Want to adopt a dog but afraid of how your own dog will react?  Don’t worry, I’m sure everyone thinks the same.  I certainly did before I adopted Ginger.

Taking on another pet certainly needs a lot of thought but in my experience it isn’t as difficult as it seems.  Yes, your own fur baby will be off form for a few days and you may even wonder if you have made the right decision but based solely on my experience and the experience of friends and family, it will work out.  Give it a week and your baby won’t know life without their new sibling. 

Below I have listed some tips to help when introducing a new dog into your home.

Their first meeting

This is important.  In my opinion, you should introduce both dogs in neutral territory.  This worked extremely well for me when I adopted Ginger.  I took Prince (my shih tzu boy) out for a walk and met Ginger in a neutral area.  I gave them loads of time to have a good sniff and get to know eachother.  I didn’t hold Prince back or tighten his lead nor did we restrain Ginger.  I gave them loads of freedom and most importantly loads of time to suss one another out.  By the time we brought them in home, they were already comfortable with each other.

Be positive

From the moment both dogs are introduced and for weeks after, always be positive around them.  Dogs will pick up on any negative vibes.  Let your dog know that bringing in this new pet is a positive thing and that you are happy with it.  High pitched and happy voices always make my dogs feel more comfortable.  They sense I’m at ease and therefore, know there is no danger involved in the situation.

Separate at bed time

For the first few weeks I would recommend both dogs sleep separately.  If you’re anything like me, your fur baby is in the bed with you or maybe sleeps on the couch.  Either way, it’s best to keep them separate at the start.  Putting the new family edition into the same area as your own dog may cause jealousy and make your dog think; “Hey, this new guy is taking over the show”.

Like I mentioned, Prince sleeps in the bedroom.  So, with Ginger, we started her off sleeping downstairs.  I didn’t want Prince to feel too overwhelmed and more importantly, appreciated that they were still not 100% comfortable with each other so possibly neither would have got a decent nights sleep nor would I.

Nowadays, they are both in their own beds on the bedroom floor or possibly taking over my bed while I hang out the side.

Feed separately

I still feed my two separately.  It may not be necessary for you after a while but at the beginning I would recommend feeding them apart.  We all know a dog rarely knows when they are full so what you don’t want is your new pet finishing first and coming over to steal some out of your dogs bowl.  Not only could this cause a squabble between the two, your own dog may be put out and even go off his food for a few days.

Two and half years later I still separate Prince and Ginger at feeding times.  What I recommend is setting out both bowls at the exact same time but in different areas of the house.  Sometimes I even show them both bowls so they both know they are getting the same as each other, but that’s just me.  As soon as they are finished take up both bowls and bring the dogs back in to the same room.

Make sure your dog knows they are still number 1

Whether it be going for walks, feeding time or giving treats.  Put your own dog first at the start.

For me, I would have always put Princes lead on first if we were going out, give him his treat first, even saying hello to them first as you come in the door can make a difference.  Obviously this isn’t something you must keep up long term but I do think it is important to ensure your baby doesn’t feel left out.  They need to know they still have your attention 100%.

I’m sure there is so much more tips out there for introducing a new pet into your home but in my own personal experience these are the five things that worked best for me.  Now my two babies can’t spend a second apart.  It really was the best decision for our family.

Feel free to post some tips you have of your experience in this situation.  I’d love to hear from you.

By staceywallace131