Introducing a New Dog to the Family Pets

Introducing a New Dog

Now it is time to introduce your new dog to the family. Hopefully, all family members were including in the decision. You want to make sure he will get along with men, women and children so it is best to bring everyone along before making such a major decision. This section will focus mostly on introducing the new dog or puppy to other pets in the family.

Introducing a new dog or a new puppy to other pets in the home should be done carefully and slowly. The best place to introduce two dogs is in a neutral location, such as a park or somewhere away from the home. If you introduce your new dog or new puppy to the resident dog at home, he may feel a bit protective over “his” territory. Meeting in a neutral location allows them to sniff each other out, become friends, and not worry about either one intruding on each other’s turf.

If you must introduce them at your house, do it carefully and slowly. Keep both dogs on a loose leash when introducing them. If you hold the leash tight, you are making the dog appear tense, and the other dog will pick up on that. Allowing the dogs to go up to each other and sniff each other in their own way is proper dog etiquette. Dog behavior is such an interesting thing! Body language is how they communicate.

Watch for signs of aggression. If either dog is standing up straight, tense, hair standing up, staring directly at the other dog, then you might have a problem. You will want to get them apart before anyone gets angry.

When introducing a new dog, a friendly dog will go up to the other dog sideways, and they will sniff each others privates and rear ends. This is perfectly normal. Lots of people think it is gross or rude and will pull on the dogs leash. But to the dogs, it is rude if they do not greet each other with this behavior.

You may just want to do short introductions at first. Some dogs will be fine from the get-go, some need time to adjust. You will be able to tell if your dog likes the new one. If he does, then feel free to let them play and spend time together. It is wise to supervise them for sometime.

You do not want to feed the dogs together until you know more about them and how they will interact with one another.

Introducing a new dog to your cat usually will take some time. Your cat may hide and this is very normal. You should keep your dog on a leash to protect the cat since you don’t know how he will react around cats. You really shouldn’t force the dog and cat to spend time together if your cat is really scared. It’s best to let the cat seek out the dog and meet each other when they are ready.

Always proceed with caution when introducing a new dog to your family pets. Don’t rush things, it’s a new situation for everyone involved, and don’t expect your resident pets to be best friends with your new dog overnight.