Introducing a New Puppy to your Old Dog

 

Tips and tricks for introducing the new puppy to your old dog -
 
First off, common sense should always be followed when bringing a puppy home for the first time.  I have seen aggressive older dogs kill a puppy without batting an eyelash… so take it slow and use caution.  Bringing a new dog (young or old) into a home for the first time is always an exciting occassion. While many article have been written on bringing puppies into the home – very little has been written about bringing new adult dogs into the home. We will cover both in this section.
Can new puppy and older family dog co-exist? The answer is often yes.  But it will take some time.  Following many of the rules mentioned above will increase the odds that the 2 dogs can work things out. Remember to take it slow… and remember that puppy can’t defend him or herself from a large adult do. Involving a professional dog trainer is also good advise and often increases the chance of puppy fitting in.  Can you teach an old dog new tricks?  For puppies sake, you had better hope the answer is yes.

 

Bringing home an adult dog where adult dogs already exist. 

The # 1 thing to remember is TERRITORY.  The new dog can be seen as a threat on the older dogs turf.  This can be a difficult if not dangerous situation if it’s not handled correctly… so again, use caution and take it slow.  Don’t force the situation and be on guard at all times. Dog fights often occur and sometimes certain dogs will never learn to get along.  Fights are common place when introducing an adult dog into a home where other adult dogs have been living. 

Dog owners think they can simply bring a new dog home and the dogs will figure things out. For the lucky, this method might work, but more times than not people find themselves in the middle of a dog fight and wonder where things went wrong.

Dogs are pack animals & humans are primates. These two groups interact differently.

Most pet owner haven’t a clue about how strong the genetic pack instinct is that exists just under the fur of the family pet. The addition of a second or third dog into the home often triggers a genetic pack drive or RANK DRIVE. Many people are suprised to see the level of aggression that their sweet family dog is capable of.

There is usually more than one thing going on that results in these type of aggression problems. To name just a few: a house dog is often territorial; there can be rank or dominance problem between the new dogs; or there can be inter-male or inter-female issues that result in aggression. 

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