Puppy introductions, especially if you already have an older family dog, can be a little nerve-wracking. What if they don’t like each other?! Well, we’ve got useful and successful tips to help you introduce your puppy to your dog to make sure they’re off to the best start possible together!
The Puppy Academy students: Daisy & Paxter!
Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting time for the entire family — but is it for your older pup? We certainly want it to be! Introducing your new puppy to your family dog must be done thoughtfully and intentionally in order to set them both up to learn to co-habitat as family members, and build a lasting bond.
With the tips outlined in this blog, we’ll walk you through pre-planning for your pups' introduction and our expert trainers’ guidance to make the meeting process as smooth and enjoyable as possible! So if you’ve decided that today is the day for the big introduction, read up on our tips below!
Not a fan of reading? Watch our top tips in this short video!:
Set the Stage for Your Pups to Meet!
1. Vaccinations
Before introducing your new puppy to your family dog, make sure that both of your pups are up-to-date on their vaccinations. Certain illnesses are easily transferable from an older dog to a young puppy (and vice versa) even if your older pup has had their vaccines in the past. This includes assuring both pups are clear of parasites like Giardia, Coccidia, as well as worms. (A fecal test through your vet can confirm your pups are clear of these!)
2. Go to a Neutral Location
Next, our recommendation to our Puppy Academy students’ parents is to bring their pups to a neutral location. Pick a place like around the corner from your house or at a nearby park for their first interaction. This will also mitigate any territorial behaviors and just allow your older puppy to engage with your new puppy without feeling like their space is being encroached.
3. Remove Your Current Pups’ Things
After their initial meetup outdoors, it’s time to move the introductions inside. In this scenario, you’ll want to create a neutral environment at home. It’s simple to do: temporarily remove your current pups’ toys, bowls, bed, and other items they may become possessive over in the presence of your new puppy, and put them in another room. In general, taking the time to create a comfortable and controlled space is a great tip, especially if you have any concerns about territorial behaviors bubbling up during your pups’ introduction.
4. No Sharing, Yet
Continue the neutrality of their initial few meetings for a few days, or even longer, if needed. You want to make each of their ongoing interactions go as smoothly and agreeable as possible! To do this, give your new puppy their own things: bed, toys, bowls, etc., as well as their own crate or playpen area with enough space for them to go to relax and want some time on their own. By keeping their items separate you are avoiding any potential for possessive behaviors, but also giving your puppy specific boundaries of things they can and can’t engage with.
How to Introduce Your New Puppy to the Family Dog!
The Puppy Academy students: Charlie & Brodie!
There are a few different techniques you can use to ease your pups into their first meeting.
1. Let your older pup get acquainted first by giving them something that belongs to your new puppy like a blanket or toy from their breeder or rescue. Let your current pup sniff and get used to being in the presence of that new scent ahead of time, maybe even a few days before setting a face-to-face introduction.
2. For a controlled introduction, using a barrier such as a gate or playpen allows your pups to safely meet, sniff, and be around each other without physically interacting just yet. And you can use these tools each time they meet until they get their curiosity out of their system and are used to seeing each other. When the barrier finally comes down, keep a leash attached to each one of your pups, so you can easily guide them away from each other when needed.
3. Use training routines to your advantage as a way to help reduce any nerves and tension! Keeping them engaged in performing tasks versus just letting them loose in the yard and watching what happens, can help you maintain a calm and controlled experience. A new puppy might not know any commands just yet but your older pup can help show them how it’s done. Ask for a Sit, Stay, and Come, while letting your new puppy watch or play nearby.
4. Extra love is NOT necessary! Your instinct may be to dote on your older pup so they don’t feel left out. Instead, just keep things to their regularly scheduled routine. This is far more effective at helping your pup understand nothing has changed with the addition of a new puppy and helps them feel more comfortable.
5. Start working on establishing boundaries with your puppy from the very first day. You can read our blog on teaching your puppy good manners to deter them from jumping, mouthing and general “naughty” puppy complaints. Also, let your current pup continue to see you giving structure to your new pup by implementing a daily puppy schedule. This helps to maintain the established structure at home, and let’s your older pup still have some much needed alone time around the house.
6. Only let your pups engage together during specific times. Set controlled playtime instead of letting them be with each other all the time which can lead to over-stimulation or encourage your pups to develop what is called “pack mentality” (where your pups will only want to interact with each other and start feeding off each other's behaviors). In that situation, you might even notice your older pup starts to not listen as they did before. Once your pups have interacted, give them time to decompress and settle separately in their designated crate or just in a separate space in the room.
Pro tip: Two pups, two people! On the day of their introduction, enlist the help of a family member or close friend to help oversee the pups, handle their leash, and assist in activities like puppy training. This can take a lot of pressure of you, and make the whole greeting experience go much smoother.
Save our puppy introductions Cheat Sheet for easy reference:
Things to Look Out For During the Initial Meeting:
Of course, there are some watch-outs to look out for when introducing your puppy to your family dog. Puppies are still getting a handle on their surroundings and their energy. Older pups have learned the ropes of being part of the family, have their own established routines and might have mellowed out of the high puppy energy. Keep these points in mind when your pups are meeting for the first time so you know when your pups might need a little break.
Is Your Puppy Getting Overly Excited?
Puppy energy can be a lot to manage, especially for an adult dog! Watch your puppy to ensure they aren’t jumping all over, chewing on, nipping, barking at, and just becoming too much for your other pup. And vice versa! You might have an older pup that is playing too rough for a younger puppy. If you notice these behaviors in either one of them, it's a good opportunity to interrupt the play and to give them a little space to settle down on their own. Using a calming routine with your pups can be super effective at this time.
Watch for Body Language Cues
Notice if either of your pups start to back away in a corner or under a chair, if the hackles (the fur running down their spine) start to raise, and teeth-baring or growling start to occur. These body language signs are responses to either over-stimulation or tension which are good indicators that it’s time for another break from their activity together. Never force your pups to play or interact together. Give each pup space and time they need to get comfortable with each other and always advocate for the pup who's showing behaviors that are more submissive. Meaning, don't let one pup get "picked on" by the other. Step in for them if one is being too jumpy, too nippy, or too energetic for them, and you can tell the other is getting agitated or wants to run away.
Supervision is Key
Always supervise your pups when they are put together and don’t let them “work it out” on their own. Young puppies often don’t understand the boundaries your older pup is trying to tell them just yet so will need you to step in. Keep their size in mind too! Larger breeds grow quickly and often aren’t aware of their size or strength and can unintentionally hurt a smaller pup during play.
Learn the Signs of Proper and Positive Socialization!
Knowing exactly what to look out for when your pups are socializing are key to maintaining positive experiences and setting them up for positive interactions — especially when they actually live with their playmates!
Learn body language cues, how and when to step in to pause playtime and how to foster a stronger bond between your family dog and new puppy (and any other pup they interact with) in our Online Puppy School!
You’ll be able to watch as our expert trainers walk you through real-time puppy socialization demos as well as be able interact directly with them for 1-on-1 advice.
Learn more about The Puppy Academy Online School and how it can help you make puppyhood easy here!
Have more questions about introducing your new puppy to the family dog? Ask our trainers LIVE every Wednesday at 1 pm PT on our Instagram @thepuppyacademy during our Ask A Puppy Trainer Show! All replays are posted afterward, and you can catch up on our last ones on our YouTube channel or Podcast.
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