Introducing a New Pet into the Home

My lady loves me. She loves me a lot! She also loves our other dogs, but not as much as me, of course! At least I think so, but shoosh don’t tell em! WOOF! My Lady already had Sallie and Maggie when I came along needin’ a home when I had nowhere to go. All the others came later. Seems my Lady can’t turn away a pup in need. But, we all had to have a meet and greet. If you’re thinkin’ on gettin’ another pet, there are a few things ya need to know about when introducing a new pet into the home.

Selection

When people decide to introduce a new pet to the family, it’s important to consider some things.

How will the other pets adapt?

What age and size are best to add to the pack?

What personality will best fit the existin’ pack?

Will anyone get eaten or bitten?

Sometimes pets choose you 🙂

But, you still have to follow some basic things.

Once you have a good answer to these questions, you can pick a new dog.

Then you must plan a nice proper introduction of the new dog to the rest of the pack.

Keep in mind the pack order.

Adding a second dog or a new dog means the pack changes.

Most dogs do well with puppies, as they have a protective instinct.

But you have to know your fur-family and pick a pet that fits in with the pack.

Plan on a slow introduction.

Introducing them to each other on neutral ground is a smart thing.

In the home, you may want to keep one of the dogs, or the new dog, behind a baby gate for a week or so.

Neutral ground

Remember, canines are territorial.

First introductions for dogs will go a lot smoother if they meet at a place that neither of them claims as their own such as a friend’s house or the park.

This will allow them to focus on meeting and sniffing.

Safety

Introducing a new family member can be fun if all the humans in the family are careful.

The most important thing to consider is the safety of both pets and their humans.

Part of this is keeping little humans away from first meetings and making sure small pets are protected.

Again, no one wants biting to happen, but it can happen as the dogs sniff each other out.

Any situation that leaves the dogs unsure or scared can lead to barking and bad manners.

Just be patient!

Once the meet and greet are over, and the new dog comes home, it’s still necessary to watch for safety.

As humans, we tend to drift off to do things, go to work, etc., so be sure you plan to keep everyone safe as the pack adjusts.

Crate the new dog or put the dogs in separate rooms until they adjust and get used to each other.

Most of all, give them time. Be patient. And show your existing pack how special they are because they will likely get their muzzle out of joint with some jealousy if you don’t.