alot of noise and barks alot she tries to get hold of the pup round the neck but does not bite all the time this is going on her tail is waging and the pup does not seem scared but the noise is deafing and sounds like the older one wants to kill the pup but she has never bitten the pup even when the pup nips her is this normal or is the older one being agresivous to the pup please help
i have a question we have two older dogs a pomarainian mix and a yorky and we just got a new puppy and i was afraid that our pom would be the first to be a little agressive but it turns out the yorky actually was how do i stop this before it gets out of hand?
hi i have a two and a half year old jack russell female and ive just bought a 5 week old jack russell female pup the older dog growls at the pup when she goes towards her is this normal?
Hi,
Yes this is normal. It is best to let them set their own boundaries and not get too involved (within reason). We often make situations something they are not by interfering, they will teach each other how to behave around one another.
we have a silky terrier that just turned 3 years old (about 5.5lbs). She has had limited interactions with other dogs, most of which have been bigger dogs. We are contimplating getting a 3 month old Yorkie. However, when we introduced the two at the adoption place, our Silky basically cowered and ignored the puppy. She wouldn’t even smell her; like a jealous child she literally turned her head and looked the other way. The Silky was also afraid of her, shaking quite a bit. She eventually stopped shaking, but still wouldn’t acknowledge the other dog. Would you intrepret this as the Silky would not get along with a new puppy? Any suggestion should we introduce them to each other again?
I would recommend getting down to some training classes with your terrier straight away. Socialise her with as many other small dogs as possible, ensuring you only use positive methods ie. if she does not want to interact the first few times just let her observe, praising her and giving her treats for movements towards other dogs. I would put off adopting another puppy until she is comfortable. It sounds like she is a little anxious due to lack of socialisation so I would address this then look to adopt in a couple of months so you can be confident everything will go smoothly.
Hi,
I intend on breeding my female and keeping a pup. Any suggestions as how to pick out the best match (relationship wise)? Female or male pup? Any behaviors to watch for during the nursing stage? Basically, I want to know if there is any way to decipher a pup that will get along well with his/her mom in the later years rather than not. Thanks!
Hi,
It is very difficult to say, usually opposite sexes are recommended, however there are plenty of same sex dogs living together wonderfully. The most important thing is not which pup you keep but what you do once you have kept one. Enroll in a puppy training class as soon as you can for your new puppy to make sure you have some individual training time and once the breeding female is fit and well it will be worth ensuring she gets plenty of one to one walks. I would sleep them seperately once the pup is old enough to ensure they become independant of one another and able to cope without the other one around.
hi Louise
I have a female 4 yr old cocker spaniel who is the perfect dog, she is so laid back shes brillientb with children etc, last week brought home a 8 week old male cocker which she wasn’t impressed with! I thought she would begin to want to interact with him, but she just growls at him and has nipped him once. Her tail is still wagging when she growls but I’m scared she might really hurt him… Please help
Hi – your article is great! I also do have some questions about making sure my two dogs get along together. I currently own a 9months old husky. She is great – well socialized, and do great with other dogs (especially dogs around her size; they love to play fight and chase). Since huskies are pack animals so we thought of getting her a playmate. We recently adopted a 11 weeks goldendoodle (male). the doodle is very calm and not as active as my husky. The husky is playing with him VERY roughly and often makes the puppy yelps and cries even when he is not even bugging him! the doodle would just lay around and my husky will bodyslams, lick and bite his neck to a point that he yelps. The doodle is getting a little frustrated, he started barking everytime she approaches and has a little growl too.
do you have any advice for us?
thank,
Clare
I would get your husky down to training classes in order to desensitise her more to other dogs. i would also try some exercises with other dogs at first on lead whereby she only gets to play if she is doing so appropriately. If she gets carried away, walk away and re-approach. She will soon learn the only way you get to play is by being calm.
I currently have a 3 yr old lab, as you will know is only just coming out of the phases and is still lively and loves to play, I would like to get another pup to keep her company, I am thinking of getting a cavalier KC spaniel, I’m worried coco (my lab) wont take it well as she might not get the same amount of attention, she gets along with other dogs really well she just wants to play with them, she never get nasty, never had a fight she is a very gentle dog, she got told of by an old dog when she was one because coco was all over the other dog and the other dog didn’t want to play and coco dulled upstairs for the rest of the day until it’s owner pick it up ( coco had met the other dog we looked after her for two days as a favour to a friend) so she is a good dog , I dont want her to get upset or feel left out what can I do to help ?
Many thanks
Hi abi,
I really would not worry. As long as her routine is kept as similar as possible you will be fine. Sleep the pup in another room for the first few months and make sure you still take coco on walks alone and have one on one play sessions and cuddles. Try not to lavish attention on her as it will be tricky when you start to ease things off. Keeping things the same as much as possible is the key to success.
Thanks
Meant puppy phases and sulked not dulled
Many thanks
Hi,
We have a 5 year old pit mix and had a 7 year old boxer. We lost our boxer about 2 months ago. We just adopted another boxer puppy. He is 11 weeks old. When we first brought him home out pit mix was happy and playful with him. Within the next few days she became aggressive with him and would go after him when he walked by her or got in her way. Now my 5 year old wants nothing to do with the puppy at goes after him every time he goes near her. Any suggestions on how we can get them to get along? It is very hard to live with the tension:(
Lauren
Hi,
I am afraid without seeing what is going on it would be unwise for me to give you advice. The best thing to do is to get your puppy to training classes and hire in a behaviourist to look at the dogs together. if this is too pricey get both dogs down to training classes and ask an instructor to take a look. it may be that you are adding to the tension as you are worried about your older dog injuring the puppy, therefore protecting the puppy, making the older dog less likely to interact. You need to make sure you are confident and relaxed whilst they mix and set clear rules. Try training them together rather then just letting them wind one another up.