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New Dog
I am getting a new puppy. I was thinking should I bring Cocoa, my other dog, with me when I go? I want to make sure they get along. The new pup will be a male Siberian Husky and Cocoa is a German Shepherd/Chow.
Answer:
When getting a new dog, the introduction to the “resident” dog is very important. The breed, size, gender, age, health and temperament are just some of the important factors that contribute to the introduction.
Introduce the dogs at a neutral location. Areas that your dog currently frequents, such as the park or the neighborhood, are not considered neutral. The neutral zone will make it less likely that your dog will see the puppy as an intruder.
Begin the introduction on leash with one person handling the resident dog and a different person handling the puppy. This provides more control in case the introduction goes awry.
From the first moment, use positive reinforcement to help each of the dogs view the other positively. Have special, high value treats available and give them to the dogs as they get slowly closer and closer to one another.
Have one dog approach the other on a 90 degree angle. This will assist the dog being approached in not viewing the oncoming dog as a threat.
Let the dogs sniff each other briefly in a normal, canine greeting behavior. Use the food to lure them off of each other after a short time such that the sniffing doesn’t escalate to an undesired behavior.
During the introduction, speak in a happy voice. Never yell or use any aggression toward either of the dogs. This will only cause the dog being “attacked” to tie your display of aggression to the sight of the other dog.
If you are not comfortable reading canine body language, have some one with you such as a behaviorist who can assist in insuring the best possible first meeting between the dogs.
Once you are confident that the introduction on leash is going well, take the leash off the resident dog assuming the resident dog is a well socialized, friendly dog. Allow the introduction to proceed in this manner until you are comfortable that all is going well. Then take the leash off the puppy.
Well socialized, older dogs will typically forgive the antics of a puppy for a short time period. But once home, monitor their interactions to be sure the puppy doesn’t annoy the older dog. Puppies aren’t always adept at reading the body language of other dogs and sometimes can’t understand that they are being told to back off. Be sure to give the older dog space from the puppy periodically throughout the day.
If the introduction doesn’t go smoothly, contact a canine behaviorist for additional assistance. Do not hope that it will get better without professional help. Dogs can be severely injured in a fight and the problem is much harder to resolve the longer it persists.
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