Introducing A New Dog To Your Pack!

Let’s say you’ve had just the one dog for a couple of years and the time has come, you feel, to add a second pooch to your home. Have you asked your current dog about this?

Of course you haven’t so make sure you that the first meeting between the established dog and the newcomer is optimized for maximum friendliness and away from ‘territory’…

This is especially important if the new arrival is not a puppy but, say, a fully mature rescue dog – either way certain rules need to be followed.

Here in my home we often pat ourselves on the back as to the fact that our rather nervous 3 year old Golden Retriever has been cool from day #1 with the new arrival of a 3 month old Curly Coated Retriever puppy just over a year ago.

The fact is that we read up on it extensively and, come the day, we were ready ( we hoped!)

As the new arrival was on his way in the back of the car ( with my sister) I got the call, “We’re 2 minutes from home base.” So I took Basil outside and away from the house.

When they arrived the car stopped right on the edge of what Basil considers his territory and we introduced him to a very anxious little puppy – who, quite rightly and without any help from us, was fearful and subservient in front of us strangers and an older bigger dog.

We spent about 30 minutes making a fuss of both of them and soon they started to play. Basil’s natural instinct I guess was to be forgiving of a young pup and Dodger relieved not to have been attacked. When the time came to enter the house everyone – dogs and humans alike – were relaxed and friendly. A far as the dogs are concerned, nearly two years later, that’s never changed. To this day they are best buddies and it’s hard to imagine one without the other.

The secret was to introduce them on ‘neutral’ territory rather than bring the new puppy straight into the house as a fait accompli and hope for the best. Well that would annoy me I have to say if I were a dog in my own home.

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