How to Introduce Dogs to a New Household

When you bring new dogs into a new household, it is important to properly introduce them to the older dogs to create welcoming atmosphere for all dogs involved. Follow the directions below and both your older and newer dogs will be fast friends before you know it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. SCENT-Before bringing new pets home, introduce dogs to the scents. Take a clean bandana and rub it up and down the coat of the new dog for a few minutes. Take the bandana home and allow your older pets to smell the bandana. You can put it in their crate or allow them to wear the bandana. This allows them to become accustomed to the scent of the new dog. (Most shelters and animal rescues make you wait 1-7 days after applying before you can bring home your new pet, so there is time to do this.)

2. VET-Have the new dog checked out by a veterinarian before introducing any new dog to a household. Unfortunately, some diseases run rampant in shelters and kennels due to the fact that there is an overwhelming number of animals up for adoption, little space, and little money to care for them.

3. NEUTRAL TERRITORY-After stopping off at the veterinarian’s office for a check up, have someone meet you at a neutral location with your older dogs. Some animal rescue centers have special rooms designed just for this. The neutral location can also be somewhere like a friend’s house. It just needs to be somewhere that your older dogs do not think of as their territory.

4. SNIFF BUTTS-Allow the dogs to sniff butts. Oftentimes humans are appalled when they see dogs sniffing each other “down there,” but this is the way dogs shake hands or greet each other.

5. PLAY-Allow the dogs to play together or at least be near each other at the neutral territory for at least 30 minutes. You may need to keep them leashed for the first few minutes but allow them time off leash. Dogs are more prone to be themselves when unleashed because they are no longer an extension of you.

6. HOME-Once you bring the new dog home, someone should be in the room anytime the dogs are in the same room for at least a week. Dogs must establish a hierarchy and decide which one of them will be leader of the pack. They might squabble a little bit. This is ok so long as there are no injuries and neither dog is getting beat up. However the chain of command turns out though, all of the dogs should know that you (and not they) are the leader of the pack.

Tips & Warnings

• Each dog should have their own space to sleep, eat, etc. This will help give all of the dogs a sense of security and not feel as if they need to squabble over space or things.

Resources

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