- First introduction. Pick neutral territory, such as a neighbor's yard, or even walking down the block to the corner. Both dogs should be on leashes. If you have more than one dog already at home, introduce them one at a time to the puppy. Start with the most friendly, submissive of your dogs. You can start by having a friend (not a family member) holding the puppy in your arms and letting your adult dog take a good sniff. Then separate, put the puppy down and allow the dogs to approach one another at their own speed. Stay relaxed! The dogs can sense if you are tense. Verbal encouragement, such as "good dogs!" reinforce any good behavior. If there is any agression on either side, you will have to take a break and try again. If the agression continues, skip to friction between two dogs at same home and/or consult a behaviorist or trainer. If all goes well, allow the dogs to spend five or ten minutes together and then proceed to the next step.
- Short play sessions. Allow the dogs supervised access to one another for the first week or so, until the two form a good relationship and can be trusted alone together. Depending on the dogs, these may be five minutes to an hour or longer. Pick the largest play area possible so the dogs have room to move around. End the play session if the older dog repeatedly exhibits 'lay off me' behavior such as trying to avoid the puppy, snarling, growling or snapping. Remove all toys from the mutual play area to avoid possible fights over toys. If the puppy is fully vaccinated, walks together can reinforce positive, fun things happen when the dogs are together.
- Allowable behaviors. Before the age of 4 months, puppies may not recognize subtle body postures from adult dogs which are signals they have had enough. Well-socialized adult dogs with good temperaments can set limits with puppies with a growl or snarl. These behaviors should be allowed. Adults which are not well socialized, or who have a history of fighting with other dogs may attempt to set limits with more aggressive behaviors such as biting which can harm the puppy.
For the most part, dogs adjust to puppies easily, but since the consequences of a problem can be severe, it is wise to follow a slow introduction process as outlined above to ensure all goes well with adding a new puppy to your home.
FRICTION BETWEEN TWO DOGS IN SAME HOME
General rules for reducing friction between two dogs living in the same household
· Dogs will often fight over resources that they find valuable. In a normal household these resources often include food, water, toys, attention from owners and sleeping areas. By either removing resources completely from within a given area or by increasing resources less friction occurs.
· When fights occur, most owners try and either chastise the dog that they feel has caused the problem or alternatively they chastise both dogs equally. When this happens it can cause a situation where the two dogs are completely confused over which has the highest status. This of course results in the fights being sustained over a very long period.
· The following program is designed to allow the more dominant dog to develop his communication skills and so reduces the possibility of his needing to intimidate his canine friend in order to achieve this higher status. It also allows the older dog, if not the dominant one to gracefully step down from his former position of authority.
· From now on you will need to feed both dogs in the following manner.
- Have a lead or line attached to dog #1’s collar and hold on to the end of it while he is eating.
- Use three food bowls instead of two.
- Placing a large rock on top of dog #2's food will slow him down enough for dog #1 to eat his meal in peace.
- Place dog #2's bowl on the floor just before dog #1
- If you see dog #2 leaving his bowl to go to dog #1, then use the line to gently guide dog #1 to the third bowl.
· Use two water bowls instead of just one and also increase the number of beds that are available in one area to three.
· Always make a habit of greeting dog #2 before dog #1 when you enter the house.
· Always put dog #2’s lead on before you put dog #1 on when you go out for walks.
· Attach a six foot nylon line to dog #1’s collar and use it to teach him how to vacate a bed or resting area or where he needs to go in order to reduce the possibility of dog #2 having to move him physically. Use the line in a matter of fact way and always verbally reward dog #1 for doing what you are requesting. This should let both dogs know that you are now supporting dog #2 as the new canine pack leader. This line should stay on for a period of two weeks when there is supervision.
· When the dogs are left alone, then you should position them so that they can see but not touch one another. This cuts out the possibility of them both trying to defend their respective territories from one another.
Because of the ramifications of pet overpopulation, we encourage pet owners to spay/neuter their pets. In some cases of agression, it may be wise to take care of the aggression issues before the animals are sterilized. With two male dogs, hormone therapy or castrating the more submissive of the two dogs is usually very effective. Castrating only the more dominant dog will increase the severity of the fights.
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