Bringing a New Dog Home to Another Dog

Dogs are often called man’s best friend, and for good reason: they are absolutely adorable, extremely loyal, and quite very territorial. Having one canine companion in your home is great, but if you want to spread the love and have another pet dog in your house, then that would be a wonderful experience for you. You will have a house with two lovable dogs, and they will be there to protect you from harm, but most especially, they will be there to give you love, loyalty, and utmost happiness. However, before you can achieve this perfect harmony with your dogs, you need to go through the process first of bringing a new dog home to your resident dog. And you need to know that this process is not as simple as bring in the new dog and let them both sort things out. Your resident dog can turn territorial and will refuse to welcome the new dog, and the new dog could reject the idea that there is already a dog claiming the property and will become violent. The meeting of your old dog and the new dog needs to be smooth, in order for the three of you to get along fine.

THE PREPARATION

Prepare two dog cages, the same two sets of dog toys, and two sets of dog food and treats. Put one cage in one room of the house, and the other in another room to ensure that there will be no chance of your two dogs seeing each other in their respected areas of the house. Hunt for an enclosed area where your two dogs can meet in a couple of days, like a neighbor’s backyard or a dog playhouse. You need to understand that, unlike humans, dogs rely on their sense of smell all the time, while humans rely on eyesight. The technique that is best to use in introducing two dogs is meeting through smell.

BRINGING YOUR NEW DOG HOME

When it is time to fetch your new dog, leave your old dog at home in one of the cages. Never make the mistake of taking your old dog with you when you pick up a new one. That may end up in a disaster. Once you have your new dog, walk your dog around the area of your home for a few minutes before you take the new one inside. This will give your new pet time to familiarize the sense of smell and eyesight to the surroundings, making your new dog feel at ease. When you enter the house, make sure that your old dog will not see the new one, and take the new one immediately to the designated dog cage.

ROAM INSIDE THE HOUSE

On the first day of arrival, bring your old dog outside your home and let the new one roam around the house, leaving the dog scent all over. Do this a few times a day, and then on the next day, leash your new dog outside the house and let your old dog roam around the house, making your old pet smell the new dog scent in the house. Your old dog may become frustrated by the scent, but there is no other dog around so the annoyance can cool down. Repeat this process for three days, then on the fourth day, exchange the dogs’ living quarters. Put the old dog into the cage of the new dog, and vice versa. This method will allow both dogs to be familiarized with each other’s scents. Once the old dog does not fuss too much anymore about the scent of the new dog, then it’s time that they visually meet for the first time.

THE VISUAL MEETING

You are done introducing your dog to each other through the sense of smell, and now you are ready to allow them to meet visually. Never make the meeting inside your property, but do it on unfamiliar grounds to both dogs. Choose a neighbor’s backyard that has closed space, and bring a friend with you, particularly someone who is familiar with dog handling. Bring your new dog first and let your pet run around the closed space for a couple of minutes, then take your new dog out. Next, bring your old dog to run around the closed space, and notice how your old dog smells a familiar dog scent without getting tense. After a few minutes, bring in your new dog and let them both be free to roam around the closed space, with you and your friend standing by ready to take one dog each in case they do not get along. Since the old and new dogs should both be familiar with the scents of the other, their first visual meeting should go smoothly. They will recognize each other’s scents, and will gradually become friends and play with each other. It may take a couple of minutes, even hours for the bond between two dogs to solidify, but you need to patiently wait for it to happen.

GOING HOME AS FAMILY

Once your old and new dogs got acquainted properly, put leashes on both dogs and walk them together in the surrounding areas of your home. Take time to walk them both in the sidewalks, nearby parks, and when you get home, allow them a couple of minutes to stay outside the door and get familiar with each other.

And then bring them both inside, where you free them from their leashes, and take them to their designated cages. At this point, you can also move the crates into the same room. Feed them in one room but make sure there is a significant distance between their bowls. After a couple of days, remove the cages and put dog beds on either side of the room.

THE END RESULT

When this process is followed thoroughly, you will have a harmonious and loving life with your dogs. Always make sure that you treat each of them as equals, and love them equally.